By Paul Richoux

There’s something very soothing and almost therapeutic about bobbing along in a little boat, on some calm waters, on a warm day. Little pleasure boats though are often inaccessible to wheelchair users. Fortunately this state of affairs need not persist. Not if The Wheelyboat Trust has anything to say about it.

The Wheelyboat Trust

The Wheelyboat Trust is the brain child of Alan Faulkner who had the first Wheelyboat produced in 1985 to enable him to go fishing with his good friend Bill Buchanan who was a wheelchair user following an accident (for further details click here).

From this notion a charity was started, and it has grown and prospered since those early days.

A multipurpose flotilla spread nation wide

Wheelyboats are especially designed and built to make them accessible to, and easy to handle for wheelchair users. And their appeal is not limited to fishing enthusiasts. Pretty much any one who fancies a stroll on the water, wheelchair user or not, can make the most of it.

And you can almost certainly find one near you. The trust has launched boats all over the UK including one very recently in the remote north of Scotland on the Badanloch estate, where the fishing is reputed to be particularly good.

Staying afloat in the future

The trust is, like any organisation, always looking to the future. It has developed several new types of wheelyboats since the original Mark I in 1985. They are currently on the Mark IV which is significantly larger than previous models and performs better on the waves. 

Given that its mission is to improve the lives of as many people as possible, the Trust is now looking to produce a new generation of boats built from glass fibre which is expected to lower the cost of them significantly, especially when compared with the current cost of aluminium which has been used so far. The saving will allow for a greater output in production

The director of the Trust, Andy Beadlsey, told me how they are always looking to improve the performance of their boats, seeking bigger, better and faster wheelyboats. This he says reflects the growth of the industry, and, he adds, shows that disabled people will not be limited.

Do you have any experience of adapted boats? Would you recommend them to others? Please leave your comments bellow.