How many others here are handicapped?

[AirForce]

I was wondering how many other members here are handicapped like me. I can walk, just not far. Barely can climb steps but more than twice and I'd be laid up for days or weeks with my knee. Have you made an modifications to your boat??

I bought a 2013 Tracker Pro 175TF and had my buddy make me a handicap rail. He did a bang up job on it and I had it powder coated.

Modified the trailer by buying this ladder system from EZEE Step System http://www.easystepsystem.com/



So its really made my fishing much more enjoyable along with the wireless MK PowerDrive v2

 

[cq]

Nice.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Mark Michael's EZ Steps are great. A number of guides have them for convenience of their customers. I am rehabbing from (Feb) a badly torn ham string so I am now familiar with a cane (and before that a walker) so I can apprciate the need and utility of your modifications. Great that you can and will still get out to fish. Add a safety ladder at the back if you should ever fall overboard (or remember to always wear the kill switch tether) and use the power trim and tilt to lift you back into the boat...it works!!!

 

[AirForce]

I do wear a vest that inflates if I go under water (but not inflate to rain). That's a great idea of using the motor to lift me back in. That idea I'll keep in my memory bank (even though its full of rocks and muddy water)

 

[Greg Meyer]

But you gotta wear your tether or make sure the motor is off!!! Just step onto the cavitation plate on each side and raise the motor.

 

[Barry Dufour]

Nice setup! Being 100% disabled, I need to look into ways that I can make my boat more user friendly. Anybody else have other ideas?
Barry from La.

 

[AirForce]

Barry, what's your hanidcap, as I've dug into this a little. Here's another link to products. I'm also 100% disabled but I haven't let the VA take my feet yet. I can still walk a little so I intend on keeping them even if I can't feel them. I can manage 50 up to 100 ft on a good day.

http://www.epcomarineproducts.com/fishnrail/products.php

another link with all kinds of fishing handicap accessories

http://home.centurytel.net/afarcry/AdaptFishingFiles/AdaptFish.htm#CoverYourBass

 

[AirForce]

Think I found a lift device that's mounted in the boat so you can transfer from the dock to the boat.

 

[Barry Dufour]

I had back surgery almost 2 years ago. The VA has me at 100%. I'm also an Air Force veteran. I sold my Nitro about 3 years ago cause of the back. It's better but I still do can't a lot. I would love to go back fishing. Right now I'm looking at a bay boat that has low sides. The center console will allow me stand up and not have to sit low or bend over. I can walk and lift a little it's the sitting low in a bass boat and low storage that's the problem. Thanks for the sites to research.

 

[AirForce]

Ahh yes, there are some that have those higher chairs with the fold up seat cushion for stand up. I bet though you don't go offshore any more either. I can't take the pounding. Brother has had 2 neck surgeries. I don't see how he functions take 2-3 dozes of morphine a day, plus 2 tabs of other pain meds or more depending on his pain level. Speaking of bank fishing, there's a wheelchair on steriods that's on tracks. Allows guys to go hunting and such but its about 15 grand. Wounded Warrior helps some veterans with no limbs get one from what I've seen on some sporting TV show. I've given up the thoughts of bank fishing unless its pretty level with no holes. If I fall, I've got to have something to pull myself up with, no strength in the legs as it gets worse each year (stroke in 98). I use to have access to a couple of fish ponds, but the in-laws have modified their fencing (barb wire, etc) to where I can access them anymore so I quit going. Right now with the mods to my boat, I think I can manage pretty good. For places with no dock, I use a 3 step ladder, get in, pull the little ladder in with me, fold it up, strap it to the back deck and off I go. Get back, same thing. Its easier once I get the boat on the trailer as I can then ease myself down that trailer ladder. I get a little conscious about it though when I notice an audience watching me .

That reminds me, I need to get a Louisville slugger baseball bat. Don't want no little tapper for the sharks. Hate sharks, they scare the peewhattie outta me when I catch one. Course I usually just cut the line. I use to live in Lafayette. I worked narcotics from New Orleans to Houston back in the early 80's but I flew all over the States. Mostly FL, TX, MS, LA, the Dakota's, NM, AL and only a couple times to CA, Neb, OK. I practically stayed in TX/OK/NM but I managed to get home once or twice a week. Dog would be wore out from traveling. Best yellow lab I ever had.

