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Rivertime Boat Trust - Our Boat
The plan is to commission the building of a specially designed 35ft community vessel with a 12ft beam to operate on the Middle and Upper Thames . The launch will have a small galley and of course a toilet suited for those with disabilities.
Overall Objective:
To create an educational / recreational vessel, designed to carry up to 12 passengers plus a crew of two which complies with the MCA recommendations.
To equip the boat with a wheelchair access / lift. It will be fully fitted for disabled access, including ramps and hearing loops and the potential for ‘fly by wire’.
To adapt the mechanisms so that the boat can be steered by people with physical handicaps and for them to be able to participate in the crewing duties.
Development Objective:
The boat will have a capacity for only 12 passengers and 2 crew so as to ensure individual attention can be given to each disabled or disadvantaged child or adult enjoying the cruise.
The Trustees have in mind a boat commissioned and built in Norfolk similar to other boats already operating on the Broads.
Given the need to be environmentally aware the boat will have a hybrid transmission system using both diesel and battery power with the addition of solar panels. A group of experts from the Electric Boat Association are assisting in preparing the specification.
Operation.
Initial research has established that the cost of building such a boat to high exacting standards with a long lifetime expectancy is in the region of £120,000. The Trustees have checked with the VAT Office for Charities and confirmed that the cost of building the boat is exempt from VAT. Lloyds TSB Clubs and Charities Division is providing a bank account free of charge to the Trust.
Rivertime Boat Trust is fortunate in that it has two highly experienced Charity Partners, namely KidsOut and the River & Rowing Museum . The benefit provided by these two organisations will be to provide advice on the elements of disability regulations, training, education and staffing. The Trustees have already received disclosures from the Criminal Records Bureau with the help of Abi Wynn-Jones of the SouthEast Employers Organisation.
The boat will operate from Hobbs of Henley and passengers will embark and disembark at the River & Rowing Museum in Henley which has all the relevant facilities for those with disabilities. KidsOut through its Rotary connections will inform potential users and arrangements will be made for transport to Henley or other locations between Windsor and Oxford .
The Trustees will ensure that all necessary insurance and boat licences are obtained and are budgeting for an operating cost in the first year in the region of £ 8,000. Hobbs of Henley will cover the cost of the mooring and a proportion of the winter storage.