Design For Inclusion 1

Paolo Ferrari

Planning
Inclusive Yachts
A Novel Approach to Yacht Design
Design For Inclusion

Volume 1

Series Editor
Giuseppe Di Bucchianico, Department of Architecture, University
of Chieti-Pescara, Pescara, Italy
The book series “Design for Inclusion” publishes studies aimed at untangling
the complex relationships between design and society, especially with regard
to human diversity and inclusion. The series cover the classical fields of
industrial design, such as product design, interior design, service design and
communication design, with a special focus on their interactions with other
disciplines, such as the physical and social sciences. In particular, the series
reports on the latest developments, both theoretical and practical, concerning
different approaches to “Design for Inclusion”: Universal Design, Inclusive
Design, and Design for All. It shares insights into their multiple, interdis-
ciplinary relationships with both the human sciences and the transversal
frameworks and approaches typical of Human-Centered Design (HCD) and
Design for Sustainability. “Design for Inclusion” addresses a very broad
readership, including designers, engineers, architects, social scientists and
stakeholders, who deal with any of the topics mentioned above and their
various implications. It publishes volumes fostering scientific advances, as
well as books devoted to supporting education and professional training.
These include monographs, edited books and conference proceeding.
Outstanding PhD theses on emerging topics, if properly reworked, may also
be considered for publication. This book series is published with the support
of EIDD - Design for All Europe.

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/16456

Paolo Ferrari

Planning Inclusive
Yachts
A Novel Approach to Yacht Design

123
Paolo Ferrari
Department of Engineering
and Architecture
University of Trieste
Trieste, Italy

ISSN 2662-5644 ISSN 2662-5652 (electronic)

Design For Inclusion
ISBN 978-3-030-55206-0 ISBN 978-3-030-55207-7 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7
Originally published in Italian with the title Progettare imbarcazioni accessibili - Un nuovo
approccio per lo Yacht Design by Paolo Ferrari, © Tecniche Nuove Spa, Milano 2019, © Paolo
Ferrari. Published by Tecniche Nuove Spa. All rights reserved.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
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Real progress happens only when advantages of a new
technology become available to everybody
Henry Ford
To Anna
Presentation
by Andrea Stella

A grey and red monohull of about 13 m, a wheelchair in use, a ramp leading

from the cockpit area to below deck, a streamlined line, an exceptional name:
Ferrari. Looking through a nautical magazine, I believe more than 15 years
ago, I was amazed by this rendering, a beautiful and accessible boat, so
beautiful and innovative that it made me think that the manufacturer was the
famous car brand.
I knew Paolo Ferrari through his work and, only a few years later, we met
as volunteers at one of the many sailing campuses organized by the Easy
Action non-profit association. We share a passion for sailing and boats, boats
characterized by beautiful design and that are accessible to everyone, through
the idea of planning boats for everyone, not only for the disabled, but
certainly considering their needs as well, in a participatory and Inclusive
Design perspective. This is fundamental to, or at least what I think about
“design for all”: a design approach that takes into consideration the human
being in his various meanings. So, there is not something made for “you”, the
bathroom for “you”, as I often heard people saying, in absolute good faith.
As it was, for example, for the television remote control; an object born for
the needs of a person with motor problems which has become essential for
everyone.
Invention often arises from a need: it is a problem that leads to new
solutions, often better than those normally used.
This is Paolo Ferrari’s approach: to export the Design for All approach,
which is now finding space in urban objects and environments, into the
nautical sector.
His analysis arose from the great breadth of knowledge he has developed
on these issues. He talks to us about people’s needs, analyses the limits of the
solutions available on the market, exhibits a complete and in-depth analysis
of state-of-the-art accessible boats, offering new ideas with beautiful,
comfortable, safe and functional solutions for everyone.
With this research, he tries to define some design standards and guidelines
that can be useful to anyone who understands that today it is increasingly
important to design with consideration for the human being and his needs,
both on land and at sea.
He has achieved this successfully, remaining adherent to reality and
proposing simple and feasible solutions. It is not just an ethical issue—he
tells us—but a question of sustainability, thinking that there is an increasing

ix
x Presentation

number of older people and, as a consequence, market opportunities too.

After all, a wider gangway is more comfortable for everyone: let’s just think
about that!

Andrea Stella
Founder of the Non-profit Association
“Lo Spirito di Stella”
Foreword
by Giuseppe Di Bucchianico

This book indirectly refers to two emerging issues in contemporary society;

first, the social theme of inclusion and human diversity, second, the growing
awareness that a “standard” human being does not exist.
The first question is primarily of a social and political nature, with
wide-ranging repercussions also at a cultural level. The issue of social
inclusion, human diversity and equal opportunities for all individuals to
enjoy environments, products and services autonomously and comfortably,
in fact, is now included in almost all political agendas around the world. For
example, already in 2000, the European Union built its motto, “united in
diversity”, around the concept of cultural diversity; furthermore, among the
European strategies emerging from Horizon 2020,1 are those aimed at
strengthening equality, participation and accessibility for all to goods,
services and life opportunities.2 In reality, these initiatives are linked to wider
economic, social and cultural phenomena, including the globalization of
markets (and consequently of cultures and lifestyles) and demographic
dynamics, referring both to migrations from the poorest countries and to the
aging of populations in the richest countries (phenomena that will upset the
micro, macro-economic and social structures of the entire planet in the
coming decades). To face these challenges, therefore, awareness is growing
that new visions, strategies, tools and approaches are needed.
The second question underlined by this book has a more technical
dimension, with immediate and direct repercussions on the specialist
dimension of the project. The epoch-making transition from “designing for
the standard person” to the illuminating awareness that “the standard person
does not exist”, in fact, has reinforced the idea that real individuals, besides
being “different” on a physical, psychological or cultural level, also have
diversified skills, abilities, aspirations and desires, which make them unique
and unrepeatable. Diversity between individuals, which is therefore the rule

1
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever, with nearly
€80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020)—in addition to the private
investment that this money will attract. It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and
world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market. From 2021, the programme
will be renamed “Horizon Europe”.
2
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “European
Disability Strategy 2010–2020: A Renewed Commitment to a Barrier-Free Europe” (COM
(2010) 636).
xi
xii Foreword

and not the exception, must however be considered as a resource rather than a
limit or a constraint for the project and, therefore, equality between
individuals, communities and groups, represents a strategic and indispensable
topic for the sustainable development of contemporary society; in which
everyone should have the same opportunity to enjoy the environments,
products and services.
Fortunately, many steps have been taken in the past few decades towards a
more inclusive society, particularly in relation to people with disabilities.
In fact, at the beginning of the twentieth century a disability was only
considered a matter that concerned a small minority of the world’s population
and therefore was without significant repercussion on the practice of a project
related to industrial production. At the beginning of the last century, in Italy
for example (but it can be extended with slight variations to all western
countries), life expectancy was just over 50 years, the chances of surviving a
spinal cord injury were about 10% and most people with chronic conditions
were confined to living in healthcare institutions. Today, thanks to a healthier
way of life, to the progress of medicine and to better hygiene conditions,
almost 80% of the population lives beyond 65 years, with a life expectancy
that has risen to over 80 years. Today therefore, in Italy there are about 3
million disabled, equal to around 5% of the population, of which only 7%
approximately are hospitalized in treatment institutions.
In the last fifty years, however, despite the fortunate development of social
and cultural awareness of disability issues, which has led to profound
innovations in terms of regulations, services and interventions in favour
of the disabled, unfortunately still today attention tends to be mainly placed
at the simple “physical accessibility” of environments and spaces. Physical
accessibility is an indispensable right, even if it remains a desire, since from
the experience of real life emerges the presence of important obstacles, such
as the so-called architectural barriers.
The accessibility challenge can be won only when it is understood that
“disability” must fit into the wider theme of “human diversity”, of which
“everyone” belongs, and not just a minority or a “protected” and under
“protection” group. Diversity which, therefore, should be considered as a
“resource” and a stimulus to innovation for the project and no longer as a
“constraint” or limitation to be avoided through a shrewd interpretation of the
rule or, worse, of its passive and slavish application.
In reality, there are several design approaches developed over the past
thirty years to encourage inclusion.
Today it can be argued that the main approaches of “Design for Inclusion”
are substantially three, each with its own specific characteristics: Universal
Design, Inclusive Design and Design for All.
Universal Design (UD), developed first in the USA and then spread
around the world, expresses the fundamental objective of good theoretical
and design practice: to respond to the needs of as many users as possible. Not
only a set of dimensional requirements, compliant with codes, standards or
special characteristics of specific users with disabilities, but the reference to
some general principles of design, simple to apply and verify. Universal
Design has contributed, for the first time, to define the “user” in a wide
Foreword xiii

extended meaning, pushing designers and companies to make products and

spaces accessible and usable by the majority of people and not focusing only
on people with disabilities. Not everything must necessarily be completely
usable by everyone: the term “universal” refers more to the methodological
attitude than to a rigid and absolute assumption.
Inclusive Design (ID), developed in the UK and countries of British
influence, on the other hand, does not place dogmatic design principles, but
defines a real approach focused on human diversity and is based on the idea
that no criteria, principles or guideline may be absolute, but must always deal
with the multiplicity of users, contexts and objectives. In fact, considering the
widest range of skills, languages, cultures, genders, ages and all other
possible differences between users, Inclusive Design bases its approach on
three “dimensions”: recognizing diversity and uniqueness among individuals,
the inclusiveness of tools and design methodologies, the extent of the effects
in terms of benefits.
Finally, Design for All (DfA), of a purely European origin, which has
been briefly defined as the “design for human diversity, social inclusion and
equality” (EIDD, Stockholm Declaration, 2004), aims to improve the quality
of life of individuals through an enhancement of their specificity and
diversity. Design for All does not offer a new type of design nor is it a new
design discipline; it is rather a holistic approach to project processes and
methods that enhances the concepts of participation, sharing and inclusion
and, at the same time, it is an effective tool for education and dissemination
of the same principles of the DfA, which by their nature are general and
extensive. It is a new sensitivity on the theme of human diversity, considered
not as a discriminating factor, but as a systemic characteristic of mankind,
both physically and cognitively, socially and culturally; it is, above all, a
growing attitude at a civil and cultural level that affects, inevitably and
transversely, all areas of the project, to prefigure spaces, products, services
and systems that are pleasantly usable independently by the widest possible
range of users of any age, gender, ability, culture or group.
Design for inclusion, in all its different approaches, therefore aims at the
possibility of carrying out all daily activities independently and comfortably,
including those related to pleasure.
Some of them are particularly difficult for individuals who have some kind
of difficulties or disabilities, or simply because of the contexts in which they
take place. This book refers to an application context deemed a “limit” for
accessibility: sailing boats for pleasure boating.
Starting from a critical review of both traditional and inclusion-oriented
boats, the book addresses, with methodological rigor, the question of
accessibility both in general terms and in reference to the on-board spaces,
systems and activities, considered more critical than the filter of “inclusive”
accessibility. Its limits and potentials are highlighted, also through some
authorial project proposals, in which the author has personally tried to
validate the design guidelines identified with his own personal research
activity.
xiv Foreword

The result is a practical text, full of reflections and thoughts about a

production sector that has only recently started to recognize Design for
Inclusion as a research field that can offer wide margins of design innovation.

Prof. Giuseppe Di Bucchianico

Associate Professor of Industrial Design
University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara
Italy
President of “Design for All”
Italia
General Secretary of “EIDD-Design for All Europe”
Introduction

Through a predictive analysis, considering the lengthening of life

expectancy, the experts affirm that the world population will be increasingly
older and therefore characterized by different types of disabilities.3 For this
reason, it is essential that designers focus their attention on projects that can
meet everyone's needs, developing specific design approaches, especially in
the context of inclusive disciplines.
Inclusive design today therefore addresses every human being: consid-
ering that the standard individual represents only a small part of the
population, designing according to a rule means penalizing or excluding a
large section of individuals from the use of products, services and
environments. In this sense, the most appropriate design method is therefore
the one defined by Design for Inclusion.
Despite its recent introduction, the concepts of Design for Inclusion have
already been applied in many areas, including yacht design, although still
partially. Recreational activities, which were once considered the prerogative
of the wealthiest class, are currently practised by a much wider audience and
even individuals with different disabilities can be end-users. Sailing, in
particular, has recently seen a strong growth in interest from numerous
disabled users, for whom it has been possible to obtain a sailing license.
The first accessible boat was designed in the USA in the late 1970s and,
since then, several other boats have been built or modified to allow disabled
people to practise sailing. From the 90s, the concept of “Sailing for
Everyone” began to spread, thanks to the birth of new types of boats and the
creation of a wide range of special aids for navigation, especially for boats of
up to 6 m in length. Such diffusion was also possible thanks to non-profit
associations which, in collaboration with sailing clubs, have created sailing
schools, events and regattas specifically dedicated to disabled sailors, with
the aim of facilitating their social integration. In recent years, some larger
boats have been built, promoting inclusion and giving life to mixed crews,
made up of men and women, young and old, able and disabled. This kind of
experimentation, although not widespread, gives an idea of the potential
inherent in such a design approach, which would allow the creation of boats
able to satisfy different types of users simultaneously, creating inclusion,

3
Sergei Scherbov, Daniela Weber—BMJ Journal: “Future trends in the prevalence of
severe activity limitations among older adults in Europe: a cross-national population study
using EU-SILC”. http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/9/e017654.
xv
xvi Introduction

integration and opening new commercial scenarios. Let us think, for

example, of a yacht charter market offering totally accessible yachts in their
fleets. Today, however, there are no sharp guidelines for the design of
accessible pleasure boats, and this is therefore the purpose that this book
proposes. The volume focuses on the definition of a new approach for the
design of accessible and inclusive sailing boats, that takes into account the
typical problems of users with permanent or temporary motor difficulties and
of the so-called weak groups (children, elderly, pregnant women). In
particular, Chap. 1 contains a quick analysis of the anthropometric and
ergonomic needs of people with motor disabilities; useful for understanding
the reasons for the subsequent proposed solutions. Chapter 2 analyses the
activities of the major international associations for disabled sailors; then, the
experiences of three disabled sailors, among the most active in the world, are
presented with short interviews: although they need specific design, they
wish to sail and to share the same passion with other people, overcoming the
difficulties of their physical condition.
After the description of the context and the requirements, referred to in the
first two chapters, Chap. 3 illustrates the boats, fully or partially accessible,
recently built in the world, accompanied by a critical analysis that highlights
their strengths and weaknesses. Then, a collection of innovative design
proposals for sailing boats, developed during graduation or master’s theses
for design courses in Italian universities, is exhibited and commented on. In
Chap. 4, starting from the analysis of current state-of-the-art sailing boats
between 10 and 24 m in length, it sets out a series of cases in which the user,
depending on his or her motor limitations, can meet problems of accessibility
of external and internal spaces. It is important to point out that, even in large
boats, these problems have never been taken into consideration, although the
solutions were easily applicable. In Chap. 5, therefore, the previously
reported problems are addressed; seeking optimal solutions, taking into
account the production processes, the economic aspects and the impact on the
spatiality on board.
In the final Chap. 6, the design experimentation conducted by the author
in his twenty years of research about accessible sailing boats is collected, in
which he applies the solutions previously revealed in relation to what dif-
ferent lengths of hulls will allow.
This book, which is not intended to be a manual, but rather a starting point
that can be further developed for larger and more in-depth research, tries to
define the most suitable solutions for the elimination of problems related to
accessibility and use of space on board monohull pleasure boats (therefore
between 10 and 24 m in length), in order to create a reference standard in the
field of nautical design to facilitate accessibility and inclusion. The study of
this theme, which is not easy due to the numerous variables that make up the
framework of disabilities and the peculiarities of the “boat” environment,
leads to the analysis of the design solutions applicable to such confined space
as that of yachts, respecting the needs of space and ergonomics required by
the particular conditions of the user, in order to eliminate the obstacles on
board. It should be noted that the research area is limited to monohull boats,
as they are more problematic than multihull vessels, both for the smaller
Introduction xvii

space available and for the heeling that characterizes them during navigation,
making management on board more complex for a disabled person. The
author proceeded, as much as possible, according to the principle that a
disabled individual should almost never separate from his “legs”, that is their
wheelchair, for two reasons: the first is related to a question of respect for the
need of the person to be able to move independently; the second considers
the types of disability, as some require the use of specific postures and, in
certain cases, personalized aids permanently connected to the wheelchair
itself. It is useful to remind that, among the many types of disability, only the
typical problems of users with motor difficulties have been considered and
that, although a correct design can facilitate the use of sailing boats, the
presence on board of an expert sailor, who can provide help or assistance in
cases of particular danger or emergency, is always recommended. The sea,
like all elements of nature, is always unpredictable in its behaviour and, as
such, we must respect it and have the good sense of never challenging it.
Finally, it is important to specify that the results of this research are also
scalable to motor boats, which today are much more widespread than sailing
yachts. The hope is that, in the future, this volume will be useful to new
generations of designers, so that they always pay attention to the themes of
ergonomics and functionality of the internal and external spaces of the
yachts, matching them with the concept of Easy Sailing, already developed
on many actual boats.
Contents

1 Why Inclusive Design? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.1 Dimensions of Motor Disability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Types of Motor Disability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Boating in Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4 Designing for Inclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced
Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2 The Inclusive Yachting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.1 Inclusive Design and Yachting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.2 The Commitment of Associations and the Birth
of a Paralympic Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.3 The Function of Non-profit Organizations for
“Sailtherapy”: The Case of “Spirito Di Stella” . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.4 Sailability and the Concept of “Sailing for Everyone” . . . . . 27
2.5 The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors: Andrea Stella,
Massimo Dighe and Deborah Mellen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.6 A Boat Charter Accessible to Disabled People: Technical
and Economic Evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats. . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.2 Academic Project Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 81
4.1 Pleasure Sailing Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 81
4.2 Deck and Interior Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 82
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility Issues:
Identification of Cases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 88
5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces . . . . . . . . 111
5.1 Transom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
5.2 Boarding Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
5.3 Systems for Steering the Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
5.4 Cockpit and Side Walkways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
5.5 Companionway Hatch and Accessibility Below Deck . . . . . . 118
5.6 Below Deck Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
5.7 Bathing Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

xix
xx Contents

6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats . . . . . . . . 139

6.1 Experimental Concept Design of a 28-foot (8.53 mt) . . . . . . 139
6.2 Experimental Concept Design of a 33-foot (10.05 mt) . . . . . 141
6.3 Experimental Concept Design of a 45-foot (13.71 mt) . . . . . 142
6.4 Experimental Concept Design of a 77-foot (23.47 mt) . . . . . 145

Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
About the Author

Paolo Ferrari serves as a Research Fellow at the

University of Trieste and as an Adjunct Professor at
the Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy. He
obtained his Ph.D. in Industrial Design from the
Department of Engineering and Architecture at the
University of Trieste. The winner of numerous
awards in nautical design, he is one of the leading
international experts on the design of accessible
sailing boats and motorboats. As a freelance
journalist, he writes for various publishing houses
on both technical and naval design issues.

xxi
 Why Inclusive Design?
1

From the 1980s to 2000, the WHO used a

1.1 Dimensions of Motor Disability
classification of motor disabilities that left quite
some room for prejudice. In fact, it was based on
Today, over a billion people, out of a total pop-
the so-called ICIDH system, which stands for
ulation of about 6.5 billion, live with some form
International Classification of Impairments Dis-
of disability. This estimate comes from an
abilities and Handicaps, taking into consideration
authoritative source, the World Health Organi-
the following three parameters: impairment, dis-
zation (WHO). This is 15% of the world’s pop-
ability and handicap. The problem is that these
ulation, equal to the population of an entire
parameters were considered from a “privative”
continent. 300 million are disabled persons
point of view and therefore based on what is
identified in highly industrialized and developed
missing as a disabled motor. In fact, the salient
countries and 700 million in the poorest devel-
feature of the impairment is considered as a lack
oped countries. The expectation for which the
and/or loss of a part of the body; the character-
data on disability is unfortunately destined to
istic of disability is the deficiency in a specific
increase is rather alarming, despite the requests,
activity, while that of the handicap is the exter-
addressed by WHO and the World Bank to
nalization of these shortcomings in the relation-
governments around the world, to improve
ship with society.
access for disabled people to essential services.
In 2001, based on these classifications, the
The percentage of disabled people is also
WHO published the ICF,1 acronym for Interna-
continuously growing because it’s linked to
tional Classification of Functioning, according to
increased life expectancy and therefore to the
which the emphasis is placed on other parameters
aging of the population, but it also grows due to a
and factors such as: functioning, health and
global increase in chronic diseases. If we con-
disability.
sider that the estimates foresee a 40% increase in
Disability is not limited simply to the presence
the world population by 2035, we calculate a
of a physical or mental deficit. The UN Con-
50% increase in disability, with an incidence of
vention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
30% in the most developed countries and 70% in
(CRPD) defines people with disabilities as those
the poorest or developing countries. The growth
who «[…] have physical, mental, intellectual or
of disabilities will be increasingly accentuated
sensory lasting impairments that, in interaction
among the elderly. It is therefore useful to pro-
with barriers of a different nature, can hinder
pose a classification of motor disabilities to
understand what their functional framework is
within society.
1
ICF – Classificazione Internazionale del Funzionamento,
della Disabilità e della Salute: http://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/10665/42417/4/9788879466288_ita.pdf.

