Canadian Yachting October 2016 - 46

Accessibility and Enjoyment for All By Coastal Craft oastal Craft, the premier custom boatbuilder in British Columbia, recently unveiled a 65-foot wheelchair accessible yacht that was built to order for an American couple. The husband and wife envisioned a boat that would not only cater to the current needs of the wife, who uses a wheelchair, but also ensured that they would still be able to enjoy the water 10 years down the road. The Coastal Craft team, working with Gregory C. Marshall Naval Architect Ltd., spent months on design and engineering for the vessel, working in close C collaboration with the client to fine-tune goals and determine what could and could not be realistically accomplished. The entire design and build process took approximately 16 months to complete. The unique vessel, complete with interior and exterior wheelchair platform decks and lifts, an elevator and much more, is powered by a pair of Volvo Penta 13-litre 900 hp engines with IPS3 drives, Volvo Penta joystick controls at the lower and upper helm stations, plus two joystick wing docking stations in the aft cockpit. "Our clients had a realization that if they could not have something special like this, then their boating days would soon come to an end," said Jeff Rhodes, CEO of Coastal Craft. "Accessibility is about compromise. If you're constructing an accessible public building for example, there are guidelines to follow. In this case, the design and development was centered solely on the individual. Our core focus was on creating a product that makes it easy for the client to move around while maintaining dignity and, even more importantly, thoroughly enjoy the boating experience." Fred Lachlan, Volvo Penta's regional sales manager, invited Rick Hansen, the Canadian icon and advocate for people with disabilities, for a tour of the vessel. Rick Hansen is a household name to Canadians and is most recognized for the Man in Motion World Tour. Beginning in 1985, Hansen and his team set forth on a 26-month adventure - wheeling more than 40,000 km across 34 countries to raise awareness about the potential of people with disabilities, creating accessible and inclusive communities, and finding cures. The Best Tender Lift Solution The freedom to use your watercraft where and when you want with just the touch of a button! FreedomLift ™ is the ideal solution for transporting your tender or PWC. ■ Installs independent of your swim platform ■ The ONLY lift with easily removable Lift Arms ■ Features wireless, hydraulic remote control operation ■ Lifting capacity of 800+ lbs. ■ Innovative design better than old-style platform lifts See our dynamic video and digital portfolio on the web www.freedomlift.com Call us toll free: 1-866-543-8669 US Patent #6,474,265 46 Canadian Patent # 2,393,105 Canadian Yachting OCTOBER 2016 http://www.freedomlift.com http://www.betamarinecanada.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting October 2016