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Photo by Darla Cook/Forever Resort
Forever Resorts offer accessible houseboats on Lake Powell in Arizona and Lake Mead in Nevada. |
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A wheelchair lift elevator allows access to all levels of the houseboat. |
Accessible houseboating
Enjoy your summer on the water with vessels designed for sailors with disabilities
It used to be when it came to houseboats and disabled mariners, you couldn't get there from here. Hallways were too tight, doorways didn't allow wheelchair access, showers were tiny stalls with no grab bars, and there was no easy way to access fun spots like the top deck hot tub.
But there's no need to stay landlocked, thanks to Forever Resorts Company, which offers accessible houseboating at Antelope Point on Lake Powell in Arizona, and at Callville Bay on Lake Mead in Nevada.
Floats his boat
Loren Worthington of Phoenix, Ariz., uses a manual wheelchair and reported only minimal difficulty in doing everything, including donning the skipper's cap, to pilot his 75-foot-long craft.
"It had excellent chair access on both decks," he said. "Houseboats are like motorhomes. You need to get a lot of creature comforts into a small space, and not surprisingly, this limits how much accessibility is available."
Not so with this 18-foot-wide, five bedroom, two bath unit. One bedroom is very accessible, and the adjacent bathroom has a roll-in shower.
"The galley and family area on the main floor is easy to get around in, but perhaps what makes this boat most advantageous for physically limited sailors is the aft elevator that takes you right to the upper deck," Worthington said. "That's where I spent 75 percent of my time enjoying Glen Canyon and Lake Powell. A long flat deck allows a wheeler to roll around and see everything on both sides."
While he gives the specially constructed Antelope Point houseboat an "A" for access, Worthington adds, "You can't do much more. The only thing they missed was access to the whirlpool tub itself. Someone with a power chair would struggle to have full access to the tub, but overall, it's a good effort that is greatly appreciated. I'd enjoy the experience again for sure."
The Silver XTreme Luxury houseboat was especially designed and built for Forever Resorts, according to Antelope Point spokesperson Steve Ward, counted off the accessible amenities one-by-one:
"Key features include a full bath with low-threshold shower; grab bars in the shower and near the head and wall-mounted vanity; wider hallways, deck-level side gates fore and aft; a front deck boarding ramp with a wide patio entry door; an oversized master stateroom suite with a portable Hoyer patient lift, and, of course, the wheelchair lift elevator."
Captain's orders
"Regardless of anyone's abilities, piloting a big boat like this definitely isn't a one man gig," Worthington said following his Lake Powell excursion. "I piloted, along with my dad and a brother, and it was still a handful. The boat has a lot of momentum once you get moving. The [surrounding] land consists of a lot of hard and unforgiving rocks, so you definitely need three or four good shipmates to act as spotters whenever you get close to shore."
At the end of the day, when your exploring has finally resulted in the discovery of a good campsite, those same spotters are needed to assist in anchoring the vessel, according to Worthington.
"It's not always a simple task when many of the canyons are solid rock," he said. "Bring along some good people to help, and when I say 'good,' I mean boatmates who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty or their feet wet.
"Finding an accessible camp spot is a trick, but after a few nights on-board, you really start wishing for some flat areas where you can get off the boat, roll about a bit, and do some chair exploration," Worthington said. His crew brought along a kayak and a 12-foot tow boat that allowed them to get farther back into some of the narrower canyons and fish for supper in isolated spots.
Home sweet marina
The Antelope Point Marina on Lake Powell is where the houseboats are moored and most trips originate.
"Marina planners and operators have done a great job making it accessible," Worthington said. "Where the ramps are too long or too steep, golf cart taxis can zip you around, and plenty of courteous employees are on hand to make the departure, trip and return convenient and enjoyable."
Would he recommend the experience to others?
"It would get my recommendation, with the caveat that it isn't cheap," Worthington said. "The retrofitted Silver XTreme Luxury boat is made for eight to 12 people on a single trip, and that's pretty important when it comes to dividing up costs for the excursion." — Lee Allen