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 1

P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_1
2 1 Why Inclusive Design?
their full and effective participation in society on
an equal basis with others2». According to this
approach, an impairment is not a sufficient con-
dition for being a disability, as it is the conse-
quence of a negative interaction between the
individual health condition and the context in
which the person lives. The important implica-
tion of the new paradigm highlights the social
dimension of a disability, which can therefore be
considered a particularly serious manifestation of
a society’s inability to ensure (or bring closer)
equal opportunities to people with health
problems.
The motivation behind this change derives
from the many criticisms, determined by the
previous division, concerning the marginaliza-
tion that was unfailingly associated with dis-
ability. This new classification, instead, interprets
disabilities from a functional point of view: the
basic concept is to overcome the classic point of
view that sees the disabled as missing, deficient,
inferior, to focus on the social and personal
function that comes to be concerned. In this way,
it is not only about health in general (i.e. dis-
ability is one of many possible health condi-
tions), but it is also considered the most useful
type of approach for a social and personal rein-
tegration of disabled people.
A look at limitations is required, which,
unlike impairments, depend largely on society
and context. Despite the progress, public welfare
in its complexity is not sufficient in many EU
countries due to the size and structure of the
interventions. The often-dramatic path that leads
from impairments to limitations is largely
supervised by families. Disabilities, therefore,
become a source of opportunity disequality; in
addition to those who suffer directly from this, it
might also apply to their families and amplify
some pre-existing inequalities of gender as well
as inequality issues in the treatment of disabilities
in some countries.
2
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities. Italian Ministry of Labour, Health and Social
Policies, 2009https://www.lavoro.gov.it/temi-e-priorita/
disabilita-e-non-autosufficienza/focus-on/Convenzione-
ONU/Documents/Convenzione%20ONU.pdf.
«There are around 80 million people, in the
European Union, with a motor, vision or other
type of disability. A figure that, due to the aging
population, is expected to increase to 120 million
by 2020. Unfortunately, these people face a whole
series of daily challenges in overcoming obstacles
that make even the simplest and most obvious tasks
difficult, such as using public transport, accessing
buildings or even the use of household appliances
and online services. To make their lives a bit
easier, the European Parliament has definitively
approved the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
This new directive establishes requirements to
make a series of products and services more
accessible, such as: ticket offices and vending
machines; ATMs and other payment terminals;
computers and operating systems; smartphones,
tablets and TVs; banking services for consumers;
e-books and dedicated software; e-commerce ser-
vices; passenger transport services by air, sea, rail
and road, with real-time travel information».3
In the United States, in 2017, the overall
percentage (prevalence rate) of people with a
disability of all ages was 12.7%. In other words,
more than 40 million of the almost 322 million
individuals of all ages reported one or more
disabilities. Among the six types of disabilities
identified in the ACS (Visual, Hearing, Ambu-
latory, Cognitive, Self-care, Independent living),
the highest prevalence rate was for “Ambulatory
Disability” (6.9%). The lowest prevalence rate
was for “Visual Disability,” 2.3%.4
1.2 Types of Motor Disability
Motor disability affects, of course, body move-
ment. Trying to identify the aspects of the motor
activity affected by disability, we can list them as
follows: level of posture, which corresponds to
the position of the body in space; level of coor-
dination, that is how much the movements agree
to each other in order to perform an action; level
3
Data refers to March 2019 https://europa.today.it/
attualita/europa-disabili-regole.html.
4
These statistics were calculated by the Cornell University
Yang Tan Institute using the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017
American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Micro-
data Sample (PUMS) data.https://www.disabilitystatistics.
org/reports/acs.cfm?statistic=1.https://www.disability
statistics.org/StatusReports/2017-PDF/2017-
StatusReport_US.pdf.
1.2 Types of Motor Disability
of muscle tone or how much muscle is sustained
in space or relaxed; level of purpose or how
much the body manages to organize itself to
perform a specific action rather than another. The
research is aimed at individuals with even severe
motor disabilities, taking into account that they,
if possible, should never be separated from their
own wheelchairs, as each of them is character-
ized by different needs. We can therefore say that
accessible boats users are people with an ability
limited to quadriplegia. Below we analyse the
different types of disabilities, namely paraplegia
and quadriplegia.
«The term “paraplegia” in medicine means a
diplegia in which the lower part of the body is
affected by motor paralysis and/or functional
deficiency, associated with sensitivity disorders.
The spinal cord injury that causes paraplegia is
underlying the first thoracic vertebra (T1). Injury
above this vertebra, instead, causes quadriplegia.
The term quadriplegia means a paralysis and loss
of sensitivity of both the torso and the upper and
lower limbs, caused by various pathologies and
traumas, for example in the event of road or sports
accidents. The spinal cord injury that causes
quadriplegia is superior to the first thoracic ver-
tebra (T1), in particular the first seven cervical
vertebrae that support the skull are identified with
the abbreviations C1- C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7.
Simplifying, paraplegia affects the lower part of
the body and is caused by lesions below T1 (both
lumbar and sacral lesions), while quadriplegia
affects the whole body except the head and is
caused by lesions above T1, in cervical region (C1
to C8)»5 (Figs. 1.1 and 1.2).
1.3 Boating in Numbers
To better clarify the importance of the topic
addressed, the data relating to the world nautical
inventory registered in the category of pleasure
boats are processed in this paragraph. The situ-
ation for 2018 was analysed thanks to the data
provided by the ICOMIA (International Council
of Marine Industry Association), collected in the
yearly bulletin by the Italian non-profit organi-
zation Confindustria Nautica—Italian Marine
5 6
Difference between paraplegic and quadriplegic.https://
medicinaonline.co/2017/10/27/differenza-tra-paraplegico-
e-tetraplegico/.
3
Industry Association, together with Edison
Foundation.6
In the following tables of this chapter, the data
relating to Croatia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, the
United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, the
Republic of Estonia, Poland, Spain, Sweden and
Switzerland have been taken into account with
regard to the European area, and for Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan,
New Zealand, the United States, Sri Lanka and
Turkey in relation to the rest of the world. It
should be noted that the data collection methods
and their reliability vary according to the differ-
ent countries and that, in some cases, not all
information is available; therefore, direct data
comparison is not always possible (Figs. 1.3, 1.4,
1.5 and 1.6).
From the graphs shown above, the figure for
the United States certainly stands out, with a
nautical inventory of almost 16 million units,
slightly down compared to the previous year.
Canada also stands out for its huge nautical
inventory (8.6 million units, unchanged com-
pared to 2017) and for the considerable number
of boats per 1,000 inhabitants (234 units).
In the European continent, the Scandinavian
countries have the highest values: Norway is
confirmed in first place, followed by Sweden
(which have not updated the data compared to
the previous year) and Finland, which is in fourth
place. The reason for this supremacy is to be
found in deep-rooted nautical culture, although
the climate is not favourable, while as regards the
numerical inventory for number of inhabitants,
the small population of these countries counts
very much.
The third European country, in terms of nau-
tical inventory, is Italy, which surpasses the
United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and
Germany with almost 577,000 units, of which,
however, only slightly more than 18,000 units
are sailing yachts. This is particularly significant,
since the percentage of sailing yachts is also
Confindustria Nautica, Fondazione Edison. La nautica in
cifre – Analisi del mercato per l’anno 2019. ISBN
9788894292053.
4 1 Why Inclusive Design?

Fig. 1.1 Motor disabilities and affected areas

Fig. 1.2 Type of disability according to the vertebrae involved

1.3 Boating in Numbers
Fig. 1.3 Breakdown by type
of the total number of crafts in
the world to the year 2018
Fig. 1.4 Worldwide boat fleet: geographical distribution
quite low in the rest of the world and is equal to
11.1% compared to the more than 65% of motor
boats. It should be noted that the statistics do not
take scrapped units into account (Fig. 1.7).
Overall, the fleet of boats surveyed is stable, if
compared to the previous year, with over 32
million units. Certainly, the number of sailing
units surveyed in the United States is impressive,
with over 1.5 million units, of which, most likely,
about half is made up of pleasure boats. It fol-
lows, therefore, that the construction of boats
according to the “Design for All” approach
would greatly benefit the world economy and
meet a demand that certainly exists, but that
doesn’t make its voice heard strongly enough (as
evidenced by the lack of what the market offers).
1.4 Designing for Inclusion
In recent years, in other fields of design, efforts
have been made to respond to the needs and
requests of an increasingly complex society,
5
through the creation of new approaches such as,
for example, those that are collected under the
definition of “Design for Inclusion”. Design for
Inclusion contains different ways of conceiving
the design methodology: among the most
important are Design for All7 (DfA), Universal
Design8 (UD) and Inclusive Design9 (ID).
Besides these, the Barrier Free Design con-
cept, that was born in the United States in the
1950s with the aim of developing and dissemi-
nating accessibility-based design principles, has
allowed the reintegration of war invalids from the
Second World War and the Korean War. Barrier
Free Design, the Inclusive Design and, in gen-
eral, the numerous research areas aimed at the
“accessibility project”, have developed over time
a vast patrimony of design principles and inter-
vention criteria, which while representing fun-
damental contributions to culture and design
practice, however, remain focused on a marked
7
Design for All (DfA) it is the international term with
which we refer to a design for the real, inclusive and
holistic individual, which enhances the specificity of each,
involving human diversity in the design process.
8
Universal Design (UD) is the international term with
which we refer to a broad-spectrum design methodology
that has, as its fundamental objective, the design of
buildings, environments and products accessible to each
category of people, beyond the possible presence of a
condition of disability.
9
Inclusive Design (ID) is the international term with
which we refer to a broad-spectrum design methodology
whose fundamental objective is the design of manufacts
free from obstacles and of environments and objects
accessible also to people with physical disabilities. The
Italian regulations about the elimination of architectural
barriers in civil building and urban design belong to this
current.
6 1 Why Inclusive Design?
Fig. 1.5 Total number of boats and spread of sailing yachts in the world to the year 2018 (source: ICOMIA)
specialization of the project “for the disabled”
and, in particular, on specific attention to the
needs of the motor disabled people. It is with the
approach of Design For All, and in part of
Universal Design, that the traditional specializa-
tion of the “project for disability” is overcome.
Paul Hogan, President Emeritus EIDD—Design
for All Europe, explains in a very simple, but
effective way, the purpose of Design for All: «
good design enables, bad design disables. Man is
not standard: tall/short, child/elderly, with/
without glasses, educated/illiterate, on a
bicycle/in a wheelchair, attentive/distracted,
autochthonous/foreign, etc. Design for All is the
social approach that proclaims the human right of
all to inclusion and the planning approach to
achieve it. Designing for All means, designing
environments, systems, products and services
that can be used independently by people with
diversified needs and skills, involving human
diversity in the design process. DfA solutions
can be used easily, comfortably and pleasantly
by most users without having to make changes
according to different physical, sensory or cog-
nitive abilities and without having to give up on
an attractive design».10
10
A. Lupacchini, Design olistico. Progettare secondo i
principi del DfA. Alinea Editrice, Firenze, 2010.The
original text is reported in Italian: «il buon design abilita,
mentre il cattivo design disabilita. L'uomo non è
standard: alto/basso, bambino/anziano, con/senza
occhiali, colto/analfabeta, in bicicletta/sulla sedia a
rotelle, attento/distratto, autoctono/straniero, ecc. Il
Design for All è l'approccio sociale che proclama il
diritto umano di tutti all'inclusione e l'approccio proget-
tuale per conseguirla. Progettare Design for All significa
concepire ambienti, sistemi, prodotti e servizi fruibili in
modo autonomo da parte di persone con esigenze e
abilità diversificate coinvolgendo la diversità umana nel
processo progettuale. Le soluzioni DfA sono utilizzabili in
1.4 Designing for Inclusion
Fig. 1.6 Worldwide boat
fleet: pleasure craft density
per 1,000 inhabitants
Initially, their aim was to make environments,
products and services more accessible to people
with disabilities. Over time the production phi-
losophy has changed, both because a different
sensitivity towards the consumer/stakeholder has
developed, considering that Design for All has
been highlighted in Europe by the European
Commission since 2003 in the search for a more
user-friendly society in Europe, both in order to
meet the different needs of users and expanding
the market. We begin to realize that creating
products, services or environments for a “stan-
dard individual” means penalizing or excluding a
not negligible part of the population from their
use. Furthermore, it is environments, products or
services which, if poorly designed, can be the
cause of disability and not the other way around.
modo facile, comodo e gradevole dalla maggior parte
degli utenti senza dover apportare modifiche in funzione
delle diverse abilità fisiche, sensoriali o cognitive e senza
dover rinunciare a un design accattivante».
7
In this perspective, the specificities of individual
people are no longer conceived as skills or dis-
abilities, but simply as differences between
individuals. The purpose of Inclusive Design, as
its name suggests, is therefore not to possibly
exclude any individual from the use of a product,
an environment or a service, while facilitating its
use by all.
The birth, in 1993, of the EIDD—European
Institute for Design and Disability—had funda-
mental importance for the development of the
DfA, with the aim of identifying the project
proposals capable of improving the quality of life
of people with disabilities. For the EIDD every-
thing designed must be:
• accessible;
• comfortable for everyone to use;
• capable of responding to the evolution of
human diversity.
8 1 Why Inclusive Design?
Fig. 1.7 Worldwide boat fleet: trend 2008–2018
In 1998, the Institute hosted an international
conference in which, for the first time, it is
declared that social inclusion is the prerequisite
for any good design process. It also states that it
is necessary to avoid adding modifications and/or
technical aids to allow disabled people to live a
“normal” life. In the 2004 Stockholm Declaration
of the EIDD, the DfA is defined as the «Design
for human diversity, social inclusion and equal-
ity. […] Design for All has roots both in Scan-
dinavian functionalism in the 1950s and in
ergonomic design from the 1960s. There is also a
socio-political background in Scandinavian
welfare policies, which in Sweden in the late
1960s gave birth to the concept of “a society for
all” referring primarily to accessibility. This
ideological thinking was streamlined into the
United Nations Standard Rules on the Equal-
ization of Opportunities for Persons with Dis-
abilities, adopted by the UN General Assembly in
December 1993. The focus of the UN Standard
Rules on accessibility in a clear equality context
has inspired the development of the Design for
All philosophy. […] Design for All aims to
enable all people to have equal opportunities to
participate in every aspect of society».11 The
DfA methodology provides «a holistic approach
to design and to the design process, multidisci-
plinary and intersectoral, to meet the needs of
the greatest number of individuals in their
specificities, starting from the conscious use of
the analysis of human needs and aspirations,
while actively and consciously involving from the
beginning all the actors: clients, decision mak-
ers, professionals and users».12
In recent years the concepts created on the
issues of social inclusion have favoured the
11
cf.: http://dfaeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/
stockholm-declaration_italiano.pdf.
12
A. Accolla, Design for All: il progetto per l’individuo
reale. Franco Angeli, Milano, 2009.The original text is
reported in Italian: «l’approccio olistico al design e al
processo progettuale, multidisciplinare e intersettoriale,
per soddisfare le esigenze del maggior numero dei singoli
nelle loro specificità, partendo dall’uso cosciente
dell’analisi dei bisogni e delle aspirazioni umane e
coinvolgendo in modo attivo e consapevole fin dall’inizio
tutti gli attori: committenti, decisori, professionisti e
utenti».
1.4 Designing for Inclusion 9

advancement of the definition of disability

described above. EIDD itself has overcome the
exclusive interest in disability by extending it to
all humanity, so much so that in 2006 it was
renamed Design for All Europe. The abandon-
ment of any terminological reference to disability
is representative of the change within this design
approach, especially towards users, which is
becoming ever wider to include all individuals.
The DfA provides a clear and well-structured
process, divided into two distinct phases (the
meta-project and the project), in which clients,
decision-makers, professionals and users are
involved. Inclusive Design (ID) also has a con-
cept design process defined in different phases
and very well simplified by the Inclusive Design
Toolkit, developed by the University of Fig. 1.8 The four main phases of the inclusive concept
Cambridge13: design. Reproduced from http://www.inclusivedesign
toolkit.com/, with permission. © 2017 University of
• Manage: What should we do next? Cambridge
• Explore: What are the needs?
• Create: How can the needs be met? 6. low physical effort: the design can be used
• Evaluate: How well are the needs met? efficiently and comfortably and with a mini-
(Fig. 1.8) mum of fatigue;
7. size and space for approach and use: appro-
Universal Design (UD), on the other hand, priate size and space is provided for
does not have a well-defined design process. The approach, reach, manipulation, and use
final product originates from the response to the regardless of user’s body size, posture, or
following seven universal principles: mobility.
1. equitable use: the design is useful and mar-
ketable to people with diverse abilities; In the Universal Design approach, users also
2. flexibility in use: the design accommodates a cannot take part in the process. This does not
wide range of individual preferences and happen with DfA, in which the user participates
abilities; in each phase of the process, communicating with
3. simple and intuitive use: use of the design is all the other actors in a holistic way. In ID, instead
easy to understand, regardless of the user’s of participating in the whole process, the user
experience, knowledge, language skills, or intervenes only in the initial phase of observation
current concentration level; and in the final phase of product testing.
4. perceptible information: the design commu- The purpose of the DfA is to create an
nicates necessary information effectively to awareness of social inclusion in everyone.
the user, regardless of ambient conditions or Furthermore, through the enhancement of the
the user’s sensory abilities; specificity of each individual, it aims to
5. tolerance for error: the design minimizes improve his quality of life. Unlike DfA, UD
hazards and the adverse consequences of tends to give more importance to the final
accidental or unintended actions; product and «using rules that are easy to apply,
it does not create awareness of social inclusion
13
Engineering Design Centre, University of Cambridge,
Inclusive Design Toolkit:www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com.
10
neither in decision makers nor in designers».14
The purpose of the ID, however, is to make the
product as inclusive as possible.
One of the areas which the DfA approach is
currently addressing is related to the design of
leisure products for two types of users that fully
fall within the objectives of DfA itself: on the one
hand the elderly, on the other hand people affec-
ted by motor disabilities (in particular in the lower
limbs) and therefore forced into a wheelchair.
Among the various leisure products on the mar-
ket, yachting and recreational vehicles (campers
and caravans), are the sectors attracting the
greatest interest of designers and manufacturers.
In the nautical field, products already available
on the market for people with motor disabilities can
be divided into two main categories: the first con-
sists of boats less than 10 m long, most of which are
intended for purely sporting use; the second is made
up of pleasure craft (over 10 m and up to 24 m),
built as unique specimens at the request of very rare
owners, generally obtained from adaptations made
to existing boats. In the latter case there is a very
“user-centred”15 development that aims to satisfy
the needs of that particular user.
Regarding the first category, the design efforts,
from which small boats have been built, such as the
International 2.4mR Class, the Skud or RS Venture
Connect, just to name the most known, have
resulted in appreciable studies, aimed at allowing a
disabled person to sail in the most effective way;
but these boats have a serious limitation: they do
not allow disabled people to access the boat inde-
pendently, which is also because of the difficulty in
solving the problem of distance from the dock and
the difference in height between the pier and the
deck of the boat. Furthermore, in no case, except
for larger boats, is accessibility on board using a
wheelchair allowed, almost certainly for reasons of
size and safety.
14
A. Accolla, Design for All: il progetto per l’individuo
reale. Franco Angeli, Milano, 2009.The original text is
reported in Italian: «utilizzando regole di facile appli-
cazione, non crea la coscienza dell’inclusione sociale né
nei decisori, né nei progettisti».
15
Abras, C., Maloney-Krichmar, D., & Preece, J. (2004).
User-Centred Design. In Encyclopedia of Human-Com-
puter Interaction. Sage Publications.
1 Why Inclusive Design?
An interesting study16 comes from the “for-
All” design made by the Certified European
Ergonomists, Prof. Marcolin and Dr. Bordignon,
in cooperation with architects Nicotra and Sab-
badini, applying the “forAll” design principles,
both adapting existing boats and properly con-
ceiving a new boat in order to face and solve the
previously described problems.
The team developed an ergonomic design
layout and performed an accessibility study on
spaces on board, starting from the T-34 sailboat
and the Greenline 33’ motorboat. Both those
boats have a length of about 10 m and the project
is characterized by the possibility for disabled
people to board independently, thanks to the
design of a specific transom, particularly suitable
also for elderly people who need easier and more
stable access (Fig. 1.9).
The same philosophy is applied even for the
interiors, for which spaces are characterized from
an aesthetic point of view, integrating necessary
solutions such as, for example, the lifter platform
that allows the disabled person to access below
deck, becoming an integral part of the floor of the
sailboat when not in use. Among the achieved
objectives worth mentioning are the possibility
for up to 4 disabled people (one at the helm, one
at the mainsail and two at the winches) to man-
age the boat autonomously and the possibility of
transporting the boat on a trailer in order to use it
at different locations (Fig. 1.10).
1.5 Anthropometry and Space
Sizing for Users with Reduced
Mobility
The purpose of this book is to identify the
problems of accessibility present on board the
vast majority of existing sailboats, from 10 to
24 m, and to indicate possible solutions to
16
F. Marcolin, A. Nicotra, E. Sabbadini, M. Bordignon,
“Il Design For All nella nautica da diporto”. In “Acces-
sibilità e usabilità nella progettazione per tutti”, p. 35–38.
Edited by E. Mocchio. U&C magazine n° 10, December
2011. Mediavalue srl, Milano. ISSN 0394-9605.http://
www.promosricerche.org/images/Dossier_accessibilita_
UC_10_2011.pdf.
1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility
Fig. 1.9 The project of T34 sailing boat, designed by Certified European Ergonomics Marcolin and Bordignon and the
architects Nicotra and Sabbadini
eliminate or modify any element that limits,
prohibits or makes impossible the use of a boat
by people with problems of mobility. But in
order to do so, it is necessary to rethink almost all
the spaces onboard, both above and below
deck «The term “minimum space” therefore
assumes different characteristics based on whe-
ther it is a space for an able bodied or disabled
person. The solution is normally defined by the
elimination or reduction of obstacles to acces-
sibility and usability of the environments, called
11
precisely “architectural barriers”».17 The lack
of regulations that take into account the spatial
17
M. Abbate, “L’ergonomia di bordo per l’utenza
allargata”. In “Yacht Design – Dal concept alla rappre-
sentazione” by Massimo Musio Sale, p. 115–127.
Tecniche Nuove, Milano, 2009. The original text is
reported in Italian: «Il termine “spazio minimo” assume
quindi caratteristiche diverse che si tratti di uno spazio
per l’uomo normo-dotato, o che si tratti di spazio per la
persona disabile. La soluzione è normalmente definita
con l’abbattimento o la riduzione di quella serie di
ostacoli all’accessibilità e fruibilità degli ambienti
denominati appunto “barriere architettoniche”».
12
Fig. 1.10 The project of the Greenline 33-foot motorboat, by Dr. Marcolin and Dr. Bordignon
needs on board a pleasure yacht to allow people
in wheelchairs (and therefore all those affected
by other forms of motor disability, even tempo-
rary, or individuals belonging to the weaker
groups) to enjoy it, highlights the disinterest that
characterizes the nautical sector; unlike what
happens in other fields, such as construction, or
categories, such as shipping, regulated by
specific rules.
The eminent Prof. Luigi Bandini Buti
asserts: «The artifact generates the handi-
cap. The designed object does not have its own
intrinsic (universal) substance but it is experi-
enced differently by each person according to
biological and performance differences. These
affirmations support us in the affirmation that if
the project is conceived as “for-All”, it will not
be a handicap generator for anyone, whether
they are able or disabled. […] Those thoughts
lead us to think that it can be very useful to
produce an instrument that makes it clear and all
1 Why Inclusive Design?
those characteristics of products that can affect
their use by certain categories of users made
easily accessible».18
A 33-foot boat (around 10 m) often has
cramped environments and, therefore, it is cer-
tainly difficult to make it habitable by an indi-
vidual in a wheelchair. It is also true, however,
18
L. Bandini Buti “Progettare per il massimo numero di
utenti”. In “La progettazione per tutti: dalle barriere
architettoniche al design for all”, seminario a cura
dell’Istituto Italiano Design e Disabilità. Brescia, aprile
2005. The original text is reported in Italian: «è il
manufatto che genera l’handicap. L’oggetto progettato
non ha una sua sostanza intrinseca (universale) ma viene
vissuto in modo diverso da ciascuno in funzione delle
differenze biologiche e prestazionali. Queste affermazioni
ci supportano nell’affermazione che se il progetto è
concepito “for-All”, non sarà generatore di handicap per
nessuno, siano essi abili o meno abili. […] Le riflessioni
fatte inducono a pensare che possa essere molto utile
produrre uno strumento che renda palesi e facilmente
accessibili a tutti quelle caratteristiche dei prodotti che
possono condizionare l’uso a certe categorie di utenti».
1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility
Fig. 1.11 Wheelchair user
and accessible area (cm).
Front view
that no attempt has been made in the past fifty
years to rethink the distribution of spaces and
their sizing in favour of a wider group of users. It
is important to remember that an inclusive design
must guarantee the movement of the wheelchair
in each living space, in addition to compliance
with some anthropometric and ergonomic rules,
although the application of these rules will sac-
rifice the number of environments that make up
the interior volume of the boat. It is therefore
essential to make sure that the architectural
object is not discriminatory when it is conceived
13
and is designed according to the aforementioned
rules: the more the result will be acceptable, from
an aesthetic and functional point of view, the
more the project will be considered “forAll” and
the path to inclusion will be truly accom-
plished. «So, if first the object does not represent
a barrier, it will never be recognized as such,
even by able bodied people who will therefore
use it as a “normal” object» (Figs. 1.11, 1.12,
1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19, 1.20,
1.21 and 1.22).19
19
M. Abbate, “L’ergonomia di bordo per l’utenza
allargata”. In “Yacht Design – Dal concept alla rappre-
sentazione” by Massimo Musio Sale, p. 115-127. Tec-
niche Nuove, Milano, 2009.The original text is reported
in Italian: «Quindi se a priori l’oggetto non è una
barriera, non verrà mai riconosciuto come tale nemmeno
dalle persone normo-dotate che quindi lo useranno come
un oggetto “normale”».
14 1 Why Inclusive Design?

