Disabled Sailor on Board!

[captainrizzo]

A while ago, I wrote to get some ideas as to how I could get my son from his wheelchair to the boat, given some elevation and distance issues. Well, here is a pic of where we landed. We tried it today and it worked like a charm! I used the main halyard attached to another line that I threaded through a block on the boom and attached it to the bosun's chair! I just swung the boom out over the dock, hoisted him up and swung the boom over the cockpit. We had a great sail on Lake Michigan to kick off the holiday weekend!

-Riz

[nolatom]

Excellent, and good on both of you. I sometimes teach, and I tell the students that if they can't muscle a crew overboard back over the rail, to get something around his seat and arms, and use the main halyard and winch.

Your photo reminds me of racing back in New England quite a few decades ago. There was an elderly Shields sailor who didn't have use of his legs any more. He was lowered into his boat from a small shore crane at his yacht club, and stayed in one spot while steering the boat in races, so half the time he was to leeward, other half to windward. He also wore some sort of really big hat to protect his skin from the sun.

But he could smell the breeze, and he beat the snot out of us.

[knothead]

Great job. You have definitely earned Honorary Rigger status.

Hope you had a wonderful sail.

[sailingdog]

Bravo...

BTW, about four or five years ago, IIRC, a disabled sailor won a national level singlehanded multihull event in the UK... I think he was in a slightly modified Corsair 24 or 28.

[camaraderie]

Riz..thanks for the followup. It is nice to see the end result worked out so well!

[denby]

Rizzo,

Great idea and i learned something from it. Thanks for posting.

[Giulietta]

My hat's off to you Rizzo..actually..CAPTAIN Rizzo.....

Being a Captain is not just on a boat it's in life too....and you are a Commodore...God bless you and your kid.

I tried once to take a kid that is quadriplegic, and we were even going to fabricate a seat for him...but the fear of shaking him was so great we abandoned the idea...(actually he did)....I would have loved to take him...

I will use this photo to show him.

Thanks Captain.,

[SailorMitch]

Originally Posted by captainrizzo

A while ago, I wrote to get some ideas as to how I could get my son from his wheelchair to the boat, given some elevation and distance issues. Well, here is a pic of where we landed. We tried it today and it worked like a charm! I used the main halyard attached to another line that I threaded through a block on the boom and attached it to the bosun's chair! I just swung the boom out over the dock, hoisted him up and swung the boom over the cockpit. We had a great sail on Lake Michigan to kick off the holiday weekend!

-Riz

riz--- congrats!!! that is great.i had a stroke 6 weeeks ago today and am rehabbing hard to be able to get back on my boat. with hard work i shouldn't be "disabled "long but i have a new apppreciation and admiration for folks confined to wheeel chairs. i can only imagine the glee in your and your son's hearts at being able to sail together.
again congrats!
fair winds,
mitch

[filup501]

What a great picture for a well earned moment. The smiles sez it all

[uspirate]

Thats Great Captn Rizzo, he looks like a natural. glad to hear your sail was nice!
you get a rep from me!