5 wheelchairs can be accommodated on new trip boat at Wey & Arun Canal Trust in Loxwood

The secondhand Mk III Wheelyboat was added to the fleet thanks to supporter Peter Grove, who made a generous donation in memory of his great grandfather, Walter Grove, who was master carpenter on the Wey Navigation from 1885-1930.

Flexible seating means that up to five wheelchairs can be accommodated in comfort, making the pleasure of cruising the canal accessible to a greater number of adults and children.

Wey & Arun Canal Trust director, John Reynolds, added: “We’re sure trips onboard the Wheelyboat will bring immense pleasure to many people and we look forward to being able to offer cruises along the Wey & Arun Canal on the Wheelyboat in 2021.”

The boat was supplied and refurbished by The Wheelyboat Trust, a charity set up in 1984 to remove barriers to water-based activities and allow mobility, learning and sensory impaired people of all ages independent access to activities such as powerboating, nature watching, pleasure boating and angling.

The Wheelyboat Trust director, Andy Beadsley, said the benefits of getting disabled people out on the waterways were huge: “There are lots of health and wellbeing advantages to being out in the open air and on the water. We’ve worked with many disability groups, SEN schools and charities, and we’re delighted to be able to work with the Wey & Arun Canal Trust on this project now too.”

The aluminium Mark III craft was originally built in 2007 and has been refurbished to give it many more years of service.

An outboard motor, seating and a bimini canopy (generously provided by the Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust) will be fitted over the winter months and it is hoped the boat will be in service next spring.

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