Harbouring a dream...
It's not a case of use it or lose it; it's simply a crying shame it isn't used more.
Cobnor Activities Centre is home to a wheelchair boat – a great way for the disabled to discover the beauties of Chichester Harbour.
The only disappointment is half the time the boat is grounded.
Current take-up rates are probably around 50 per cent – a figure centre chairman John Farrington is hoping to improve on vastly this year.
As he says, it is a superb way to enjoy the harbour, opening up all manner of opportunities.
"We had St Wilfrid's Hospice on board, and there was an elderly gentleman who sadly won't be with us now for sure. But I asked him if he would like to drive the boat and he did. He drove it very well.
"After a while, he asked me to take over because he was getting tired. I said 'Did you enjoy it?' and he said 'Yes, it was wonderful. My whole career was in the Royal Navy and I never thought I would helm a
boat again'."
It's a tale typical of the response John is delighted to get – and of the response he would certainly get more of if more people were aware the boat was there.
Launched by the Duke of Richmond five years ago, the boat is available pretty much seven days a week through the decent weather until October: "And the uniqueness of it is you can steer it from a wheelchair, which is an absolute bonus.
"It gives people the chance to go out in beautiful Chichester Harbour and enjoy the activities, the sailing, the manoeuvring, the larking about, going up to Bosham and down to Dell Quay."
Most trips last a couple of hours. A catamaran, the boat can take five people in wheelchairs and their carers or 12 walking disabled.
"We ask for a contribution – it is suggested the contribution is 50 – but we have never turned anybody away who is unable to pay that. We will accommodate anybody.
"The only requirement is they have the need for disabled facilities. We have had people want to use it with a wedding party, but that's not what it is for."
John added: "I took over as chairman of Cobnor Activity Centre in 1999 and it was obvious we were doing a lot for the youth of this area, so I thought 'what about the disabled?'
"We had a very, very old boat that had been converted for wheelchair use, but it was very unsafe to use.
"So I raised 60,000. The boat cost about 52,000 and was made in Chichester Harbour to our design. We monitored it all through
its building so it turned out exactly as we wanted it to be."
Raising the money inevitably wasn't easy: "A lot of it came from the widow's mite. And we had an anonymous benefactor who has since died. As long as we raised 20,000, he donated 20,000.
"I phoned him one night and said I had got this and I had got that. He said: 'What you are trying to say to me, John, is you have got 20,000 and want my 20,000.' I said 'Yes, please'. He said 'It is in the post.' And it was. The next day!"
Similar support continues to this day: "We have been delighted the Bognor Regis golf captains (ladies and gentlemen) have adopted us as the charity for their year in office.
"This will be a great help to fund the ever-increasing costs of keeping the chair boat afloat and viable."
Now the key concern is to drive up its usage. Anyone wanting to get in touch should call the centre on 01243 572791.
The centre is at Cobnor Point, Chidham; email sail@cobnor.com; website www.cobnor.com
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Weather for Chichester
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South west