 

[Barry Dufour]

If I would get a bay boat, I would not go into the open gulf. There is enough saltwater lakes, bays and inlets that I would not have to go offshore. I have fished Big Lake near Lake Charles and I've caught a lot of nice red fish. Still looking for the right boat. Looking at either a Mako or Express.
Barry from La.

 

[fatrap]

That's some cool modifications. My problem is launching my 18 foot Tundra by myself. It's a bit of a climb over the front end and for now I can manage but in the future I don't know. Most the problems are when recovering the boat.
fatrap

 

[AirForce]

fatrap, sounds like you're launching where there's no docks available. When I'm by myself (which is most of the time), I have a rope tied (clipped) to my bow eye, then just back in fast enough to float it off, pull up a little and secure the boat. I use this then to get in the boat

Once I'm in, I reach over and pull it in. Put it over to get out, I have a lip on my boat I can hang onto getting out onto that step ladder. Now once the boat is on the trailer, I can use the ladder on the trailer as it has a hand rail for me to hang onto. I can get down easy enough using it, I just have to make sure I see where my feet go. I'd hate to fall where I go, as it might be minutes, or couple hours before anybody came by. Being a diabetic is a hassle at times too as I got to be really careful if its pretty hot and not give myself too much insulin in those situations. But as long as I remember to keep my glucose tabs on me, I'm good.

 

[fatrap]

AirForce I did the exact same thing with a stool after my knee replacement. It even looks like my step stool that I still have. I have docks and usually tie to a deck cleat. It's mostly recovering the boat. I have to climb over the bow and crank up the boat then climb back over. I can still do this but for how long I don't know.
fatrap

 

[AirForce]

Then you'll want one of those ladder systems from EZEE Systems. Price is higher on the web site, but call them. I got my 3 step (non-folding) for $344 that includes shipping. It'll work as long as I can walk. I got a veterans discount from him that equals to about $100 or so.

 

[Lonnie Current]

I was wondering how many other members here are handicapped like me. I can walk, just not far. Barely can climb steps but more than twice and I'd be laid up for days or weeks with my knee. Have you made an modifications to your boat??

I bought a 2013 Tracker Pro 175TF and had my buddy make me a handicap rail. He did a bang up job on it and I had it powder coated.

Modified the trailer by buying this ladder system from EZEE Step System http://www.easystepsystem.com/



So its really made my fishing much more enjoyable along with the wireless MK PowerDrive v2

Charles I like this set up. I think I'll be needing one on each side for me and my fishing partners. We are all up in years and have trouble just getting up out of the seats. However, I could not help but notice all the extension cords running out of the drop light in the first pic. Have you considered talking to your electrician friend too. lol

 

[Lonnie Current]

That was my first reply/post. Sorry I had a little trouble sorting out to do this. Old dog moment.

 

[AirForce]

Yep, its a mess, but nothing on them. that big black thing is a remote. I can turn on the lights with a remote push button so I don't forget to and have to walk back to the house. Plus if I forget to turn them off, I can see it from my TV room/computer room - just pick up the remote and turn them off. I've got a 75ft 10ga cord coming from the house out to there. The only thing that runs all the time is a night time sensor bug light and my on board chargers (2 boats). On my old cord (whichever one I use) the lights use to dim when I used my heat gun on high. Now it doesn't BUT I still want a trailer pole with electric box by next year. Wanting the house rewired anyways, so gonna make it a combo project for a licensed electrician. Just gotta get a couple grand cash ready.

I just got tired of having to get up to go get wherever I left my extension cord at to plug something in, SO I put an extension cord at 4 corners and one across the middle, so even if I'm laying down in the dirt, I've got one within arms reach usually LOL, also keep one on each bench (made 2 work benches)

 

[AirForce]

Well going fishing with my handicap brother - leave Tues and I asked my buddy yesterday (yep - late notice) if he could possibly make another handicap rail for the rear deck. He took measurements, made it last night and had me come back to mount them today. Don't have time to get it powdercoated, so gonna wait until my fishing trips to Louisiana is done. This rail will be handy for me since I'll most likely anchor in current/wind making me fish off the back deck. This time we couldn't avoid the livewell to get support, so we only drilled deep enough to use 1/4in rivets on that wall. Used regular heavy screws for the floor mount and used 1/4 rivets on top of the deck as its all metal. Once I get back and we have more time, we'll drill those rivets out (have to anyways to powdercoat) and replace those 1/4 by 1/2 inch long rivets with 1/4in by 3/4 long rivets.

 

[cq]

It is great to have friends like that. Looks GREAT, post pics when painted.

cq