Fig. 1.12 Wheelchair user

and accessible area (cm). Top
view

Fig. 1.14 Person with a walking stick and space

Fig. 1.13 Person with crutches and space requirement requirement (cm)
(cm)
1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility 15

Fig. 1.15 Seated person and accessible area (cm)

Fig. 1.16 Wheelchair user and accessible area (cm)

16 1 Why Inclusive Design?

Fig. 1.17 Dimensions of the wheelchair (cm)

Fig. 1.18 Door threshold and manoeuvring space of the wheelchair (cm)
1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility 17

Fig. 1.19 Path width (cm)

Fig. 1.20 Height of plant

terminals (cm)

Fig. 1.21 Spaces of use:

heights (cm)
18 1 Why Inclusive Design?

Fig. 1.22 Sizes of bathrooms (cm)

 The Inclusive Yachting
2.1 Inclusive Design and Yachting
Massimo Gregori Grgič says: «Each of us could
be considered disabled once we are in an unu-
sual or uncomfortable situation. Regarding
physical disability, in a situation that we would
call “normal”, to help a person with special
needs is the duty of doctors and assistants, while
working on the design of the environment is the
duty of the designer. The first principle that
motivates a project dedicated to disability is that
only knowledge of problems and design analysis
lead to solutions. The second guideline is to
understand that a person’s skills depend on the
context. The third and final criterion is that our
work is strongly conditioned by the design con-
straints. […] The design of a ship intended for a
disabled person must be based on particular
characteristics and ergonomics that are some-
times quite unusual. Attention to the needs of
disabled shipowners would give more people the
opportunity to enjoy navigation and, at the same
time, to expand the potential market for builders.
All issues concerning disability should catalyse a
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_2
2
new design philosophy which, as a consequence,
should influence a wider design culture».1
The development of the nautical industry in
the last twenty years and the consequent increase
in the catchment area can be taken as driving
factors for the application of inclusive design in
the naval and nautical sector. Another important
element for the development of accessibility in
the nautical sector has depended on the growing
awareness of social inclusion issues, which has
enabled people with disabilities to access the
1
M. Gregori Grgic, “Design for all: a call for ethics”. 2°
National Conference Cultura Navale e Marittima, Univer-
sity of Genova, 22–23 September 2016.The original text is
reported in Italian: «Ognuno di noi potrebbe essere
considerato disabile una volta che si trovasse in una
situazione inusuale o scomoda. Per quanto riguarda la
disabilita fisica in una situazione che chiameremmo
“normale, e compito dei medici e degli assistenti aiutare
una persona con necessita particolari mentre e dovere del
progettista lavorare sul progetto dell’ambiente. Il primo
principio che motiva un progetto dedicato alla disabilita e
che solo la conoscenza dei problemi e l’analisi proget-
tuale portano alle soluzioni. La seconda linea guida e
comprendere che le abilita di una persona dipendono dal
contesto. Il terzo e ultimo criterio e che il nostro lavoro e
fortemente condizionato dai vincoli progettuali. […] Il
progetto di una nave destinata a una persona disabile
deve essere improntato a caratteristiche ed ergonomia
particolari, a volte abbastanza inusuali. L’attenzione ai
bisogni di armatori disabili darebbe ad un maggior
numero di persone la possibilità di godere della nav-
igazione e allo stesso tempo allargherebbe le potenzialità
di mercato per i costruttori. Tutti i temi che riguardano la
disabilita dovrebbero catalizzare una nuova filosofia
progettuale che, come conseguenza, dovrebbe influenzare
una più ampia cultura del design».
19
20
sport of sailing, which was barred to them until
fifteen years ago.
However, it is important to specify that the
most involved category in the application of
Design for Inclusion in the nautical sector is the
shipbuilding of small sailing boats up to 10 m. In
fact, the very first experimental boat for this type
of user began construction in the 1980s. Only in
the 90’s did the concept of Sailing for Everyone
start to develop. It is based on the assumption
that boats should not be designed for people with
disabilities only, but for a wider audience, which
includes all types of users. In these years, the first
accessible crafts were born, spreading every-
where thanks to the activity of the international
association ‘Sailability’,2 which today has
numerous offices spread around the world. In
2008, Sherri Backstrom, founder of the Way-
point Yacht Charter Service, an American com-
pany which specialized in accessible to all travel,
analysed Universal Design, adapting its princi-
ples to the «highly changeable nature of water-
borne environments».3 From this study came the
five “Waypoint-Backstrom Principles”:
• Begin with Universal Design;
• Design for self-sufficiency;
• Design for extraordinary conditions;
• Design for modularity and revision;
• Design for seamless intermodal transfer.
Some years later, deeply inspired by this
philosophy, Silvia Piardi, Andrea Ratti and
Sebastiano Ercoli, from the Polytechnic Univer-
sity of Milan, have drawn up guidelines for the
design of accessible boats, according to different
2
Sailability, which today has numerous offices spread all
over the world (www.sailability.org), was born at the end
of 1980 s in the United Kingdom and, in the 90’s, it
developed in Australia, where Chris Mitchell, also thanks
to Sailability activity, launches and promotes the use of
two boats designed by him in those years: the Access 2.3
and the Access 303, now renamed Hansa 2.3 and 303.
3
S. Rains, S. Backstrom, ``Maritime inclusive environ-
ments and practice”, 2008, in http://www.e-bility.com/
articles/maritime-inclusive-environments.php.
2 The Inclusive Yachting
aspects, such as: safety, reliability, ease of navi-
gation, comfort and pleasantness.4
Andrea Vallicelli and Giuseppe Di Bucchi-
anico, from the University of Chieti-Pescara,
Italy, define a sailboat as an «organized work
system, defined by a related set of elements
(artefacts, performance, activities and people)
that work in particular environmental condi-
tions, pursuing the main objective of sailing
efficiently and with satisfaction for all. On board,
each user has different roles, tasks and functions:
these are carried out by interacting with specific
elements in certain “areas” of the boat. How-
ever, these “stations” do not always derive from
a user-centred design: they are often the result of
compromises, aesthetic or simply hierarchical,
with respect to the different positions on
board».5 «In such an organized work system, the
problems related to the accessibility of the
workstations and of the equipment by every type
of sailor (man, woman, child, disabled person,
etc.) are very complex. To better understand
what this complexity consists of, it is sufficient to
examine even one of the actions that are per-
formed in the use of a boat. […] The first thing
that needs to be considered is the environmental
condition in which one operates».6
4
S. Piardi, A. Ratti, S. Ercoli, “Design for All on board:
Boat design in the era of access for (almost) everybody”,
in 2012 AHFE International Conference Proceedings,
pp. 6503–6510, San Francisco, 2012.
5
A. Vallicelli, G. Di Bucchianico, “Evaluation of tasks
and postures of a sailing yacht tailer”. In Ergonomics is a
lifestyle”. Proceedings of the 40th International Annual
Congress of the Nordic Ergonomics Society, 2008.The
original text is reported in Italian: «un sistema di lavoro
organizzato definito da un insieme correlato di elementi
(artefatti, prestazioni, attività e persone), che lavorano in
condizioni ambientparticolari, perseguendo come obiet-
tivo principale quello di veleggiare con efficienza e con
soddisfazione per tutti. A bordo, ogni utente ha diversi
ruoli, compiti e funzioni: questi sono svolti interagendo
con elementi specifici in determinate “aree” dell’imbar-
cazione. Tuttavia, queste “stazioni” non sempre derivano
da un design centrato sull’utente: spesso sono il risultato
di compromessi, di tipo estetico o semplicemente gerar-
chico, rispetto alle diverse postazioni a bordo».
6
J. Lagatta “La progettazione inclusiva nel sailing yacht –
Linee guida Design for All per natanti a vela”, Pescara,
2015.The original text is reported in Italian: «In un
sistema di lavoro così organizzato, i problemi relativi
2.1 Inclusive Design and Yachting
These kinds of problems can also be observed
in the use of all the elements that make up a boat:
the conformation of the transom and the boarding
systems, the helms, the cockpit and the side
decks, the companion and the below-deck
accessibility systems, the interior spaces and the
solutions to allow bathing. In 2013, US Sailing,
in collaboration with IFDS—International Asso-
ciation for Disabled Sailing7 and Sailability, tried
to provide an answer to these questions, through
the Adaptive Sailing Resource Manual.8 The
purpose of this volume is twofold: first of all, to
provide information regarding the most suitable
design solutions to support and admit people
with disabilities, also through the use of “special
aids”; in addition, to indicate useful guidelines
for the design of new boats, which meet precise
requirements, in order to allow designers to
conceive and develop boats that are immediately
accessible and fully inclusive, and for shipyards
to build them (Fig. 2.1).
2.2 The Commitment
of Associations and the Birth
of a Paralympic Discipline
Today the associations, in particular non-profit
organizations which have joined in awareness-
raising, promotion and supporting the projects of
inclusive sailing practice, specifically addressed
to persons with disabilities, including them both
all’accessibilità delle postazioni e delle attrezzature da
parte di ogni tipologia di velista (uomo, donna, bambino,
disabile, ecc.) sono molto complessi. Per riuscire a capire
meglio in che cosa consiste tale complessità, basta
esaminare anche solo una delle azioni che si compiono
nell’utilizzo di un’imbarcazione. […] La prima cosa che
va considerata è la condizione ambientale in cui ci si
trova».
7
The International Association for Disabled Sailing
(IFDS) was an affiliate member of the International
Sailing Federation (ISAF) and was responsible for
coordinating the Paralympic sailing competition with the
International Paralympic Committee. The IFDS was
dissolved during the 2015 ISAF Annual Conference held
in Sanya, China. The Disabled Sailing Committee was
later renamed as the Para World Sailing Committee.
8
US Sailing “Adaptive Sailing Resource Manual”. http://
www.ussailing.org/education/adaptive-sailing/manual/.
21
in sport and in recreational activities and placing
social inclusion as the main objective of the
promotion of sailing, are very numerous.
The “Argo” project was conceived by Anto-
nio Spinelli, a great sailing enthusiast, in col-
laboration with the sports association for people
with physical disabilities “Sportdipiù” and was
then presented during the Turin 2006 Winter
Paralympic Games. A challenge designed to
bring the common concept of “normality” out of
known standards, in order to demonstrate that
achieving great goals is possible even in the
presence of disabilities and that, in sport as in
life, barriers can be overcome if you have
determination, passion, team spirit, seriousness
and professionalism.
The process of this project was of particular
interest, even if it did not reach its final goal:
participation in the 2011 America’s Cup. From
the beginning the Italian Navy decided to support
the project, therefore the UN also gave its
endorsement to the initiative. The team was in
itself an innovation: over 20 elements, chosen
from a selection of international and disabled
athletes and sailors. The team manager was Paolo
Scutellaro, former team manager of the Amer-
ica’s Cup and World Champion; the skipper was
Lars Grael, a disabled sailor and legend of sail-
ing, already the winner of bronze medals from
the 1988 Seoul and 1996 Atlanta Olympics
games. Finally, the sailor Heiko Kröger, disabled
from birth, gold medal winner at the Sydney
Paralympics in 2000. Despite all this, the project
unfortunately failed due to legal disputes
between the BMW-Oracle and Alinghi teams,
which monopolized the America’s Cup of that
year.
Introduced as a demonstration event at the
1996 Paralympics in Atlanta, the Paralympic
Sail, a sports discipline open to athletes with
amputations, brain injuries, blindness or visual
impairment, spinal injuries and other forms of
disability, made its official entry into the Games
programme starting from Sydney 2000. The
sailing classes competing in the Paralympics
were International 2.4mR, Skud 18 and Sonar.
The 2016 Rio Games edition was the last one:
an unexpected setback, with different and
22
Fig. 2.1 Cover of the IFDS volume: “Adaptive Sailing Resource Manual”
complex reasons, now resolved with the inclu-
sion of the Paralympic sail in World Sailing.
Sailing is therefore excluded from the Tokyo
2020 Paralympics, but the Para World Sailing
Committee9 is already active to reinsert sailing
into the 2028 Paralympic disciplines.
9
Founded in 2014 by the merger of the IFDS (Interna-
tional Association for Disabled Sailing) and ISAF, the
Para World Sailing Committee is designed to take
advantage of all opportunities for development,
2 The Inclusive Yachting
In recent years, the interest in the sport of
sailing by disabled people has seen rapid devel-
opment and spread to over 70 countries, in which
various categories of disabled people practice
sailing at a competitive level.
Particularly committed to carrying out this
discipline is the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV),
promotion and knowledge offered by World Sailing in the
field of paralympic sail.
2.2 The Commitment of Associations and the Birth of a Paralympic Discipline
together with the Italian Paralympic Committee
(CIP), which is already working in support of the
World Sailing policy, within the reintegration of
sailing disciplines in the Olympic Games, thanks
also to the great technical heritage developed to
date, both on a human level and its equipment. In
particular, the commitment is aimed, in addition
to supporting the international activity of World
Sailing, towards the management and scouting of
young talent, training of disabled athletes and
support of clubs engaged in sailing activities for
disabled people.
Actual Paralympic sailing classes are: 2.4
Norlin OD, HANSA 303 and RS Venture.
The Norlin OD class is a one-person keelboat.
It is characterized by the complexity and
sophistication typical of a boat with a bulb,
typical of a keel boat. Since the weight of the
crew is always close to its centre of gravity, the
2.4 Norlin OD is not sensitive to the size dif-
ferences of the helmsman. On the other hand, it is
a boat in which the adjustment of the sails is very
sophisticated. The regattas are held in the open
formula: open to men, women, young and old,
able-bodied and people with physical disabilities,
they all race together without any distinction of
category (Fig. 2.2).
The Hansa 303 is an extremely stable and
easy-to-use boat, capable of ensuring great fun
for beginners and experts at both a playful and
competitive level. The boat participates in the
Paralympic regattas as a single crew boat.
The regattas of the Hansa Trophy are cur-
rently held for single and double crew. They are
open and inclusive: every person, from 6 years
of age, can participate. The crews can be
“mixed” (2 disabled or 1 disabled and 1 able or 2
able). Hansa 303s sailing (Fig. 2.3).
The RS Venture is a modern two-person
dinghy. Its large self-draining cockpit makes the
RS Venture perfect for safe and “forAll” sailing.
Designed with modular and modern solutions,
this boat can be set up for almost any disability
and its layout can be modified as needed
(Fig. 2.4).
23
2.3 The Function of Non-profit
Organizations for “Sailtherapy”:
The Case of “Spirito Di Stella”
A non-profit organizations’ aim is to promote
better conditions and integration between people
with different abilities in various life contexts
(school, work, housing, places used for cultural,
sporting, recreational and socializing activities in
general).
In Italy, as in the rest of Europe, non-profit
organizations are numerous and very active.
Each of them works in various ways to create
integration and inclusion through the diffusion of
the sport of sailing, implemented by “learning by
doing” activities as sailing courses and socializ-
ing projects. A recent and relevant project, called
“WoW—Wheels on Waves”, was organized by
Andrea Stella through his non-profit organization
“Lo Spirito di Stella”. It was designed with the
aim of spreading a message of ‘respect for the
rights of people with disabilities’, from the Uni-
ted States to Europe. The project had a twofold
objective: to reach the United Nations head-
quarters in New York, sailing on board the
catamaran “Spirito di Stella”, to deliver the
Charter of Peace (drawn up as an appeal for
peace in Montone, Umbria in Italy, on the 70th
anniversary of the UN) to Secretary-General Ban
Ki-Moon and to carry the United Nations Con-
vention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
and deliver it direct to the Pope in the Vatican,
after an oceanic journey back from the Atlantic to
the west coast of Italy. To fulfil this important
task, people from all over the world were selec-
ted to form a crew, tested and trained with a
specific course in Miami, Florida. Ninety people
of different origins, culture, ages, abilities and
attitudes, divided into 21 crew teams for the same
number of stops from Miami to Italy, who, at the
end of the journey, returned to their countries of
origin with the role of ambassadors of the Spirito
di Stella, to help spread, in addition to the mes-
sage of peace and equality, the rights of the
disabled to the sport of sailing (Fig. 2.5).
24
Fig. 2.2 An International 2.4mR dinghy sailing
It is therefore possible to consider sailing as a
tool that unites people and teaches them not only
to navigate, but also to have respect for the sea
and for others, thus creating inclusion and inte-
gration. All these concepts can therefore be
summarized with a single word, which is
“sailtherapy”.
The definition of sailtherapy according to the
Treccani Encyclopaedia is «the therapy that aims
to place the patient in a small group of sailors,
with an operational goal, to return him to psy-
chophysical balance».10
Regarding the role of sailing as a therapy, the
European Economic and Social Committee has
also published a clear and explicit opinion in the
Official Journal of the European Union: «
Through sailing, the younger generation in
10
cf.: Enciclopedia Treccani, on-line dictionary, in http://
www.treccani.it/vocabolario/velaterapia_(Neologismi).
The original text is reported in Italian: «la terapia che si
propone di inserire il paziente in un piccolo gruppo di
velisti, con un obiettivo operativo, per ricondurlo
all’equilibrio psicofisico».
2 The Inclusive Yachting
particular can learn respect for nature, the
enhancement of team work and responsibility;
they can socialize and enjoy a fun sports activity
at a low cost, get to know new territories through
nautical tourism, access marine areas of partic-
ular value. Furthermore, sailing has also
recently assumed a therapeutic function, aimed
at the disabled, people who have lost their self-
confidence, contributing to their reintegration
and to the re-acquisition of lost safety.».11
Most psychologists are of the same opinion.
In this regard, Dr. Emanuela Mencaglia, psy-
chotherapist, says: «in Europe, for about thirty
years, sailing has been thought of not only as an
activity of leisure and fun, but also as therapeutic
support, to be included in rehabilitation projects
with socializing ideas, towards groups of people
with different needs ranging from physical
11
European Social Economic Committee, Opinion on the
topic «Industrie nautiche: una trasformazione accelerata
dalla crisi», (2013/C 133/01), 487° Plenary session, 13/14
February 2013, in Gazzetta Ufficiale dell’Unione Euro-
pea, 9.5.2013.
2.3 The Function of Non-profit Organizations … 25

