“B’Quest” Project
Adaptive Systems: Adaptive seating and personal management systems for an offshore IMS sloop
In March 2002, Brian and Suzanne Hull of Coronado Cays CA, gifted their Tripp 40 “TripZ” to the Disabled Businesspersons Association (DBA) for use in their “Challenged America” program — a recreational rehabilitation sailing program for people with disabilities (PWD) based in San Diego, California. Re-named B’Quest, the Tripp 40 is intended to be a testing platform for innovative technologies, designs and products to advance sailing participation by persons with disabilities.
DBA’s goal is to campaign B’Quest in racing events in Southern California, as well as offshore races to Mexico and Hawaii — e.g., Transpac, Pacific Cup, etc. Crew members include experienced sailors with quadriplegia, paraplegia, neuromuscular diseases, blindness, amputation, head injury and disease, stroke and cancer survivors, post polio, etc. All have specific and unique needs to live aboard B’Quest in any long passage — from a few days to 20 days or more.
In April, Steve Alvey joined the crew of B’Quest for the Newport Ensenada Race and observed the crew in action and discovered the requirements for the basic adaptive systems that would provide functional, safe and comfortable seating, and ready access to and around the cabin of B’Quest, even in a seaway.
Alvey worked with the B’Quest crew to define the systems requirements, and then formed a B’Quest Project team with fabrication experts located in Calgary, Vancouver, San Francisco, and San Diego.
By June, the B’Quest Project team had fabricated prototype seating and personal management systems, ready for installation aboard B’Quest.
After ten busy days in dry dock in San Diego, B’Quest was ready for sea trials.
The B’Quest Project adaptive systems were sea trialed by B’Quest’s crew over the summer, and then in the “Little Ensenada” race in October 2002. A crew of eight raced B’Quest down the coast of Mexico for 60 miles, only to be becalmed six miles from the finish line at 1 am. Nevertheless, the crew developed critical experience with and confidence in the adaptive seating and personal management systems aboard B’Quest in a variety of sailing conditions. The adaptive systems proved to be accessible and functional for the most part, and some have revealed areas that need further refinement or re-engineering, so — back to the drawing board!
As PWD crew members access the cabin to “live aboard” B’Quest, more discoveries are being made. We’ve identified the need for additional hand rails to access the aft berths and for a protected and a flat and wide berth area to facilitate changing clothes on any angle of heel while at sea.
Returning from the race to Ensenada, Mexico, the engine over-heated in the middle of the night and had to be disassembled. The crew agreed that the extra weight of a well-equipped tool box would be justified on future sailings.