Fig. 2.3 Hansa 303 s during a regatta

Fig. 2.4 The RS Venture two-person dinghy

rehabilitation to the psychicological and social building. In Italy, sailtherapy goes back fifteen
one. In addition, there is also the sailing expe- years and today more and more sailing associ-
rience in working groups, so called team- ations offer it among their initiatives. […] On a
26
Fig. 2.5 The crew of Spirito di Stella upon arrival in Venice, the final stage of last year’s WoW—Wheels on Waves
Project
sailing boat the dynamics of a group are
amplified, recreating a miniature society that re-
proposes daily relationships with maximum
intensity. The spirit of adventure evoked by
sailing mixes with the responsibility of each
member of the crew towards the other, to secure
themselves and others, to respect their own role
and the roles of others, to submit to precise rules
[…] This is an experience that leads to the
consolidation of the person and to improved self-
awareness».12
12
E. Mencaglia, “Velaterapia, la salute con il vento in
poppa”. A cura di Lucrezia Zaccaria, in Humanitas Salute,
http://www.humanitasalute.it/sport-e-allenamento/3210-
velaterapia-la-salute-col-vento-in-poppa/.The original text
is reported in Italian: «Da circa trent’anni in Europa si
pensa alla vela non solo come un’attività di svago e
divertimento, ma anche come un supporto terapeutico, da
inserire in progetti riabilitativi con spunti socializzanti, in
gruppi di persone con diversi bisogni che vanno dalla
riabilitazione fisica a quella psichica e sociale. A questo
si aggiunge l’inserimento dell’esperienza velica anche nei
gruppi di lavoro, in quello che viene chiamato team-
building. In Italia la velaterapia risale ad una quindicina
2 The Inclusive Yachting
Dr. Barbara Celani, psychologist, similarly
states: «Sailing implies a series of actions to be
performed and psychological dynamics that
constantly unfold. There are decisions to be taken
very quickly, problem solving skills are neces-
sary, emotions, fears and doubts must be man-
aged, natural elements must be governed and
exploited to one’s advantage: all this represents a
sort of therapeutic work that enhances the per-
sonality and promotes personal growth».13
di anni fa e ad oggi sempre più associazioni veliche la
propongono tra le loro iniziative. […] Su di una barca a
vela le dinamiche di gruppo si amplificano, si ricrea una
società in miniatura che ripropone le relazioni quotidiane
con la massima intensità. L’avventura evocata dall’andar
per mare si mescola alla responsabilità di ogni membro
dell’equipaggio verso l’altro, al mettere in sicurezza se
stessi e gli altri, a restare nel proprio ruolo e rispettare i
ruoli altrui, allo stare a regole precise. […] Questa è
un’esperienza che porta ad un consolidamento del sé e ad
un miglioramento della propria consapevolezza
corporea».
13
B. Celani, “La velaterapia”. In http://www.benessere.
com/psicologia/arg00/velaterapia.htm.The original text is
2.4 Sailability and the Concept of “Sailing for Everyone”
2.4 Sailability and the Concept
of “Sailing for Everyone”
Sailability was born in the late 80s in England
and a few years later it also developed in Aus-
tralia, soon becoming a real global association
thanks above all to Chris Mitchell, who designed
a boat which is now very widely-used due to its
extreme simplicity, safety and inclusiveness: The
Access 303, now known as Hansa 303. The
Hansa 303 is a single or double crew boat,
3.03 m long, 1.35 m wide, with a draft of 1 m. It
weighs 55 kg and has a ballasted drift with an
additional 30 kg. It is very difficult capsize. The
rig consists of a 4.4 m2 mainsail and a 1.5 m2 jib.
This boat is extremely stable and easy to use,
capable of ensuring great fun for both beginners
and experts, both at a fun and competitive level.
The design solutions adopted on board make this
boat extremely safe, even in critical conditions
and allows anybody to approach sailing. Thanks
to a series of servomechanisms, moreover, this
boat can allow even people in the most serious
conditions of disability to sail in total autonomy
(Fig. 2.6).
The purpose of Sailability is to promote sail-
ing as a fun, safe and rewarding activity, in
which people with disabilities and other disad-
vantaged groups can participate at a social,
recreational and competitive level and encour-
ages the inclusion of people with disabilities.
From the principles dictated by Sailability, for
which design is inspired by Design for All, has
originated the concept of “Sailing for Everyone”,
which is based on the assumption that boats
should not be designed only for people with
disabilities, but for a wide range of users,
including all types of individuals (Fig. 2.7).
reported in Italian: «Uscire in mare con una barca a vela,
implica una serie di operazioni da compiere e di dina-
miche psicologiche che si snodano costantemente. Ci
sono decisioni da prendere molto velocemente, sono
necessarie abilità di problem solving, si devono gestire
emozioni, paure, dubbi, governare gli elementi naturali e
sfruttarli a proprio vantaggio: tutto questo rappresenta
una sorta di lavoro terapeutico che valorizza la person-
alità e favorisce la crescita personale».
27
2.5 The Experience of Three
Disabled Sailors: Andrea Stella,
Massimo Dighe and Deborah
Mellen
Andrea Stella was born in Sandrigo, near
Vicenza, Italy, in 1976 (Fig. 2.8). After a tragic
accident, during a trip to the United States, he
remains paraplegic and unable to use his lower
limbs, but, after a period of rehabilitation and
thanks to the support of his family, he managed
to build the accessible catamaran “Spirito di
Stella”. Just a few weeks before the launch of the
boat, the thought arose that, still today, animates
the omonymous non-profit association: «If we
have made a traditionally inaccessible object
usable, comfortable and functional, why not use
the same design philosophy to improve the
accessibility standards of our cities, buildings
and means of transport? Why, in summary, can
we not design integrated projects that allow
everyone, regardless of handicap or limitations,
to live better? A project taking into account the
needs of all people is an advantageous project
for everyone, because what’s created surely has
higher quality design standards».
In 2004, Andrea Stella, together with two
highly experienced sailors (the Italian’s Giovanni
Soldini and Mauro Pelaschier), returned to
Miami aboard his catamaran, departing from
Genoa, Italy. Today his association is developing
numerous activities, dedicated to disabled peo-
ple, including the possibility to sail for free.
Andrea has also started an awareness campaign
for the physical and cultural removal of “archi-
tectural barriers” in the nautical field, especially
through meetings in schools and universities.
I was recently his guest on the catamaran
“Spirito di Stella” and I was able to interview
him about the reasons that push him to carry out
awareness raising activities towards inclusion
and integration. The following interview was
collected in October 2019 in Trieste, Italy, on the
occasion of the famous international regatta
“Barcolana”.
28 2 The Inclusive Yachting

Fig. 2.6 The cockpit of the Hansa 303 offers a comfortable seat for most types of individuals. Disabled people with
special needs can adopt a customized rigid seat

Fig. 2.7 The “Sailing for Everyone” concept generates inclusion and integration

How was the Spirit of Stella catamaran created My father, engineer and furniture manufac-
and with what aim? turer, was involved in this process, working
through in the meantime the trauma of the
The “Spirito di Stella” was created according
accident. This boat was born from a strong
to the “make by doing” philosophy. It all
feeling of love and from a design looking for
began with participatory planning, in which I
the best solutions to solve different problems,
made the request to satisfy my particular
never faced before. I soon realized that, with
personal needs and those of a dystrophic
this boat, I could overcome many limits and,
friend of mine, rather than of a quadriplegic.
2.5 The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors … 29

Fig. 2.8 Andrea Stella on board of his accessible catamaran “Lo Spirito di Stella”

at that point, the fact of moving on wheels is a market with great potential is still missing,
instead of on my legs would have been irrel- especially if we think that a totally accessible
evant. The question to which I have not yet boat is more comfortable for everyone. I am not
found an answer to is: “Why, if you can con- referring only to the small-medium pleasure
ceive and build a boat for everyone, is it still craft, but also to mega yachts characterized by
not possible to design and build cities where luxury finishes. So, I’m still asking: “Why does
everyone, regardless of their age and mobil- a generously sized ship, whose owner certainly
ity, can be as autonomous as possible?”. has no financial problems and on which there
aren’t particular constraints of weight and
Do you think that, in the last 10 years, the per- space, not have a lift to reach the various decks
ception of disability has changed compared to the as standard equipment, rather than this
use of pleasure boats, which have always been remaining as an additional option?”.
inaccessible?
What can be done, and how, to make boats truly
Over the past 10 years, many things have
accessible, so as to encourage inclusion and inte-
changed in the perception of disability. Some
gration?
people are developing entrepreneurial projects
by modifying pleasure boats to make them In my opinion, it is necessary to analyse the
accessible and universities, through some Pro- passenger’s paths and what obstacles they
fessors, are giving new inspiration on this topic encounter walking on board. It is also neces-
to students, supporting the development of final sary to rethink the nautical design process
thesis projects about accessible boats. How- through an innovative approach based on a
ever, a shipbuilding culture perceiving that this specific questionnaire on the disabled people’s
30
needs: from the boarding system, for example,
to the best posture for the use of the wheel or
for how to easily access below deck and
access to the various internal spaces. I am
convinced that this is the only way with which
boats of 12–15 m can be fully accessible.
Let’s not forget that even many able-bodied
people are afraid of boarding because of such
narrow gangways and, when sailing, they do
not feel confident because the excessive
heeling of the hull. Today, thanks to com-
posite materials, such as carbon fibres, it is
possible to create wide, light and comfortable
gangways and, regarding heeling, it is possi-
ble to focus not only on the development of
multihull boats, but also on monohulled boats
equipped with balancing systems. Another
interesting solution could be the application of
such new technologies as foil systems, with
which boats can fly above the surface of the
sea, in order to avoid dangerous inclinations
and, at the same time, to increase their
Fig. 2.9 Massimo Dighe, Para World Sailing Manager for World Sailing
2 The Inclusive Yachting
performance. I believe that only by solving
these problems with people with motor diffi-
culties be allowed to move on board, favour-
ing of course all other individuals.
Massimo Dighe was born in a small town
close to the Iseo Lake in Italy and he has been
involved in sailing at an amateur level since his
youth (Fig. 2.9). In 2006 he began sailing in the
2.4mR class at a national and international level.
In late 2009 he sailed in the Sonar class, gaining
qualification for the 2012 London Paralympic
Games. After the Games he left the Sonar class
and continued sailing with different Paralympic
and non-Paralympic classes, getting involved at
the same time with the IFDS Committee. From
2014 he was involved in several Para Sailing
projects, at a national and international level, and
became an official member of the Para World
Sailing Committee. Since 2016 he has been the
Para World Sailing Manager at World Sailing. In
2018 he won the World Sailing President
2.5 The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors …
Development Award for “outstanding work or
involvement in developing the sport of sailing
internationally and being integral in increasing
the participation of the sport and developing a
sustainable framework for future growth”.
I met Massimo Dighe in London, in October
2019, to talk about World Sailing’s future plans
and activities. Here are the main points of the
interview and his answers.
In numerical terms, how many disabled athletes in
the world practice sailing and to what extent does
this activity create inclusion and integration?
We don’t have a detailed number, considering
that only a few MNAs (Member National
Authorities) have specific record of sailors
with different types of impairments, In our
main World Sailing events, in the last three
years we had around 45 countries and 400
athletes, but I know that a lot of countries are
doing para-sailing activities without compet-
ing at a top level. Involvement and participa-
tion from clubs and national federations is the
most important activity for the creation of a
grassroots movement for Para Sailing, and it is
absolutely necessary to have people with a
knowledge of Para Sailing who can be in touch
with first time sailors in order to show how our
sport is inclusive for different types of dis-
abilities and provides a level field of play.
To what extent do you think that the sailing
activity, both sporting and amateur, can offer
benefit to people with motor disabilities and how
does Para World Sailing support such activities at
an international level?
World Sailing fully supports sailing at all its
levels, from the local club that offers mainly
amateur opportunities, to the MNAS and
international events for top class sailors. We
have in place different projects, like increasing
awareness and preparing coaches in small and
emerging nations with our Para Sailing
Development Programmes, to participation
support for sailors who want to compete at our
main events; other types of support are tai-
lored to the needs of specific MNAs. With
31
these support programmes, World Sailing
aims to promote mainstream social inclusion
through sport and it is crucial that sailing
provides a high-performance competition
pathway for its Para Athletes. Furthermore,
Para Sailing is inclusive at a high-
performance competitive level, as it provides
an opportunity for sailors of all disability
types to compete against each other, elimi-
nating the need to establish multiple events
within the same format to accommodate nar-
row bands of classified disabilities.
Talking about infrastructure, what is the state-of-
the-art in adaptation of marinas and sailing clubs,
spread worldwide, dedicated to the accessibility
needs of disabled users?
In the last years the situation of accessibility of
marina’s, clubs and sailing venues has been
greatly improved and this is very beneficial for
the spread of sailing between people with dis-
abilities. One of the presentations in our Para
sailing development programmes is focused on
how to adapt a sailing venue in order to make it
accessible for everybody and to remove barri-
ers, not only for people with disabilities, but for
older people and people that are temporarily
impaired, and after a lot of effort, I’m happy to
see that now a good number of small clubs,
even in emerging countries, can be utilised by
everybody. Of course, the aim is to have all the
infrastructure with full accessibility in order to
provide everyone with the same opportunities.
It will take time but I’m confident we’re on the
right track.
What strategies are Para World Sailing imple-
menting to promote greater inclusion in the short,
medium and long-term, in terms of adapting
existing boats and building new accessible sailing
vessels?
At World Sailing, as a sports federation, we
are focused on the boats used for our events
and we work with equipment manufacturers in
order to be able to provide different choices
for our sailors; but we’re very happy when
32
new adaptations or new accessible sailing
vessels are designed, because any new solu-
tion introduced will find its way into mass
production of sailing equipment and will be,
step-by-step, beneficial in terms of general
inclusion.
Deborah Mellen is the Founder and CEO of
the Impossible Dream Inc., a non-profit “Sail for
All” association (Fig. 2.10). In 1989 Deborah’s
life changed in an instant when she was
Fig. 2.10 Deborah Mellen,
Impossible Dream Founder
and CEO
2 The Inclusive Yachting
paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident
in Italy. It was after her injury, when she moved
to Miami for her rehabilitation, that she fell in
love with sailing through the organization,
Shake-A-Leg, a non-profit adaptive water sports
centre located in Miami, Florida. It was after
finding her community and passion through
sailing that Deborah heard that the Impossible
Dream was for sale and, in 2014, she made the
trip to Southampton, England with Shake-A-
Leg’s founder, Harry Horgan to acquire the
2.5 The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors …
vessel. It was from her vision that the Impossible
Dream Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit was born.
Founded in collaboration with Horgan and
Shake-A-Leg, the organization’s primary mission
is to raise awareness of barrier-free design and
improve the quality of life for people with dis-
abilities through sailing.
Every year, Deborah and the Impossible
Dream travel over 4000 miles from Miami to
Maine and back every summer, stopping in over
a dozen ports to collaborate with the nation’s
leading rehabilitation hospitals, advocacy orga-
nizations, and disability groups. At each stop, the
Impossible Dream offers the opportunity to sail
onboard to patients, participants, and their fami-
lies for a sailing day around local waters at no
cost to guests. During the sail, participants,
converse with crew members, explore the uni-
versal design features of the vessel and simply
enjoy a day out on the water with loved ones.
The sailing days on the Impossible Dream serve
as a foundation for members of the disabilities
community to explore innovation, outdoor
recreation, alternative rehabilitation, community
building, and foster independence. I had the
opportunity to speak with Deborah, to ask her
about Impossible Dream’s plans and activities,
last November 2019.
How was the desire to become the owner of the
Impossible Dream catamaran born and with what
purposes?
After falling in love with ‘getting salty’ during
her rehabilitation in Miami, Deborah dreamed
of sharing her passion for sailing with others
with disabilities while, at the same time,
opening the community’s minds to what is
possible when an accessible design is the
intention from the start and not an after-
thought. It was out of her vision that the
Impossible Dream Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit
was born. Founded in collaboration with
Horgan and Shake-A-Leg, the organization’s
primary mission is to raise awareness of
barrier-free design and improve the quality of
life of people with disabilities through sailing.
33
Beginning in 2015, Deborah and her team
began developing innovative programmes to
use the Impossible Dream’s unique design to
empower as many people living with disabil-
ities as possible through on the water
experiences.
Serving as the cornerstone of Impossible
Dream’s programming, the annual Summer
Voyage was developed. The ambitious jour-
ney, exceeding 4000 miles of sailing from
Miami to Maine and back every summer,
stops at over a dozen ports to collaborate with
the nation’s leading rehabilitation hospitals,
advocacy organizations, and disability groups.
At each stop, the Impossible Dream offers the
opportunity to sail onboard to patients, par-
ticipants, and their families for sailing days
around local waters at no cost to guests.
During the sails, the participants talk with
crew members, explore the universal design
features of the vessel, and simply enjoy a day
out on the water with loved ones. The sailing
days on the Impossible Dream serve as a
foundation for members of the disabled
community to explore innovation, outdoor
recreation, alternative rehabilitation, commu-
nity building and foster independence.
What problems, among the most important ones,
have you encountered during Impossible Dreams
activities and how much assistance have you
received from the Institutions you have dealt with
over the years?
The Impossible Dream’s most common
problem is finding accessible locations where
her guests and crew, who are wheelchair-
users, can board and disembark from the
vessel. The issue of inclusion and accessibility
for people with disabilities is highlighted
everywhere she sails. The Impossible Dream
often finds that when she visits a port for the
first time, whether a marina or town dock, the
waterfront access is abhorrently inaccessible.
It is only after seeing the vessel, operated by
wheelchair users, that people’s perception of
34
what is possible is completely altered. On
numerous occasions, the crew has returned to
a location the following year only to find a
once unnavigable waterfront for wheelchairs,
has had a brand new accessible ramp and
docks installed anticipating the Impossible
Dream’s arrival—a sign that she makes a real
positive impact on communities that will
continue to provide access to the water.
How does managing the catamaran stand eco-
nomically, annually, and what would you suggest
to any entrepreneurs who wish to follow your
example?
The Impossible Dream Inc. and the vessel are
completely sustained by donations from the
public, corporate sponsorship, private fund-
ing, partnerships with rehabilitation hospitals,
and competitive grant awards.
From a therapeutic point of view, what benefits
have you observed in integrating people with
different abilities during the activities carried out
onboard the Impossible Dream?
Impossible Dream offers the opportunity to
sail onboard to patients, participants, and their
families for sailing days around local waters at
no cost to guests. During the sails, participants
talk with crew members, explore the universal
design features of the vessel and simply enjoy
a day out on the water with loved ones. The
sailing days on the Impossible Dream serve as
a foundation for members of the disabled
community to explore innovation, outdoor
recreation, alternative rehabilitation, commu-
nity building, and foster independence. The
Summer Voyage is about bringing people
together to sail, whether walking or rolling,
everyone is welcome. The Impossible Dream
serves as a platform for people of all abilities
to unite, converse, and form friendships.
There is no pressure or expectation on guests
other than for them to sit back and enjoy the
wind on their face. Created from the Summer
Voyages success, Deborah saw the opportu-
nity to offer more to individuals who express a
2 The Inclusive Yachting
keen interest in joining the crew on longer
passages on the Impossible Dream. For these
individuals, the Impossible Dream offers long-
term ‘Guest Crew’ positions on board for
people with disabilities. The Guest Crew work
directly with the captain and first mate in the
daily operation of the vessel. This programme
encourages independence, collaboration,
employment training, new skills, outdoor
recreation opportunities and community
building for participants. The Guest Crew
positions are a crucial part of our team as they
are able to connect on a personal level with
our guests who have endured similar life
experiences. Impossible Dream is a boat that
is built for and sailed by people with
disabilities
2.6 A Boat Charter Accessible
to Disabled People: Technical
and Economic Evaluations
Accessible sailing boats, totally or only partially,
are very few and were built thanks to the effort of
enlightened owners: as in the case of the “Spirito
di Stella” or the “Cadamà”, crews were created
made up of women and men, young and old, able
and disabled. Certainly a new design approach,
inspired by the principles of Design for Inclu-
sion, would favour the creation of comfortable,
performing and beautiful boats that fit everyone
and, above all, are barrier-free: this must be the
future of yachting. Disabled people often tend to
isolate themselves from society or, worse, to be
isolated: it is therefore necessary to implement
actions that make any activity easily practicable,
favouring inclusion and eliminating discrimina-
tion. To do this, it is necessary to adopt a new
mental and planning approach that questions
what has been done to date. New commercial
scenarios would also open, linked, for example,
to the pleasure yachts charter market imple-
mented with fully accessible fleets.
Modern nautical design faces a fundamental
theme: being able to use at their best the interior
spaces that are really minimal due to the
2.6 A Boat Charter Accessible to Disabled People …
particular geometries created by coupling the hull
with the deck. This happens because the majority
of designers, to date, have never questioned, at
least formally, the architectural object “a boat”.
Some shipyards have managed to shake up the
way of conceiving boats, updating their spatiality
and simplifying their use, but, although the
results have been excellent, they have not gone
beyond the commercial purpose, allocating their
models to a certain elite, instead of aiming at a
global diffusion of the fully accessible sailing and
motor yacht.
There are two main reasons why there is still a
great deal of indifference towards the construc-
tion and use of accessible boats by a possible
new group of users: the first is related to the
belief that part of the population cannot afford to
buy a boat. This is certainly true, but why not
build accessible boats which, managed by charter
companies, can be rented, for short or even
longer periods of time, by disabled individuals or
elderly people, who wish to spend their holidays
together with their friends or families?
The second concerns, instead, a purely ethical
issue. The indifference towards certain segments
of the population is evidenced, for example, by
the lack of rules indicating the technical proce-
dures for overcoming the obstacle: for pleasure
boats between 10 and 24 m, which is the most
widespread category, there is still no legislation
about designing according to the ergonomic and
anthropometric needs of the individual, whatever
that may be. It could be useful therefore to share
the problem with all the players in the nautical
business, starting with the technicians and the
shipyards, who can finally realize the number of
potential customers, to whom sailing has been
35
denied for the past twenty years. But, in order to
fix the regulations, governments must be
involved and informed through important
awareness-raising action. The initiative must
come from above and, once the lines of action
indicated by the government have been imple-
mented, they need to activate the manufacturers’
associations and set up a commission of experts,
to draw up a design protocol for totally accessi-
ble boats. At the same time, however, the gov-
ernment must think about new convincing
methods, such as incentives and tax reliefs, with
which shipbuilders could apply this protocol
without investing too much of their capital.
Designing and building ethically must always
be a choice, and not an obligation, and it is right
for those who choose to follow these new rules to
recognize an economic advantage from it. It may
seem a materialistic concept, if expressed in these
terms, but if we think about how long it takes to
introduce an innovation in such a traditional and
conservative sector as boating, it is clear that we
must start by convincing those who personally
make the investment that designing and building
boats differently from how it has always been is
possible and advantageous. If we look at the
automotive sector, for example, this is what
happens with the incentives offered for those
who buy new cars, moving from an old polluting
model to a new environmentally sustainable one,
favouring in that case the manufacturers and, of
course, all other companies and, last but not least,
the environment in which we live. Moreover, it is
useful to observe how disabled people buy and
use modified cars for their own use and how
much the improved options available today have
made millions of individuals autonomous.
 State-of-the-Art in the Design
of Accessible Boats
3.1 Boats Built or Modified
from the 80s to Today
The main sailing boats built in the last 30 years,
ranging from 10 to 24 m in length, suitable for
use by people with motor disabilities are anal-
ysed below. Due to the reduced number of real-
izations, typologies of boats different from
monohulls were also examined, however it is
useful to highlight already existing and tested
solutions. It therefore begins with the catamaran
built by Andrea Stella.
Spirito di Stella
Spirito di Stella is a 60-foot catamaran, fully
accessible. The decision to choose a catamaran to
develop the project of accessibility is due to the
fact that the multihull, unlike monohull boats,
involves a reduced inclination of the boat, max-
imum 4/5°, which is optimal for the safe hosting
of people in wheelchairs. The first issue dealt
with was to adapt the existing spaces, so as to
allow the correct movement of the wheelchairs
on board. Andrea Stella carried out worldwide
research on the dimensions of wheelchairs,
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_3
3
finding that the maximum width dimension is
68/69 cm. So, the first step was to size the width
of any space or path to 71 cm. The same measure
has been used to position all the switches, since
people with worse disability problems can hardly
bring their arm at a higher height. The other issue
was to create a lower difference in height
between the central dining area and the aft
cockpit. He achieved this by reducing the basic
differential and then, in order to manage the
passage of wheelchairs between one area and
another, a mobile ramp was installed to allow,
when lowered, the passage between the two
areas. While in a raised position, the ramp creates
the original plan, ensuring the complete use of
this area: placing, for example, the chairs around
the table.
A further ergonomic study was carried out for
the layout of the inner living space, in which a
well-designed kitchen is located to meet the
needs of a person in a wheelchair, as well as a
large dining table and a technical desk, on which
there are the instruments for navigation. The
overcoming of the high difference in height
between the upper deck and the lower deck aft
37
38
cabins was solved by installing a lift in each
room, so as to allow the wheelchair user to go
downstairs. When the lift is down, it disappears
into the floor. An excellent result was obtained
thanks to the optimum layout of the cabins and
relative bathrooms, built into the hulls. They
have been designed through a careful study of the
dynamics of movement of wheelchairs, provid-
ing them with just as many bathrooms, perfectly
accessible to disabled people. The space inside
the bathrooms is certainly minimal, far less than
the measures that, for example, are requested by
regulations for accessible bathrooms built in
public places, but they are sufficient to ensure a
disabled person in a wheelchair is able to access
Fig. 3.1 The accessible catamaran “Lo Spirito di Stella” while sailing
3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats
and rotate themselves. Boarding the boat can take
place on the right side, through a 75 cm wide
gangway with side protection, or from the stern,
through a longer gangway. It has been tried, in
general, not to create “psychological barriers”
from a visual point of view and therefore the
catamaran’s aesthetics have remained intact. The
only evident difference concerns the system to
reach the bow of the catamaran, solved by a
sliding seat on special rails, at starboard. In
general, however, it is an excellent experiment,
to be considered as a laboratory for future
developments and solutions (Figs. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3,
3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10 and 3.11).
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today 39

Fig. 3.2 Aft boarding is allowed by a larger gangway, equipped with side protection

Fig. 3.3 Boarding is also possible from the side of the catamaran
40 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.4 The entrance ramp can pivot, if needed, allowing full use of the external decking or to access the internal
saloon
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today 41

Fig. 3.5 The evident difference in height between the central saloon and aft cabins is solved by a retractable lift
equipped with a safety handle
42 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.6 The lift, when positioned at the top of the staircase, creates a planar surface with the floor of the central saloon
for increased user safety
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today 43

Fig. 3.7 When the lift is in its rest position, perfectly embedded in the cabin floor, the stair is perfectly usable by able-
bodied people
44 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.8 The lift in the descent phase

Fig. 3.9 The bed, placed sideways, is completely accessible, although the mattress is rather high
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today 45

Fig. 3.10 The doors of both aft cabins’ bathrooms are split into two panels, creating a wide passage to facilitate, as
much as possible, the movement of a wheelchair
46 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.11 The interior of the bathrooms correctly fits with the ergonomic needs of disabled people
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today
Impossible dream
The 58-foot catamaran Impossible Dream was
custom-made in 2001 for British businessman
Mike Browne, who was forced into a wheelchair
after a skiing accident. The boat bears the sig-
nature of yacht designer Nic Bailey, who worked
with Darren Newton’s Multimarine shipyard and
a team of builders led by Simon Baker. The
totally accessible and absolutely avant-garde
project for that time was built in just two and a
half years from its conception. Browne wanted
this catamaran to demonstrate that it’s possible to
build a boat capable of crossing the oceans,
which can be steered by a wheelchair user and,
above all, to make other people with the same
dream understand that it can be realised.
The designer, Nic Bailey and his team have
managed to create a technologically advanced
boat, without renouncing an accurate design,
allowing the client to navigate safely and in
maximum comfort.
The boat can be completely controlled from
the wheelhouse. The disabled person, if they
desire, can leave their wheelchair and move on
one of the two sliding seats, fixed to special rails
that allows them to move from one side to the
other, easily reaching the helm, the instruments
for navigation and the mast foot area to manage
the sails. The deck does not present any step, so
47
the owner can safely move around the boat, from
stern to bow, remaining in his wheelchair. Nic
Bailey’s style can be recognized in the windows
of the deckhouse: they are very reminiscent of
the gondolas created for the London Eye, of
which Bailey was the designer. These windows
offer 360° visibility, which is not only useful, but
it gives a sense of open space from inside the
catamaran. Weather conditions permitting, it is
possible to steer from the external cockpits
located on each hull of the boat. All the controls
have been duplicated so that each station is
identical to the other.
Regarding boat automation, Impossible
Dream is able to sail with the touch of a button.
For greater visibility, the main helm is located in
front of the mast and it is equipped with a central
touch screen computer that allows the helmsman
to control all the functions on board. Thanks to
the sail furling in the boom, hoisting the mainsail
is very simple.
Both hulls are fully accessible to wheelchairs
through titanium lifts. Two of the four cabins are
designed for being fully accessible, while the
other two can be accessible, if required. Today the
boat is owned by the US non-profit Association
“Impossible Dream”, founded by entrepreneur
Deborah Mellen, together with the founder of the
“Shake a Leg” Association, Harry Horgan
(Figs. 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 and 3.17).
48 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.12 The totally accessible catamaran Impossible Dream, built in 2001

Fig. 3.13 The ramp installed on the right side of the catamaran greatly facilitates disembarkation
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today 49

Fig. 3.14 The internal passages have been designed to take into account the needs of the individual in a wheelchair
50 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.15 The winch to hoist the mainsail, on the left, and the inner wheelhouse, on the right. Special carbon seats,
mounted on rails, can slide from one side to the other allowing quick movement by a disabled person

Fig. 3.16 One of the two external cockpits

3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today
Fig. 3.17 The walkway turns 360° and is characterized by large teak safety handrails
Rolling Black
Rolling Black is a 13-m monohull sailboat,
designed and built in Italy in 2006, with the aim
of bringing people with motor disabilities closer
to the sport of sailing. The project was aban-
doned shortly after its presentation at the Genoa
Boat Show of the same year and left in a total
state of neglect for around a decade. The boat has
an open transom with an accessible cockpit and a
lift that leads to the spaces below deck, consist-
ing of fully accessible saloon and forward cabin,
51
as well as two aft cabins for able-bodied people.
From a technical point of view, in addition to the
good accessibility of the spaces, the boat is
equipped with safety systems on the deck to pre-
vent the overturning of the wheelchairs on board,
in the event of excessive skidding during sailing.
In 2016, Rolling Black was recovered and refitted
by the Italian no profit association All Sailing,
founded by Riccardo Ciccone and Gabriele
Ghirelli, to return to be used for therapeutic pur-
poses (Figs. 3.18, 3.19, 3.20, 3.21 and 3.22).
52 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.18 Rolling Black heeled, while sailing in strong winds. The helmsman’s wheelchair is secured to the hull, to
prevent overturning

Fig. 3.19 The deck offers excellent accessibility. The distance between wheels is more than enough for the passage of
the wheelchair and the companion is well sized and not presenting a coaming
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today 53

Fig. 3.20 The spaces below deck are well distributed and optimized to allow wheelchair to access anywhere

Fig. 3.21 The solution designed (but not realized) of the folding transom, in order to offer a device for
boarding/disembarking and for bathing, is interesting
54
Fig. 3.22 Rolling Black recently recovered and refitted, thanks to Riccardo Ciccone and Gabriele Ghirelli
Tornavento
Tornavento is a 10-m sloop completely accessi-
ble by multiple people in wheelchairs at the same
time. The boat was built in 1997 by its first
owner, Luigi Zambon, who wished that everyone
could have the opportunity to sail, despite the
inability to walk. He also founded, together with
his wife Gabriella Assenza, the Sailing School of
Sabaudia and, for over twenty years, he has
offered everyone the opportunity to sail, in the
name of inclusion.
3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats
A few months before his death, Luigi donated
Tornavento to Marco Rossato, a well-known
Italian sailor forced into a wheelchair by an
accident, with the hope of seeing her sail again
and to continue the activity of spreading the sport
of sailing for all.
Marco began work immediately to restore the
Tornavento and, thanks to sponsors, friends and
craftsmen, he managed to bring her back to the
sea within a few months. The boat is now used
by the association “I timonieri sbandati - Sai-
l4all” to spread the message inherited from Luigi
(Figs. 3.23, 3.24 and 3.25).
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today 55

Fig. 3.23 Tornavento is a totally accessible 10 m sloop

Fig. 3.24 The blade rudders system is inspired by that of catamarans

56
Fig. 3.25 The transom of Sabaudia Prima is accessible, thanks to the large carbon gangway
Cadamà
The concept design of the modifications to make
the boat accessible were made by the author and
subsequently commissioned personally by the
client, Andrea Brigatti, through experiences
made on board day after day. The Cadamà is a
22 m Ketch, built in 1971 and entirely made of
wood. Brigatti decided to buy and modify the
Cadamà, trying to adapt it to his needs. Despite
the age of the boat, it is a sort of sailing labo-
ratory in which he is trying to create the best
solutions for accessibility, facilitated by the
considerable size of the hull.
Boarding is offered successfully by a special
carbon gangway, 80 cm wide, equipped with
side protection. Any difference in height or
obstacle in the aft deck area has been eliminated
to allow movement of the wheelchair. The large
dining table was custom-made and is mounted on
a hydraulic piston, so that it can be lowered to the
level of the benches to completely free the deck
3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats
from obstructions. While sailing, disabled people
can move safely around the cockpit on board
special custom-made seats, even when the boat is
heeled. The difference in height between the
cockpit and deckhouse is overcome with a teak
ramp, so as to allow wheelchairs to reach the
companionway, also modified in width, through
which it is possible to go below deck using an
electric lift. Once downstairs, in addition to the
large dining area that offers maximum comfort to
three wheelchairs at the same time, there is a
second lift that leads to the aft cabin, equipped
with two double beds and a fully accessible
bathroom. Towards the bow, a corridor, served
by an additional mechanical platform, leads to
the guest cabins, bathrooms and the kitchen. All
the doors have been enlarged, to allow easy
passage, and the hinged doors have been
replaced with other sliding ones, to favour
maximum ergonomics (Figs. 3.26, 3.27 and
3.28).
3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today 57

Fig. 3.26 Cadamà allows sailing by a mixed crew

58 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.27 Andrea Brigatti easily boards his boat, through a safe and large carbon gangway
3.2 Academic Project Proposals
Fig. 3.28 The aft cabin, equipped with two double beds and a fully accessible bathroom, is reachable through a
platform integrated in the lower step of the stair
3.2 Academic Project Proposals
The Following are some design experiments for
pleasure sailing boats, drawn up within univer-
sity courses, introducing interesting solutions,
both at a spatial level and for accessibility.
OC43H—Open Cruiser
Degree thesis in Architecture, discussed in 2004 at
the University of Roma Tre by Marco Veglia,
supervisor Prof. Gabriele Bellingeri, co-supervisor
arch. Paolo Ferrari. The project presents a series of
spatial and conceptual innovations in the inter-
pretation of accessibility on board a sailing boat of
just 13 m in length. The project is, in fact, char-
acterized by the distribution, along the longitudi-
nal axis, of the upper and lower paths and of the
boarding and disembarking system, as well as for
the use of an “unstayed mast” rig, generally
mounted on Wyliecat boats, with a single mainsail
to facilitate sailing. Particularly interesting are the
59
solutions for boarding/disembarking through a
retractable gangway in the bow and sliding plat-
forms on transverse rails for the steering of the
boat by two sailors in wheelchairs. Among
the technological elements on board there are the
ballast wings which, with the hydrodynamic thrust
of the leeward wing and the increase in the
righting moment due to the water present in the
leeward one, considerably increase the straight-
ening and leave the internal volume of the hull
free to be fitted out; the monolithic keel is of the
“Moana” type which, in addition to advantages
from a structural point of view, guarantees with its
empty drift blade the housing of the hydraulic
piston of the platform, useful to access the interior
spaces. The interior layout, totally devoid of steps,
is characterized by two large aft cabins, perfectly
accessible, and a bathroom located in the bow that
can be easily used by disabled persons
(Figs. 3.29, 3.30, 3.31, 3.32, 3.33, 3.34, 3.35 and
3.36).
60 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.29 The OC43H sailing with stern wind

Fig. 3.30 The interior layout of the OC43H

Fig. 3.31 The boarding of the wheelchair from the stern works through a hydraulic hatch in which a retractable
gangway is integrated
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 61

Fig. 3.32 The Transom with the hatch closed

Fig. 3.33 The cockpit is protected by a deckhouse consisting of two breakwaters, through which a wheelchair can
move from stern to bow

Fig. 3.34 The innovative solution for boarding/disembarking of a wheelchair through a retractable gangway in the
squared bow
62 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.35 Two platforms sliding on rails allow for quick and safe movement of the helmsman and tailer from one side
to the other, during a turn

Fig. 3.36 Interior details, in which the loft-style furnishings and spaciousness allow easy movement of a wheelchair
3.2 Academic Project Proposals
Daysailer “for All”
Degree thesis in Architecture, discussed in 2010
at the University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, by
Emilio Rossi, supervisor Prof. Giuseppe Di
Bucchianico, co-supervisor Prof. Massimo Di
Nicolantonio. The project develops the concept
of life-at-sea from the perspective of Design for
All. The boat is a 10-m-long catboat daysailer
and it is designed to facilitate mobility on board
also for people with motor disabilities. The hull
is characterized by a large open cockpit, which
integrates all the furnishings and technical areas
for sailing. In addition, the presence of a double
rudder blade, an integrated electric anchor, a
rotating mast and a fixed drift make navigation
easier and safer. Rossi has developed original
solutions, both on a formal and technological
level, in order to facilitate mobility on board. In
fact, the wheelhouse has been completely rede-
signed, if compared to a traditional one, to
improve its use. The wheel, mounted on two
lateral supports in which the mechanisms slide, is
positioned on a tilting platform, so that the
wheelchair does not risk to overturn when the
Fig. 3.37 Axonometric view of the thesis project by Emilio Rossi
63
boat is skidded. By applying the principles of
Easy Sailing, it is possible to manage electroni-
cally all the manoeuvres for steering the boat. Aft
boarding is guaranteed by a retractable electro-
hydraulic gangway, to allow anyone to easily
board from both high docks and the water, sim-
plifying bathing operations. The characteristic
shape of the kitchen, located at starboard, allows
anyone in a wheelchair to easily move between
the various areas and cook independently. Four
seats, disappearing into the floor with a single
movement, are placed around the table, openable
through a folding system that, when closed, acts
as a cover for the kitchen cabinet. On the oppo-
site side there are the storage lockers instead. The
bow area, in addition to hosting a relaxation
space, includes a small chemical bath, whose
privacy is ensured by a series of automated
sheets made of highly deformable and “shape
memory” polymeric material. From the point of
view of sustainability, the boat is totally self-
sufficient in terms of energy (Figs. 3.37, 3.38,
3.39, 3.40, 3.41 and 3.42).
64 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.38 The bathroom cell is made with an ingenious system that isolates it from the cockpit and from external view

Fig. 3.39 Kitchen, dining area and related seats are retractable, so as not to clutter the passage towards the bow, nor
the cockpit during navigation
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 65

Fig. 3.40 The helm is characterized by an ergonomically designed wheel for comfortable use by people in
wheelchairs. The tilting system that allows the helmsman to always remain in a horizontal position is very interesting

Fig. 3.41 The aft area is equipped with a mechanical system for boarding/disembarking and for bathing
66
Fig. 3.42 The aft mechanical platform allows a disabled user to bathe and embark independently
Tutti a bordo—a catamaran with no
barriers
Degree thesis in Architecture, elaborated in 2006
at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy by
Maurizio Redaelli, supervising Prof. Andrea
Ratti. The project analysed the issues related to
the elimination of physical obstacles, attempting
to apply them to nautical design. From these
assumptions, and from the combination of the
concepts of Easy Sailing and Design for All,
Redaelli designed a catamaran to offer anyone
the opportunity to sail safely and independently.
The primary aim was therefore to make naviga-
tion easier, not only for less experienced sailors,
but also, and above all, for people with various
types of disabilities, with particular reference to
motor problems. For this purpose, accessibility is
made easier, the manoeuvring spaces and pas-
sages have been sized appropriately, all steps
have been eliminated. Everything was designed
3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats
in the belief that these measures can be consid-
ered valid and functional for users who are not
necessarily disabled. The choice of a catamaran
is due to certain features and qualities that this
type of hull offers: limited heeling, lack of roll,
low draft, very large interior and bow spaces. In
addition, the division of the two hulls, in addition
to allowing a logical distribution of the interior
spaces, also guarantees a certain amount of pri-
vacy. Some ideas deserve a mention, both for
attention to detail and for the creativity and
imagination of the author: for example, the large
furnishings to allow total accessibility by a
wheelchair or the outer rollbar equipped with
rails on which the wheelhouse seat slides from
one side to the other. Finally, an aspect not to be
underestimated from the “psychological” point of
view is the application of colour both to the hulls
and the furnishings. In the realization of the
project, particular attention was paid to
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 67

Fig. 3.43 Perspective view of the catamaran designed by Maurizio Redaelli

Fig. 3.44 The sideway is accessible to any type of wheelchair and allows people to move 360° on deck

technologies already existing and made by spe- Spirito di Stella) to go downstairs to the lower
cialized companies to minimise production costs. deck (Figs. 3.43, 3.44, 3.45, 3.46, 3.47, 3.48,
This is the case, for example, of the boarding 3.49, 3.50, 3.51, 3.52, 3.53, 3.54, 3.55 and 3.56).
gangway or of the lifts (already mounted on
68 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.45 Safety on board is guaranteed by handrails 100 cm high from the deck

Fig. 3.46 The sliding system to move from one side to the other works with a hanging seat connected to a rollbar
equipped with electronically controlled rails

Fig. 3.47 The various phases illustrate the boarding sequence through a retractable gangway
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 69

Fig. 3.48 Using the same gangway, a disabled person can bathe, in maximum safety and without leaving their
wheelchair

Fig. 3.49 The kitchen cabinet is designed according to DfA principles, even if the position of the microwave seems to
be too angled and distant

Fig. 3.50 All furnishings offer particular attention in ergonomics and in decoration
70 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.51 To reach the lower deck, a disabled person can easily use the hydraulic lift

Fig. 3.52 The dining area is designed to host one or more people in wheelchairs
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 71

Fig. 3.53 The bed offers optimal accessibility, both for height and for lack of obstacles in the lower part

Fig. 3.54 Mobility inside the cabin is guaranteed by a very generous walking surface

Fig. 3.55 The design of the washbasin cabinet in the guest bathroom answers correctly to the ergonomic needs of the
disabled person
72
Fig. 3.56 The shower cubicle is perfectly sized and is equipped with a folding seat to avoid getting a wheelchair wet
Life 44
Life 44 was developed by Massimiliano Fabris
and Ubaldo La Monaca, under the supervision of
arch. Paolo Ferrari, as the final exercise of an
advanced training course in the design of acces-
sible boats. The 44’ boat has the typical lines of
an ocean racer and is characterized by a very
wide and low superstructure. The study of the
layout made it possible to create two distinct
ramps, located along opposite sides, in order to
access the spaces above and below deck: this
way it was necessary to organize the cockpit so
that the helm was positioned towards the bow, in
order to be as protected as possible and to avoid
hindering the movement of the wheelchair. The
ramp at starboard allows access, through a slid-
ing door, to the interior living area, consisting of
a kitchen, designed respecting the specific ergo-
nomic standards of disabled users, and a spacious
dining area which includes the chart area, com-
pletely equipped with electronic instrumentation.
A wide corridor leads to the forward cabin,
3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats
designed to be accessible also by disabled indi-
viduals and includes a fully accessible bathroom.
On the stern there is another cabin, with a dedi-
cated bathroom for an able-bodied guest. During
all phases of design, the need to move in each
space by wheelchair has always been taken into
account, respecting the minimum spaces for its
movement and allowing a complete 360° rotation
in at least two distinct places. If necessary, the
cockpit can be transformed into an open-air
dining area simply by lifting a table (with two
retractable wings) that is hidden in the deck floor,
thus obtaining a six-seater dining area with two
people in wheelchairs at opposite ends of the
table. The ramp along the left side allows passage
to the bow area, to reach the sunbathing area or
the anchor windlass. A telescopic folding gang-
way, located under the stern platform, makes
boarding by wheelchair easy and safe
(Figs. 3.57, 3.58, 3.59, 3.60, 3.61, 3.62, 3.63,
3.64, 3.65 and 3.66).
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 73

Fig. 3.57 Life 44 is an interesting project, developed by Massimiliano Fabris and Ubaldo La Monaca

Fig. 3.58 Thanks to the folding bench, a tailer in a wheelchair can manage the winch for the bow sails
74 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.59 The helm is placed towards the bow, along the axis of symmetry, in order to be as protected as possible and
to avoid hindering movement in a wheelchair

Fig. 3.60 By raising a retractable table from the deck and opening the two side wings, it is possible to get a dining area
with six seats, two of which are dedicated to wheelchairs
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 75

Fig. 3.61 A ramp at starboard allows access, through a sliding door, to the spaces below deck, which are totally
accessible from almost everywhere

Fig. 3.62 The kitchen is designed to offer maximum ergonomics to any user
76 3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

Fig. 3.63 The dining area offers two seating position for wheelchair users. The corridor towards the bow cabin is free
of obstacles, so as to allow easy passage by wheelchair

Fig. 3.64 The bow cabin has been designed taking into consideration the need for people in wheelchairs to rotate 360°
without any obstacle
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 77

Fig. 3.65 The bathroom serving the bow cabin’s guests is totally accessible and offers a retractable seat for the shower,
so as not to wet the wheelchair

Fig. 3.66 The ramp on the left allows passage to the bow, to access the sunbathing area or the anchor windlass
78
Senz’alibi
This sailing boat was designed in 2017 by
Francesco Fascelli, a graduate in Product Design
at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”
in Italy. The project consists of a 33’ hull,
equipped with a large sail surface, but which is
easy to manage at the same time thanks to the
various devices designed to make it accessible to
people in wheelchairs. The boat was designed to
be steered by a limited and mixed crew, to
encourage inclusion and integration between
people. The sails can be adjusted and hoisted
thanks to the small wheels, placed immediately
below the helms, which allow operation of the
winches in a way very similar to the coffee
grinder on large racing boats. To move between
the helms, Fascelli proposes to block the
wheelchair, equipped with safety belts, to a
travelling platform that acts as a sled, slipping
from one side to the other when turning. The
mainsail traveller has been embedded into the
deck, so as not to hinder passage. The transom is
completely open to facilitate boarding onto the
boat and, on the bulwarks, the lifelines end
Fig. 3.67 Francesco Infascelli’s 33’ accessible sailing yacht project
3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats
downwards to allow disembarkation hanging
from the boom. Access below deck is possible
thanks to a large entrance of about 80 cm width
and through a stair which, if necessary, becomes
a lifting platform equipped with a system of 4
hydraulic pistons, placed in as many tubulars,
capable of lifting people in wheelchairs. The
interior space includes a bathroom with a
revolving toilet in which the WC leaves space for
the sink by pivoting on a vertical axis. As well as
the kitchen, there are two beds and a height-
adjustable table, to extend the bow double-bed.
The project is interesting, from a distribution
point of view and for the solutions adopted, even
if a greater depth of information would have been
useful to better understand how the helms work,
both from an aesthetic and functional point of
view (especially for the high load to which they
would be subjected). Furthermore, the presence
of additional images to explain how the stair-lift
and the revolving toilet work would have been of
benefit to the entire project (Figs. 3.67, 3.68 and
3.69).
3.2 Academic Project Proposals 79

Fig. 3.68 The interior space includes a bathroom with a revolving toilet, a kitchen, a single bed cabin and a bow
double-bed which can be extended thanks to a height-adjustable table

Fig. 3.69 The stair, if necessary, becomes a lifting platform equipped with a system of 4 hydraulic pistons, placed in
as many tubulars, capable of lifting people in wheelchairs
 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing
Boats 4

intimately related to the elements of nature, such

4.1 Pleasure Sailing Yachts
as the sea and wind; a particular metacommuni-
cation, characterized by the exaltation of physical
Until today, the design of pleasure boats has been
strength is also strongly widespread: they are all
limited to the development of almost identical
myths that risk to be withered by the presence of
sailing yachts, regardless of the length of the
the disability issue, evidently considered as a
hulls, which are practically inaccessible to a
contradictory element with respect to the “mes-
person in a wheelchair both above and below
sage” that is intended to be promoted.
deck. One of the main reasons why no shipyard or
As already mentioned, the category of plea-
designer has ever tried to resolve the issue of
sure boats includes all crafts between 10 and
accessibility is the total lack of regulation in this
24 m, for which registration in the Naval
regard for all sailing and motor boats smaller than
Register and possession of a sailing license are
24 m. It can therefore be said that, in the absence
mandatory for owners. These boats are indeed
of any rule, the economic interests of the ship-
not subject to any specific legislation relating to
yards and the continued research for solutions
accessibility and use by disabled people, but only
that make the most of the space by designers have
to safety standards, essential for the issue of the
relegated the issue to rare and isolated attempts at
Safety Certificate, which is mandatory to keep on
self-construction or modification of private boats.
board. The consequence is that the design layouts
The number of yachts that are partially or totally
of both the exteriors and the interiors, which are
accessible, built in the last twenty years, is
currently designed for the maximum exploitation
therefore extremely minimal, despite the fact that
of space, for obvious commercial purposes, are
universities and some advanced training schools
characterized by numerous steps and limited
push students to reflect on the themes of inclusive
sizes, due to the joint of the main deck volumes
design and a few designers have tried to focus on
and the lower spaces. In the following paragraph,
the development and dissemination of solutions
the general plans of generic sailing boats will be
for accessibility on board. To date, companies
analysed, as divided into three dimensional cat-
have shown little, if any, interest in the opportu-
egories: 10–14.99, 15–20.99, 21–23.99 m.
nity of changing their processes, keeping instead
Finally, by dividing these schemes by functional
to offering traditional products without any
areas, all the problems of accessibility and
attention to this problem.
usability present on board will be highlighted,
It must also be considered that the pleasure
starting from boarding systems and gradually
boats market aims to give itself an elitist image,
considering horizontal and vertical movement,
linked in part to luxury and social distinctiveness,
obstacles, steps, etc.
and in the other part to the charm of a lifestyle

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 81

P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_4
82
4.2 Deck and Interior Layouts
Interior layout
It is important to premise that the analysis is
conducted only on monohull boats, as they are
certainly more complex from the point of view of
architectural distribution and available floor
space. It should also be noted that the general
plans shown below are used as simple spatial
distribution schemes and therefore the dimen-
sional scale of each drawing is not considered.
Size range 10–14.99 m (33–49 feet)
As for the internal layouts of boats between 33
and 49 feet in length, the reduced size of the
spaces pushes designers and builders to repeat,
with minimal variations, a consolidated scheme.
The typical layout consists of two twin and
mirrored cabins in the aft area, a very steep
vertical connection in a central position; in
addition there are, usually, a kitchen and a chart
table on two opposite sides, a dining area located
in the central part of the hull, composed of one or
two sofas and a table between them, and a single
bathroom for hulls of between 10 and 11 m (or
two in boats from 13 m upwards) and a forward
cabin with a V-shaped bed (Fig. 4.1).
The only variations with respect to the previous
arrangement are given by the position of the
bathroom, which can be placed in the stern or in
the bow area, and, in some cases, in the choice to
replace one of the two stern cabins with a large
Fig. 4.1 10 m (33 feet)
4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats
storage locker, which is accessible from the
cockpit. In all cases, it is clear that no boat within
13 m offers passages, door sizes or environments
that can be used by a person in a wheelchair
(Figs. 4.2 and 4.3).
The layout illustrated in Fig. 4.4 could be a
good solution for the usability of the spaces, if,
for example, the volume of the kitchen and the
table were reduced in size and the fixed central
seat was eliminated. However, the cabins remain
inaccessible, due to the narrow doors and the
bathrooms, especially the bow one, due to lack of
space to manoeuvre inside them.
Size range 15–20.99 m (50–68 feet)
Although the length of boats in this category is
considerably greater, it is still evident that the
layout of the rooms is completely comparable to
that of the previous category in vessels of up to
19 m. Without doubt, the furnishings are less
compressed and the spaces more liveable, but
boats of this size are also designed without any
attention towards accessibility by disabled users
(Figs. 4.5 and 4.6).
Observing the design of the hulls from 18 to
21 m (Figs. 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9), the growth in the
number of cabins is unquestionable. The same
situation is with the width of the passages and
bathroom sizes, doubly dimensioned. All this,
however, is thwarted by the number of steps
present in the entire floor surface: in all the
design proposals it is possible to count at least
three steps, from stern to bow. The lowest level
4.2 Deck and Interior Layouts 83

Fig. 4.2 11.60 m (38 feet)

Fig. 4.3 12.80 m (42 feet)

Fig. 4.4 13.70 m (45 feet)

of the deck is found in the aft cabins, which constraints of any kind, thanks to the consider-
require greater internal height due to the volume able width of the beams and to the deckhouse,
of the cockpit above; the zero quota corresponds which is over 2 m in height. A further step is
to the floor of the central area, free from present towards the bow areas, since the lines of
84 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.5 15.20 m (50 feet)

Fig. 4.6 16.80 m (55 feet)

Fig. 4.7 18.90 m (62 feet)

Fig. 4.8 19.80 m (65 feet)

4.2 Deck and Interior Layouts
Fig. 4.9 20.72 m (68 feet)
the hull tend to tighten considerably and it is
therefore necessary to rise in height to increase
the surface area of the deck (so as to be able to
contain more volume on the sides without com-
pressing the passage ways and the bed placed
along the longitudinal axis). With a few modifi-
cations, these spaces could adapt perfectly to
accommodate even more than one wheelchair at
the same time, sacrificing only a small part of the
furnishings.
Size range 21–23.99 m (69–78 feet) In the
21–24 m in length category the design of the
internal distribution is no longer affected by any
spatial constraints. The heights of each cabin can
even exceed two metres and the widths of the
passages and doors are comparable to those of
civilian homes. Although it is clear that these are
boats for exclusively private use, we might
wonder why no designers or shipyards have
attempted to adopt solutions that facilitate access
below deck and the use of the interior spaces, not
Fig. 4.10 21.94 m (72 feet)
85
only for wheelchairs, but more comfortably for
able-bodied people (Figs. 4.10, 4.11 and 4.12).
Deck layout
Regarding the morphological analysis of the
pleasure craft decks, a direct comparison
between the different dimensional categories
previously defined was considered as they pre-
sent very minimal variations, even though there
is over 13 m difference in length between the
first and last one. In fact, the first impression
from observing them is that, even for projects
developed by different designers, there is a lack
of innovation about shapes and the ergonomics
of the non-technical elements. If this can be
understood in a 10-m “entry level” boat
(Fig. 4.13), the same cannot be said for a yacht
of almost double the length (Fig. 4.16) which,
with its 19.80 m, could present far more modern
and adequate solutions for a wider use, without
questioning the technical aspect or the
86
Fig. 4.11 23.16 m (76 feet)
Fig. 4.12 23.77 m (78 feet)
Fig. 4.13 10 m (33 feet)
arrangement of the elements for sailing, which
must necessarily follow precise geometry to steer
the boat in safety. We will therefore focus on
purely morphological and functional aspects
(Fig. 4.14).
The proposed projects refer to boats mass-
produced in the last 15 years and in almost all the
tendency is to maintain a traditional style of
design: apart from the presence of an open
4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats
transoms, no model among those proposed has,
for example, a “flush” deck, without therefore the
deckhouses or other bulky superstructures. In
fact, all boats have deckhouses with different
shaped breakwaters, steps to move from the
cockpit deck to the side decks and, in some
cases, open sky ropes and organizers. In the case
of the smaller boat, the helm completely hinders
the central passage and, when it is split into two
twin wheels, facilitating circulation in the
4.2 Deck and Interior Layouts
Fig. 4.14 13.10 m (43 feet)
cockpit, other elements are inserted, such as fixed
tables or sailing instruments. The distance
between the cockpit benches tends to be narrow
at the companionway, making it impossible for a
wheelchair to access below deck, unless it is the
width and height of the same companionway that
prevents it. In the following images (Figs. 4.15,
4.16 and 4.17), thanks to the considerable size of
the boats, the possibility of reaching the com-
panionway to access below deck could be guar-
anteed by sufficient distance between the
furniture elements, but, for the various reasons
already exposed, neither passage or access is
possible.
None of the solutions illustrated offer the
possibility of accessing the side decks without
having to overcome the steps between the
cockpit and the deckhouse. Even if this was
Fig. 4.15 15.80 m (52 feet)
87
possible, the width of the side walkways is so
small that even able-bodied individuals are in
difficulty.
In conclusion, apart from the project in
Fig. 4.18, which, with minor modifications, could
be the most suitable to solve the issues of acces-
sibility, all the others do not take into account any
kind of facilitation for people with motor diffi-
culties. Without considering the extreme case of a
person in a wheelchair, even people with non-
optimal ability to move, such as the elderly or
overweight people, would have difficulty to move
around on decks conceived in this manner.
Although numerous innovations have been made
to modern boats in recent years compared to those
of the past, there is certainly still much to be done
to make these boats accessible according to the
principles of Design for All.
88 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.16 19.80 m (65 feet)

Fig. 4.17 22.50 m (74 feet)

Fig. 4.18 23.16 m (76 feet)

environments that will affect the analysis. Start-

4.3 Analysis and Classification ing from the deck plan, the following areas are
of Accessibility Issues: distinguished:
Identification of Cases 1. transom;
2. boarding area;
All the cases that determine the impossibility of 3. wheelhouse;
access, movement and circulation, as well as use, 4. cockpit and rigging;
relating to the spaces of a pleasure sailing boat 5. deckhouse;
will be analysed below. 6. side walkways;
To simplify the identification of the various 7. companionway;
cases that will be investigated, it is useful to 8. bow area (Fig. 4.19).
briefly classify the external areas and internal
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility …
Fig. 4.19 Example deck of a pleasure boat
Regarding the interior spaces, the layout of a
boat, of approximately 16 m, is taken as an
example, intended as an intermediate measure
between those analysed, including all the envi-
ronments commonly present on any pleasure
sailing yacht, in variable numbers depending on
its length. It being understood that three cabins
are generally located in boats of 10 m (with the
exception of a few cases, in which one of the aft
cabins is replaced by a technical locker), the
fundamental difference consists in fewer bath-
rooms and less sofa space in the central dining
area (Fig. 4.20).
Transom
Starting from the outside, the first obstacle to
accessibility is certainly boarding, or how to pass
from the mainland to the stern area of the boat.
Before tackling this topic, however, it is useful to
focus attention on the morphology of the transom
Fig. 4.20 Example interior
layout of a pleasure boat
89
of pleasure sailing boats, as it already defines the
possibility or impossibility of boarding by people
with disabilities. One of the design innovations
of modern boats consists in opening the transom,
not only for aesthetic reasons, but above all
because the new hull geometries have enlarged
the whole size, offering greater spatiality and,
consequently, new uses of it.
From the following images (Figs. 4.21 and
4.22) it is possible to easily understand the
problems of the old generation hulls with a blind
transom. Analysing the conformation of this type
of stern, it is clear that, already in the design
phase, no attention was paid to the problem of
accessibility, even by able-bodied people.
Although today most sailing yachts are
designed according to new standards and there-
fore with shapes that facilitate boarding for
90 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.21 A blind transom,

used in sailing boats built
until the end of the 90 s

Fig. 4.22 A completely

invasive wheel, often located
very close to the transom,
blocks people from boarding
with their wheelchairs

almost all types of users, the concept of Sailing the problem rather than face and solve it
for Everyone is absolutely not taken into con- (Fig. 4.23).
sideration either by the designers or the ship-
Boarding systems
builders. Current geometries and technologies
Regarding boarding, it must be taken into
should make it natural and immediate to con-
account, first of all, that the differences in height
ceive new models in such a way as to be usable
between the wharf and the boat can vary con-
by anyone, eliminating physical and psycholog-
siderably. It depends on the type and shape of the
ical “barriers” and opening up new market seg-
wharf, on the size and design of the hull, on the
ments, but, apparently, it seems easier to ignore
sea conditions, etc. Furthermore, access can be
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility …
Fig. 4.23 Even in yachts
designed according to the
most modern canons,
accessibility by people in
wheelchairs is not considered
more or less difficult based on the individual’s
motor skills: just think, for example, of the dif-
ferences in skills that exist between a child, an
elderly person, a pregnant woman, a paraplegic
person and so on. In an ideal situation, each user,
depending on their characteristics, should be able
to board independently, simply and safely. On
the contrary, the current solutions are not the
most suitable to meet everyone’s needs: in order
to find a real solution to the problem, it would be
necessary to give a design response capable of
satisfying the individual in their specificity,
respecting their skills, needs and, last but not
least, dignity. In this regard, it is useful to focus
on the following images (Figs. 4.24 and 4.25).
Assuming that a person must be able to board
a boat independently, any movement to separate
a disabled individual from their wheelchair
should be immediately discarded, excluding
small vessels, which do not offer the space nee-
ded to contain it.
In this specific case, illustrated in Fig. 4.26, it
must be considered, however, that not all types of
disability allow the use of fabric harnesses which,
in addition to giving an unpleasant and uncom-
fortable feeling, do not guarantee any support to
91
the spine and neck, with the risk of causing
further personal injury. Moreover, this solution
requires at least two to four people to move and
help the individual hanging in the harness. It is
therefore appropriate to rethink the boarding
system, to offer the disabled the possibility of
overcoming any difference in height and being
able to access the boat independently.
In Fig. 4.24 it is evident that the ideal solution
is to adopt a larger gangway, to allow access to a
modern-designed boat with an open transom,
instead of committing a risky and extremely
complicated operation. The thought of resolving
the issue using a couple of unsecured boards
placed side-by-side and not even joined together,
which are often of different lengths and materials,
can cause a disabled person to experience a
psychological state of panic due to the danger of
a ruinous fall into sea. Furthermore, they are
completely dependent on external assistance
carried out generally by people who are unpre-
pared to deal with such situations. In this case, in
addition to the risk run by the individual, there is
a lack of respect for the dignity of a person who,
although he is willing to bear anything to be able
to navigate, should be provided conditions to
move in security and autonomy. The lack of
92 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.24 A typical example

of improvised boarding:
wooden boards, not joined
together, without any lateral
protection and too many
people providing
extemporaneous assistance

security is also evident in the solution adopted in

Fig. 4.25 Boarding with a metal harness implemented,
generally, through a small crane fixed on the wharf or
with a hoist fixed to the boom of the boat; the individual
must overcome a significant height, remaining suspended
in the air
Fig. 4.25, in which the disabled person, hanging
from a tubular metal frame, is generally moved
by being suspended from the boom of the boat:
in such situations the individual obviously com-
plains of the feeling of emptiness under him and
the awareness of being hung on a hoist, attached
through a boom eyelet only. For this type of
movement, it is necessary to adopt structures
designed and built for a specific purpose, which
guarantee the safety of the individual, certainly
avoiding artisanally unsafe systems.
Gangway
As often happens in other sectors, the large part
of industrial products, even modern ones, are not
designed to be used by a wider audience. The
most striking example in the yachting sector is
represented by the gangway, commonly used in
most sailing and motor yachts. Designing
accessible boats is totally futile if it isn’t possible
to, first of all, cross the gangway connecting the
boat to the wharf in comfort and safety
(Figs. 4.27, 4.28 and 4.29).
To be truly accessible to any individual, a
gangway must necessarily respect dimensional
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility … 93

Fig. 4.26 Boarding takes

place through a crane fixed to
the pier and a fabric harness.
In some cases, the posture
caused by the non-rigid seat
does not allow the use of this
solution for some kinds of
disabilities and fails to
facilitate the autonomy of the
person

Fig. 4.27 Example of a

traditional gangway: it’s too
narrow to allow the passage
of a wheelchair and is fixed
too low in relation to the
boat’s deck: the resulting step
is an additional architectural
barrier

data that meets everyone’s needs, including
wheelchair sizes, and be equipped with safety
devices, such as lateral protection and handrails,
so as to make passage easier even in the case of
suboptimal external conditions, backwash wave
and hull roll.
Wheelhouse
The wheelhouse of a boat, more commonly known
as the helm, can be of the “tiller” or “wheel” type.
The first, usually mounted on boats of under 12 m,
consists of a bar connected directly to the axis of
the submerged rudder, which drives the boat in the
opposite direction from the one in which it is
moved. The wheel helm, on the other hand, con-
sists of a wheel connected to a fulcrum and sus-
tained by a column, in which runs a system of
cables and pulleys. By moving the wheel, the input
is indirectly transmitted to the rudder: in this case
the boat follows the same direction impressed by
the rotation one.
94 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.28 Despite the open

transom, the gangway has a
narrow width: even in this
case access by wheelchair is
not possible

Fig. 4.29 In addition to the

narrowness in width, this
gangway, used to board from
the bow, does not offer any
type of lateral anti-fall
protection, nor a serious
fixing system to the boat.
Such a solution makes access
practically impossible for
even elderly people, pregnant
women and children
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility …
In the first case, the tiller can generally be
dismantled in a simple way, therefore allowing
the disabled person to access the central cockpit:
unfortunately, he will have difficulty using it to
sail as it requires a consistant use of space and a
considerable lengthening of the arm to manoeu-
vre it. Finally, the tiller must be used by standing
sideways and changing the manoeuvre side
depending on the tack on which sailing
(Fig. 4.30).
In the case of wheel steering, however, two
different solutions can be distinguished, gener-
ally depending on the size of the hull. Vessels
under 15 m can only have one wheel in the
centre of the cockpit, as in Fig. 4.31. It is easy to
understand, in this case, that the central cockpit
and companionway will be impossible to reach,
due to the hindrance caused by the wheel. It is
therefore necessary, given the high number of
medium-sized boats sold annually around the
world, to look for an alternative solution that
revolutionizes the way of conceiving boat
steering.
In the case of twin wheel steering, two helms
are mounted symmetrically on opposite sides:
this case is more common on boats over 15 m
long, for better steering and improved visibility
when a boat is heeled. In general, two wheels
Fig. 4.30 Tiller helm,
mounted on a modern boat
95
allow easy access to the cockpit, but, if the dis-
tance between the wheels is too small or a central
element is placed between the helms, it is
impossible for a wheelchair to pass by (see
Fig. 4.32).
Steps
A sailing yacht is probably, especially when of
small-medium dimensions, the least accessible of
all means of transport. It is easy to understand
that this depends first of all on a design tradition
that has never taken care of the issue, perhaps
assuming that the sea is not for everyone: the
complexity of the object itself makes it a con-
tainer of elements that limit or automatically
prevent its accessibility and use. Reflecting on
the construction process, a boat is made up of
three large components: hull, deck and super-
structure; to these elements can be added many
others of lower importance and which will not be
analysed here.
The spaces below deck depend on the shapes
and dimensions defined by the deck layout, while
the deckhouse, with its curves and windows
mainly helps to recover space in height, espe-
cially for boats of up to 18 m. Whenever addi-
tional space is needed internally, there will most
96 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.31 Although the

transom offers sufficient
surface to allow access by
people in wheelchairs, the
centrally placed wheel
constitutes a serious barrier to
the use of the cockpit

Fig. 4.32 The adoption of a

twin wheel system is the most
suitable solution to facilitate
accessibility on board, but, if
a winch for adjusting the
mainsail is located between
the wheels, this solution is
absolutely useless, as it does
not allow the passage of a
wheelchair

likely be a step also in the deck. As we know
well, these steps correspond to an architectural
barrier to be overcome in some way: again, in
this case, to eliminate the problem at source, a
new type of design process is necessary in which
what is currently rooted in the culture of ship-
building is completely questioned. We will try to
find a solution to these issues in the following
chapters.
In fact, thinking of being able to board a boat
and go beyond the wheelhouse, just to be
blocked a little further on, due to a step, means
wasting the opportunity to access the cockpit
(Fig. 4.33).
An architectural barrier present on almost all
boats of lengths under 20 m is constituted by the
step, which characterizes the passage between
the cockpit and the side walkways, useful for
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility … 97

Fig. 4.33 The step placed

before the companionway
does not allow to access
below deck, although the size
of the boat is considerable and
the distance between the
wheelhouses is sufficient to
make the cockpit accessible

reaching the bow. The wheelhouse deck has
always been located at a lower level than that of
the cockpit, due to the need to protect the crew
from waves and bad weather. But, if the problem
is difficult to solve on small boats, it’s not
impossible to attempt to rethink this space on
larger boats; helping to eliminate another physi-
cal barrier (Fig. 4.34).
Side walkways
Focusing on deck problems, one of the most
complex issues to solve is related to the passage
of a wheelchair from the aft cockpit to the bow
area. Assuming that any difference in level
between the cockpit and the side walkways is
resolved, there is a further problem that consists
of the reduced width of the passage, which does
not allow a disabled person to be able to reach
the bow to access the technical systems, such as
the windlass or the sundeck.
The difficulty in resolving this depends on a
number of factors: it must be clear that, along the
sides and on the deck in particular, various ele-
ments aimed at steering the yacht are fixed, such
as blocks, organizers, lines and shrouds for the
mast, in addition to the numerous ropes. The
latest generation of boats have very clean decks,
thanks to the passage of the ropes and anything
else in special “tubes” recessed into the thickness

Fig. 4.34 Due to the

morphology of the deck,
access to the side walkways is
constantly denied to anyone
with walking difficulties
98
of the deck, leaving the external area free from
obstacles and impediments. The width of the side
walkways, however, is determined based on the
overall dimensions of the deckhouse. As men-
tioned, it is necessary, especially on boats of up
to 18 m in length, to ensure the correct height for
the use of the spaces below deck: thinking of
restricting the deckhouse surface to widen the
external lateral passage could negatively affect
the usability of the spaces below. Once again, it
is necessary to review the project layouts in their
entirety in order to reach, most likely, completely
different and certainly innovative solutions
(Figs. 4.35 and 4.36).
Cockpit
The heart of every sailing yacht is certainly the
cockpit. It can be single, as in the case of boats of
up to about 15 m a length, or double on boats of
a longer length. It is generally characterized by a
steering cockpit at the stern, including helms and
winches for adjusting the sails, and a guest
cockpit in the central part of the hull. This one, in
particular, is always composed of two frontal and
Fig. 4.35 The side walkway
of this boat is completely
inaccessible, due to its limited
width
4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats
symmetrical benches, placed at a certain distance
and a table, between them, with a fixed or a
doubled and folding top.
The distance between the two benches is, in
boats larger than 12 m, generally enough to
allow a wheelchair to pass without any problem.
The presence of the table, on the other hand, can
constitute a serious obstacle to passage since the
supporting structure of the table is almost always
fixed to the deck, thus becoming a real archi-
tectural barrier. This can happen on boats of any
size, so the ideal solution is one only: a retract-
able table (Figs. 4.37 and 4.38).
Companionway
The companionway is a wide hatch in the
deckhouse through which it is possible to access
the stair leading below deck. It is always placed
in the bow of the guest cockpit and it is possible
to have more than one, especially on larger boats.
The traditional companionway consists of a
bayonet vertical panel and a horizontally sliding
top, made of composite, plexiglass or wood,
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility … 99

Fig. 4.36 A wide sideway,

without any architectural
barrier, in a modern 78′ yacht;
unfortunately, the presence of
a step located in the aft
cockpit make this area
inaccessible

Fig. 4.37 The twin

wheelhouse and the wide
distance between the benches
allow passage by a
wheelchair, but the presence
of a step at the stern and the
fixed sheet lead of the
mainsail make the boat
inaccessible

whose function is to extend the opening towards
the bow, so as to avoid the crew hitting their head
when going below deck. On some modern boats
the companionway has been simplified, becom-
ing a unique piece that slides side ways: this
detail is very significant, as the lateral opening is
easier for a person in a wheelchair, who is limited
in stretching their arm forward. In recent years,
the companionway has undergone major
improvements, like almost all the glass parts of
boats, both from an ergonomic and functional
point of view. Today, the companionway is not
only used to access below deck, but has taken on
the important task of letting sunlight pass
100 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.38 The fixed table of

the guest cockpit of a sailing
yacht does not allow passage
to the companionway

Fig. 4.39 The flared shape

of the guest cockpit represents
a bottleneck; moreover, the
width of the companionway is
too small to allow access to
wheelchairs

through. What needs to be further developed, Accessing below deck

however, is its width and the elimination of any One of the most inaccessible elements on any
fixed barrier at the access threshold, so that there pleasure boat is without a doubt the stairs leading
ceases to be any obstacle to the passage of a to the below-deck spaces. If on boats of 10–12 m
wheelchair (Figs. 4.39 and 4.40). it is quite obvious that this element is narrow,
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility …
Fig. 4.40 Although the
passage from the transom to
the companionway is
sufficiently wide to allow
access to wheelchairs, the
shape of the companionway is
an insurmountable obstacle
very steep and absolutely incorrect from an
ergonomic point of view (due to the limited
space available), it is not clear why the same
issue can be found even on boats over 18 m. It is
of course obvious that a person in a wheelchair
cannot access the internal saloon of a yacht
through a staircase; however, it is possible that
despite their abilities, even elderly or obese
people, pregnant women and very young chil-
dren, are at risk of injury when overcoming such
a difference in height. Certainly, this element is
the bottleneck of any inclusive design: if it is not
solved first, the boat will only be accessible on
deck. It is therefore of fundamental importance to
study suitable solutions, depending of course on
the various sizes of pleasure boats. Some existing
yachts, resulting from modifications aimed at
greater accessibility by disabled owners (as in the
case of the catamaran’s “Spirito di Stella” and
“Cadamà”) have partially solved the problem by
adopting hydraulic-lifts, but it is necessary to
understand that, in some cases, the insertion of
mechanical aids, besides being too invasive, can
affect the resale of the boat and the psychological
aspect, given by the excessive personalization of
the vehicle (while certainly being useful they
might only be ideal for a specific type of user)
(Fig. 4.41).
101
Interior environments
Regarding the spaces below deck, it can be said
that, on most sailing boats, accessibility is gen-
erally limited to the central saloon and, very
often, not even to that. In fact, the presence of
narrow and inaccessible passages in the dining
area is very frequent due to bulky seats and large
fixed tables, as well as technical problems due to
the mast placed just before the bow cabin door,
in the centre of the saloon (Figs. 4.42, 4.43
and 4.44).
Even environments characterized by consid-
erable spaciousness, thanks to the width of the
central beam, may be impractical due to the
presence of steps (Fig. 4.45) or due to a non-
rational layout arrangement or, again, due to the
particularly complex shape of the furnishings,
which contribute to a narrow or inaccessible
passage: a typical example is represented by the
L-kitchens often adopted on a large part of sail-
ing yachts (Fig. 4.46).
Analysing the project of the kitchen, it is
generally located in the central saloon of the
boat, creating, as often happens in civil archi-
tecture for modern lofts, an open space. The need
for space for the storage of food and supplies is
undoubtedly one of the biggest problems for
102 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.41 Despite the

generous size of the boat, the
stair to access the space below
deck is absolutely inadequate
to the needs of both disabled
people and of vulnerable
members of society

Fig. 4.42 Passage between

the two sofas below deck on a
33′ boat is inaccessible due
both to the presence of the
fixed table and the mast

naval interior designers. In the vast majority,
therefore, kitchens contain an impressive amount
of cabinets, but it is impossible for disabled
people to use them. In fact, these furnishings
have narrow spaces, in which a person in a
wheelchair is unable to access, and upper cabi-
nets too high to reach the contents of from below,
in addition to bases characterized by drawers and
doors (often oversized) that can only be opened
towards themselves, making it impossible to
manage them while being sat in a wheelchair. In
addition, the hob and sink are used with diffi-
culty, since it is necessary to position the
wheelchair laterally to them, due to the lack of
manoeuvring space below the kitchen top
(Figs. 4.47, 4.48 and 4.49).
Another widespread custom feature on plea-
sure yachts, inherited from the design tradition of
passenger ships, is to undersize the doors to
access the various cabins below deck. Often,
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility … 103

Fig. 4.43 Although the

space between the table and
the sofa, located along the
right side, is sufficient to
allow a disabled person to
head towards the bow cabin,
the fixed bench, positioned in
the middle of the passage,
makes access impossible

Fig. 4.44 Interior of a yacht

of over 23 m: the passage
between the central saloon
and the aft cabin is
impractical because of its
small width. Besides that, any
furniture will therefore be
unusable

even in larger boats, the net passage size is not
more than 50/55 cm, making any cabin or bath-
room absolutely inaccessible. In addition, most
of the doors on board yachts are of the “hinged”
type, too difficult to be used, rather than “sliding”
in order to facilitate their use by disabled people
(Fig. 4.50).
Assuming instead that the net width of any
door on board a pleasure yacht is such as to allow
passage to any type of user, it is useful to analyse
what other problems an individual in a wheel-
chair would encounter within the cabins sur-
rounding the central saloon.
Almost all sailing boats have, in the forward
area where the lines of the hull converge, a cabin
with a double bed or two symmetrical beds
placed along the sides of the hull. In both cases,
the typical problems of these spaces can be
summarized in two main circumstances: first of
all, the walking surface, especially in smaller
104 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.45 A very common

case on many boats: the
change in height is solved
with a step, making most of
the internal space inaccessible

Fig. 4.46 Environments

where the distribution of the
furnishings is not rational can
create considerable difficulties
in accessing and moving in a
wheelchair

boats, is absolutely inadequate to accommodate a accessibility and use of interior spaces

wheelchair inside, nor does it offer the possibility
to make a 360° rotation. Secondly, the bed cab-
inet unit is too high to allow a disabled person to
move from the wheelchair to the mattress. This
occurs because, in order to recover walking
surface, it is often necessary to raise the level of
the deck and its furniture higher than that of other
environments. As previously explained, the
presence of any step creates an impediment to the
(Fig. 4.51).
The same problem arises in the aft cabins,
where the situation is even worse since, in
addition to the excessive height of the beds, the
space available to manoeuvre and rotate a
wheelchair is practically non-existent. Even in
the example in Fig. 4.52, the arrangement of the
cabin, with two single beds placed on a step, do
not allow disabled users to access the entire
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility … 105

Fig. 4.47 An example of a

kitchen designed without any
attention to the needs of
people in wheelchairs. The
upper cabinets are difficult to
use, not only due to heir
excessive height, but above
all for the depth of installation
with respect to the bases

Fig. 4.48 Doors and drawers

do not favour use by a
disabled person in a
wheelchair: they need too
much space to access them.
The microwave oven, placed
too high and too deep in
relation to the space of action
of the seated person, makes it
unusable

space. A double bed, positioned at a lower level,
would have offered better access to the mattress
surface.
The most sacrificed environment below deck,
from a spatial point of view, is certainly the
bathroom. In fact, the result of the maximum
exploitation of the volumes below deck irreme-
diably leads designers to “fit” the bathroom
generally close to the sides, where the hull is
more vertical. This entails the need to raise the
deck, to obtain a greater surface area and there-
fore be able to place a toilet and sink. The
shower, especially in sailing boats, is instead
often integrated through drainage into the floor of
the bathroom, so as to optimize the use of space.
It follows that those environments, particularly if
they are small, are totally inaccessible to people
with motor disabilities, due to the limited space,
106 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.49 The hob is difficult

to use due to its position: a
person in a wheelchair cannot
access it from the front or
from the side

Fig. 4.50 The doors of

pleasure boats almost never
respect the necessary
dimensions to allow the
passage of a wheelchair,
making any environment
inaccessible

inaccessible passages, steps and the impossibility
to manoeuvre a wheelchair (Fig. 4.53).
Again, the layout of the bathrooms on board
sailing boats is the result of a design tradition
dating back to the last century. Although the
nautical industry, especially those dedicated to
bathroom accessories, has made great innova-
tions by integrating typical civil architecture
solutions into its catalogue, the need to layout
space below deck to obtain as many cabins and
bathrooms as possible has made boats, even large
ones, a labyrinth of inaccessible and often
uninhabitable spaces, even for many able-bodied
people. Probably, by starting with architecture
focused more towards quality of life on board
than to the total number of possible environ-
ments, a boat will be experienced as genuine
object of pleasure and relaxation, no longer for a
few lucky users, but accessible to all without
distinction.
Stern platform
Some pf the latest generation sailing boats are
equipped with a platform located at the far stern
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility … 107

Fig. 4.51 The height of the mattress is too high to allow

the disabled person to move from their wheelchair; in
addition, the step, on which the bed cabinet unit rests,
creates an additional architectural barrier

called the “beach area”, which offers various

opportunities to guests and crew. On boats with
an open transom it is usually the final part of the
deck, while on yachts with a blind transom this
platform is a surface that can be obtained by
opening a hatch. It integrates, extending it, to the
transom itself and its interior is finished in such a
way as to seem one with the remainder of the
deck. This area lends itself perfectly to different
purposes: for boarding and disembarking opera-
tions, when moored, or as a sunbathing area
when the boat is at anchor in the middle of the
sea. With the addition of different accessories,
such as handrails, stair and soft cushions, the
beach turns into a “pool edge”, from which it is
easier to bathe. Today this additional space is a
“must have” and all shipyards require designers
to envisage it into the design of all new models.
Moreover, if the platform surface is coplanar
with respect to the main deck, once the stern
hatch is open, it can represent an added value for
people with walking problems, as it offers the
opportunity to enjoy a spacious surface both for
boarding/disembarking and for bathing. The
advantages of this device are in fact rendered null
when the “beach” is not at the same level as the
deck, as in Fig. 4.54: the presence of steps, often
of different heights, makes it very difficult or
Fig. 4.52 A cabin with two single beds, located in the aft
of a large sailing yacht. The step and the lack of space to
manoeuvre do not correspond, even remotely, to the
ergonomic and anthropometric needs of a person in a
wheelchair
impossible, for people with walking problems to
use it. It is therefore necessary to provide a single
level or the adoption of mechanical aids, possibly
integrated into the deck, which facilitate the
overcoming of the various steps.
Bathing systems
The operation to allow a disabled person to bathe
is far from trivial. Considering that the height
between the main deck and the surface of the
water increases in proportion to the size of the
hull, it is easily understandable that diving is a
complex and sometimes risky operation for a
person with walking difficulties. Currently the
most common method consists in lifting them
108 4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

Fig. 4.53 An example of a

bathroom in a 10/12-m-long
boat. In addition to the
inability to access it due to the
narrow door, the floor is just
enough to contain a person
standing. The toilet is
impossible to reach by a
wheelchair user

Fig. 4.54 Although

equipped with every comfort,
a stern “beach” whose surface
is not coplanar to the main
deck, remains inaccessible,
and therefore useless, for most
users

into the air while seated in a fabric harness,
through a hoist connected to the boom of the
boat. Once it is rotated beyond the exterior of the
boat, the individual can descend independently
by manoeuvring a rope connected to a hoist.
Depending on his strength and capabilities, this
method can be more or less usable.
It is quite obvious that even such a system has
limitations: a very elderly person or a very small
child, for example, will not have sufficient arm
capacity to manoeuvre the hoist, while a disabled
person who cannot use their arms will be unable
to use it. As previously explained, the harness
does not guarantee the ideal support for a whole
series of specific disabilities and, moreover,
being moved in this way can still be uncom-
fortable on a psychological level.
Another system to access the sea consists of
an arc-shaped metal structure, whose terminals
4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility …
are embedded into the deck, allowing it to rotate
towards the stern of the boat. In the central part
of the arch there is a swing-shaped structure, with
a seat and protections (and supports if necessary),
free from constraints with respect to the arch, so
that a person can swing while moving the arch to
and from the sea. The person positioned in the
seat can then manoeuvre independently through a
hoist, or let someone else on board take care of it,
also using the sail winches, to control movement
without effort and with safety.
Heeling
The last problem, depending on the physics of
sailing rather than the boats design, is the heeling
(when a boat leans to one side during sailing), to
which the monohull boats are subjected to during
109
sailing. In a condition of accentuated heeling or
repeated and variable rolling, a sailboat offers no
guarantee to the disabled person to avoid over-
turning and the consequent fall from their
wheelchair, with a high risk of being injured and
damaging their wheelchair. It would mean that a
person in a wheelchair can use the boat only
when it is stationary, at anchor or moored in a
port protected from waves. It is therefore neces-
sary, also in this case, to think about how to
allow a certain user to sail in total safety through
the application of various types of aids, that
might already exist in the industrial production of
other means of transport, adapted for new
requirements on board.
 Guidelines for Access, Movement
and Use of Spaces 5

A designer must therefore take into account

5.1 Transom
the problems and difficulties of a disabled person
and try as much as possible to satisfy their needs.
As already described in the previous chapter, in
This means designing any accessory, aid,
order for a boat to be accessible, it is advisable to
environment or even only part of it, in such a
provide a completely open transom. The design
way as to satisfy the ergonomic, spatial, safety
of the boats, thanks to the geometry of modern
and autonomy requests of all those who are
hulls, has already led to this result, but it is of
unable to overcome certain physical and, some-
fundamental importance not to hamper the users
times, psychological obstacles. This may also
passage with steps or bulky elements (anything
mean having to completely rethink what has been
else that can in any way create an obstacle or
designed to date. An example can be disem-
represent an insurmountable barrier for an indi-
barking from the bow through a gangway that
vidual in a wheelchair and for all other people
can vanish inside the hull/just under the deck
with walking issues) towards steering the boat
when not needed, (see Fig. 5.5). But this is not
(Figs. 5.1 and 5.2).
enough: to allow a wheelchair user to be really
able to disembark from the bow and move on the
deck, it is necessary to provide a wide bow area,
5.2 Boarding Systems
also accessible from the aft cockpit through large
side walkways that allow a wheelchair to pass.
It is really incomprehensible how, although the
Thanks to this dual system, it would be possible
majority of modern pleasure boats have an open
to solve the boarding/disembarking issue both in
and accessible transom, the most common
the case of a low, fixed or floating wharf, and in
boarding system consists of a gangway of just
the case of concrete piers that are generally quite
over 40 cm in width, fixed in an unsafe way and
high.
never coplanar with the deck of the boat, thus
With regard to this last issue, a solution that
becoming an impediment that makes the boat
can be implemented in a short time and which
inaccessible not only to people in wheelchairs,
would also allow disabled people to have an
but also to individuals belonging to the weaker
accessible berth in each port or marina, consists
segments. These gangways are, in fact, devoid of
of an existing system, already in use in the civil
lateral protection and can also create problems
construction sector, for restoration of facades or
for people with a poor sense of balance or who
suffer vertigo (Figs. 5.3 and 5.4). for cleaning the windows of buildings: electri-
cally operated scaffolding, to fix permanently to
concrete piers, can be an ideal solution to

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 111

P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_5
112 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.1 A blind transom,

typical of boats constructed
up to around the year 2000: it
does not allow access to any
type of disadvantaged user
and can be difficult even for
able-bodied people

Fig. 5.2 A fully open

transom and a wheelhouse
consisting of twin wheels
sufficiently distant from each
other, represents the ideal
solution for easy and barrier-
free boarding

facilitate access to any type of boat equipped
with an open and accessible transom. A tilting
platform would also guarantee the individual’s
safety and reduce the possibility of damaging the
boat due to wave motion or the rise and fall in the
level of the sea due to the tides. It would be
useful for each marina to offer a small percentage
of places for boats with disabled people on
board, equipped with particular characteristics to
facilitate access on board and manoeuvres. This
could be quickly included in all national and
international regulations with a rule similar to
that which obliges public car parks to reserve a
certain percentage of parking stalls for disabled
people (Fig. 5.6).
5.3 Systems for Steering the Boat
A design practice linked to small-medium sized
pleasure boats regards the insertion, at the stern
of the cockpit, of the steering wheel. Obviously,
since it is a single wheel, it is located necessarily
along the longitudinal axis of the yacht where it
5.3 Systems for Steering the Boat 113

Fig. 5.3 Despite the

perfectly accessible transom,
a disabled person will never
be able to board because of
the narrow and insecure
gangway

Fig. 5.4 An inclusive design

must be able to facilitate the
boarding and disembarkation
of a person in a wheelchair in
total safety and, as much as
possible, independently

is fixed to a metal or fiberglass support in which
the rotation fulcrum insists, through which the
movement is transmitted to the submerged rud-
der: this solution makes the cockpit and the
companionway, for the descent below deck,
completely inaccessible to people in wheelchairs
(Fig. 5.7).
An innovative solution to solve the issue, not
only from a functional point of view, but also of
attention to design and ergonomics, can be a
helm consisting of a passing wheel, in which the
support is integrated in the deck and all mecha-
nisms are hidden under it. A so designed concept
allows a person in a wheelchair to easily pass
114
Fig. 5.5 Offering a person in
a wheelchair the possibility of
boarding a yacht both from
the bow and from the stern
means completely rethinking
the entire boat’s design, to
make it totally accessible
through the wheel to access the cockpit area. In
this way, a path without hindrance along the
longitudinal axis of the boat, is therefore con-
ceivable (Fig. 5.8).
The current trend, even on boats of less than
15 m in length, is to equip the yacht with a twin-
wheel steering system, in order to offer greater
comfort when sailing. However, if the distance
between the two wheels is less than 70 cm, a
wheelchair may have difficulty passing through
them, as it requires a passage of at least 75 cm in
width when considering the space for hands. The
most effective solution, in this case, is to distance
the wheels more, as in Fig. 5.10, or opt for
smaller diameter wheels, so as not to risk colli-
sions between the helms and a wheelchair during
passage (Fig. 5.9).
The biggest problem for a monohull boat, dur-
ing navigation, is given by the heeling to which it is
subjected, especially in upwind sailing or in the
case of rough seas. If in such conditions an able-
bodied user is usually subject to a loss of balance, it
is obvious to imagine that a disabled person will
find himself in even greater difficulties due to the
strong possibility of overturning, with the risk of
suffering significant physical injury (Fig. 5.11).
5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces
It is therefore necessary to adopt auxiliary
systems on the boat that secure the wheelchair to
the deck, such as a locking system, similar to
those found on city trains and buses that consist
of a jaw system that closes, locking the wheels of
the wheelchair as soon as they lean on it. To be
able to easily free themselves, even in emergency
situations, these aids provide a quick unlocking
system by the simple push of a piston. It is also
important to equip the wheelchair with belts,
similar to those used on racing cars and easily
available on the market, so that the disabled
person is perfectly secured to his own
wheelchair.
Besides that, to allow a disabled person to sail
safely, it is useful to arrange the boat with a
tilting platform, positioned near the helms or
manoeuvres, which guarantee the straightening
of the wheelchair in the event of heeling or
rolling, even constant, modifying its inclination
at every instant through an electronic control
system based on the gyroscope principle. A sim-
ilar system already exists in the nautical acces-
sories market to keep tables, beds, billiards and
bowling alleys in a horizontal position
(Fig. 5.12).
5.3 Systems for Steering the Boat 115

Fig. 5.6 An innovative

permanent boarding system
for accessible berths, suitable
for both ports and marinas

Fig. 5.7 Pleasure boats

between 10 and 15 m in
length are usually equipped
with a central steering wheel:
this solution does not allow
access to the cockpit and to
the companionway
116 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.8 Innovative wheelhouse with central passing wheel: the mechanisms are located under the deck to allow the
wheelchair to pass through the wheel and access the cockpit area

Fig. 5.9 A double wheel steering system: in this case the wheels are too close to each other and do not allow the
passage of a wheelchair
5.3 Systems for Steering the Boat 117

Fig. 5.10 By correctly spacing the wheels it is possible to allow easy passage for a wheelchair, without affecting the
functionality of the steering system

Fig. 5.11 The heeling of a boat makes it unusable during navigation by people in wheelchairs, due to the high risk of
overturning of a wheelchair
118
Fig. 5.12 To prevent a
wheelchair from overturning,
it must be safely secured to
the deck by wheel locking
systems normally mounted on
city trains and buses, but it is
also necessary to locate the
chair on an electronically
controlled tilting platform, in
order to counteract the rolling
of the boat
5.4 Cockpit and Side Walkways
As already seen in the previous chapter, the fixed
table, fitted between the benches of the guest
cockpit, do not allow any access to companion-
way by disabled people (Fig. 5.13).
Designing correctly for a wider user range
means immediately thinking of a distribution
scheme, as a whole, which provides total acces-
sibility to every space on the boat: therefore, it is
not necessary to consider each situation from
time to time, but to think in an integrated way,
preparing therefore a linear path, free from
obstacles and impediments. To offer the possi-
bility of using furniture, positioned along this
route, it is therefore mandatory to reflect on its
storage. For example, it is possible to imagine a
table that is removed if necessary, so as to leave
the passage free, but it is also necessary to think
of where to store it. The problem arises, as is
easily understood, in pleasure boats, where the
storage space is not sufficient to contain bulky
objects. A good solution, already adopted on
several yachts, consists of a table which, when
not in use, disappears in its technical compart-
ment, created in the deck, simply by acting on a
pantograph mechanism supported by hydraulic
pistons (Fig. 5.14).
5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces
Continuing with the analysis of the deck,
another issue, already considered in the previous
chapter, relates to the lateral passages that lead to
the bow from the cockpit. A design taking into
account the needs of disabled people must
therefore reconsider the entire layout and the
spatial relationship between the deck and the
interior, in order to be able to obtain sufficiently
wide passages along the sides that allow wheel-
chairs to pass safely and without obstacles or
steps. For this reason, it is necessary that the
difference in height between the cockpit and the
side decks, which also characterizes boats over
18 m (certainly not as problematic as those
within 15 m), must be solved with moderate
slopes, accessible to the disabled even indepen-
dently (Figs. 5.15 and 5.16).
5.5 Companionway Hatch
and Accessibility Below Deck
It is quite frequent that the guest cockpit has a
“funnel” shape on boats of between 10 and 15 m,
which does not allow people in wheelchairs to
reach the companionway. It is therefore essential
that the passage between the cockpit benches has
a constant minimum width of 80 cm, from stern
to bow (Fig. 5.17).
5.5 Companionway Hatch and Accessibility Below Deck 119

Fig. 5.13 Offering the

possibility of boarding
independently and correctly
spacing the helms, to avoid
interference in the passage of
a wheelchair, and then putting
a fixed table in the middle of
the guest cockpit, means not
designing according to the
principles of Sailing for
Everyone

Fig. 5.14 A simple

retractable table, with a
pantograph system, allows
people in wheelchairs to
overcome the obstacle, if
necessary

Unfortunately, the deck accessibility is not the companionway makes it impossible for a person
only issue on board. On almost all existing sail- in a wheelchair to access the spaces below deck.
ing boats, in fact, the shape and structure of the This occurs for various reasons: first of all, the
120 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.15 The passage

connecting the cockpit with
the bow of the boat does not
in any way allow the
wheelchair to pass, due to its
limited width. Furthermore,
even on boats over 18 m, the
difference in height is only
overcome through steps of
different heights, making the
side walkway inaccessible to
any person with walking
problems

Fig. 5.16 An attentive

design must consider the
skills of disabled people,
solving the differences in
height through ramps to allow
them to reach the bow of the
boat independently
5.5 Companionway Hatch and Accessibility Below Deck
Fig. 5.17 The passage
between the two cockpit
benches is a bottleneck in
many small boats: a
wheelchair user needs a
constant width of at least
75/80 cm
net size of the passage is always insufficient; it is
advisable to design it with a minimum width of
80 cm, to offer easy access by wheelchair. In
recent years, designers and shipbuilders have
evolved the design of the classic companionway,
generally consisting of two separate parts, cre-
ating a one-piece door, which slides laterally and
no longer towards the bow. This is absolutely
important because, if we consider the skills of a
person in a wheelchair, the movement towards
one of the two sides is ergonomically easier and
correct for them, compared to the gesture of
pushing it forward, being clearly limited to
extend their arms just beyond the knees. Finally,
the modern companionways must cease to have
any step or barrier in the lower part of the vertical
panel, as is still made today, but at most a very
small step, not exceeding 25 mm, so as to pre-
vent water from flowing inside, without however
prohibiting passage to the disabled (Fig. 5.18).
In summary, a fully accessible companionway
is the first issue on which to set up a design that
takes into account the needs of disabled people.
It must have a net width of at least 80 cm, as well
as having a one-piece hatch sliding sideways and
must not have steps or obstacles higher than
25 mm. It is also advisable to insert an internal
121
safety threshold, with a limit switch strip, for
greater personal safety (Fig. 5.19).
As already stated, it would be useless to make
only the cockpit and deckhouse accessible without
extending this novel design approach also to the
interior spaces. It is necessary to provide assisting
systems which can be used by everyone, to get
below deck, facilitating access both for people in
wheelchairs and for people with mobility difficul-
ties who are unable to descend or climb the steep
stairs that have always characterized all boats.
Focusing on the size of the pleasure boats, in
relation to the most suitable descent system, it is
possible to divide them into two categories: those
from 10 to 13.99 m where, due to space prob-
lems, the best solution is to insert a lifting plat-
form, and those from 14 to 23.99 m where it is
possible to replace the traditional stair and the lift
with a variable slope ramp, which can be used by
anyone, without any particular need for external
aids. Starting from the first category, it is cer-
tainly not difficult to imagine building future
boats with lifts provided as standard equipment
because, in addition to the economic factor, they
have significant dimensions and weights; it is
conceivable, however, to base good design on
unwritten rules, for example making it
122 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.18 A companionway

built on a modern sailing
boat: the design takes into
account the needs of the
disabled, but the width of the
passage is still insufficient

Fig. 5.19 It is necessary to

modify the current design
approach and finally project to
allow a wider user to be able
to access the spaces below
deck easily, independently
and without risks

mandatory to create a sort of technical compart-
ment equipped with all the arrangements for
which, in the event that a person in a wheelchair
decides to buy a new or used boat, it is possible
to install a lift at any time with a few simple
operations. When he wishes to sell the yacht, he
will only have to dismantle the lift, maybe
reusing it on another boat equipped with the
same predispositions, so as to avoid the buyer
feeling the presence of dedicated aids that, in
some cases, can create a form of “psychological
discrimination” towards the boat he is buying.
This philosophy, if applied critically and devel-
oped with intelligence and particular sensitivity
towards “good” design, can work on any issue so
far addressed (Fig. 5.20).
5.5 Companionway Hatch and Accessibility Below Deck
Fig. 5.20 The stair of any
existing boat represents a real
insurmountable barrier: it is
necessary to adopt a new
design approach that makes it
possible to install optional and
non-permanent aids
Industrial production, today, offers lifts oper-
ated by piston, pantograph and fork: without
having to invent anything new. It is therefore
sufficient to modify what already exists in the
market, with just few adaptations for marine use,
such as the construction material of the structure
(which must be in stainless steel), and the 12/24-
V power supply that is normally used onboard
boats. It is therefore necessary to set standard
dimensions for any models of retractable lifts,
choosing among those the most suitable for
purpose, in order to give a precise directive to the
designers, who should do nothing but provide a
technical compartment in the distribution layout,
which would only be used in case of necessity.
Let’s not forget that a compartment of this type
can also be used to hold supplies of various
kinds, giving the possibility to those who do not
need such aids, to use it as an additional storage
space (Fig. 5.21).
Regarding the accessibility analysis of the
second category, it is surprising that, even today,
123
no boat has ever been built by replacing the
access stair, certainly wider than those built on
smaller boats, but equally steep, with a ramp
equipped with handrails for greater safety and
comfort, so as to lead anyone above and below
deck, without the risk of slipping on the steps or
falling ruinously, as can easily happen on the
stairs currently on board. It is quite obvious that,
due to the very small internal dimensions of the
boats, it will almost never be possible to install
ramps with a slope of around 8%, as for example
indicated by Italian civil construction legisla-
tion.1 It is also true, however, that by using
1
Cf.: Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport, D.
M. 14 June 1989, n. 236. Article 8.1.11: “It is not
considered accessible to overcome a difference in height
greater than 3.20 m obtained exclusively by inclined
slopes placed in succession. The minimum width of a
ramp must be:
• of 0.90 m to allow the transit of a wheelchair user;
• of 1.50 m to allow two people to cross.Every 10 m in
length and in the presence of interruptions through
124 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.21 Conceptual idea of

a possible retractable lift,
designed to make the interior
of any boat accessible for
disabled people in total
autonomy

retractable aids, such as electric winches nor- generally present in a pleasure boat, usable,
mally mounted on off-road cars, it is possible to regardless of the size of the hull.
overcome the issue of excessive slope and
Saloon
enter/exit the boat in total autonomy, hooking the
The design of the central space of a boat should
wheelchair to a remote-controlled winch. In the
be based on a few simple rules to be accessible
same way, it is possible to adopt small slopes to
and usable: first of all, it is essential that any
replace the widespread internal jumps, generally
passage, from stern to bow, is absolutely free
consisting of one or two steps, between one
from fixed obstacles, such as seats, tables, etc.
environment and another of the boat (Fig. 5.22
Even the mast of the boat can itself constitute a
and 5.23).
barrier, as it is almost always passing through the
deck in the middle of the hull: in some rare cases,
it leans on the deck, but there is always a steel
5.6 Below Deck Spaces
tube, through which it can transmit the loads to
the structure of the hull. Since we cannot elimi-
Continuing with the ideal path to make boats
nate this fundamental element, always placed
accessible in total autonomy, the next step con-
along the axis of symmetry, for any reason (un-
sists in the analysis of the possible solutions to be
less creating a structural beam that connects the
adopted to make the interior environments,
hull and the deck, on which the mast can release
the stresses, with evident stellar costs) it is nec-
doors, the ramp must have a horizontal platform of min- essary that it becomes a design constraint around
imum size equal to 1.50  1.50 m, or 1.40  1.70 m which to create manoeuvring and passage spaces,
transversely and 1.70 m in the longitudinal direction of so as to avoid interference between a wheelchair
travel, beyond the opening dimensions of any doors.If
and the mast itself (Figs. 5.24 and 5.25).
there is a parapet on the side of the ramp, the ramp must
have a curb of at least 10 cm in height. The slope of the
ramps must not exceed 8%. Higher slopes are allowed, in The table of the dining area must not have
cases of adjustment, related to the actual linear develop- fixed seats or benches along the corridor, both to
ment of the ramp”.
5.6 Below Deck Spaces 125

Fig. 5.22 Despite the large size of the boat and the available space, still today designers keep on using only traditional
stairs, very steep and inaccessible

Fig. 5.23 It is possible to create innovation with solutions accessible by anyone only by reconsidering the project in its
entirety, following the principles of Design for All

avoid restricting the passage and to offer the
disabled person the possibility not only to easily
move around in the whole saloon, but to take
their place independently at the table, when
needed. The table must always be adjustable in
height: although it is quite widespread on most
existing boats (in order to lower the table top to
the seats to transform the dining area into a large
bed), it is not always provided. The possibility of
adjusting the height of the table’s top according
to the needs of each person is a design detail
expressing particular attention towards
126 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.24 Fixed furnishings

can hinder passage and make
disabled people’s life on
board uncomfortable

Fig. 5.25 A design taking

into account the needs of
people in wheelchairs
improves the spatial quality of
any environment, even in
small sailing boats

individuals with different physical characteristics Kitchen

or abilities. In addition, it is advisable to foresee
a specific area of the saloon so as to give a
wheelchair user the possibility to make a 360°
turn, without having to force the person to per-
form complex manoeuvres (Fig. 5.26).
Unlike what happens in modern houses, the
layout of the kitchen of boats is often charac-
terized by bulky and not very rational solutions,
which can make it uncomfortable to use for able-
bodied persons and totally inaccessible for
5.6 Below Deck Spaces
Fig. 5.26 The possibility of
being able to remove chairs,
positioned in the middle of
the saloon, allows people in
wheelchairs to easily take
their place at the table
disabled people. The main problems in the use of
a traditionally designed kitchen are the follow-
ing: impossibility to operate the hob and sink
from the front, impossibility of accessing the
upper cabinets due to their excessive height, low
possibility of rotating the wheelchair without
colliding with the lower cabinets. An accessible
kitchen must therefore offer space for the
wheelchair users legs under the hob and the sink,
upper cabinets opening downwards and allowing
a 360° rotation to be able to access the objects
placed on the bottom, a wide surrounding space
for easy movement of a wheelchair and the
placement of the oven and microwave where the
arms of the disabled person can reach them
without effort (Figs. 5.27 and 5.28).
Doors
In almost all boats, the entrance doors to the
cabins and bathrooms are much narrower than
the minimum width allowed in homes by civil
legislation. The motivation depends on the lim-
ited space available and on a design tradition that
is still considered as standard. If this is under-
standable in small yachts, where the interior
space is very limited, it is not so in boats over
16 m, where there are no particular spatial issues.
127
To be able to pass through, a wheelchair needs a
doorway of a minimum net width of 75 cm. It
follows that almost the entire existing boating
fleet is practically inaccessible (Fig. 5.29).
The adoption of sliding doors, instead of the
classic hinged ones, makes access more com-
fortable and avoids a reduction of the space
necessary for the rotation of a wheelchair into the
environment, while also eliminating the annoy-
ing issue of opening/closing the door while sit-
ting in a wheelchair. More careful planning can
therefore favour better distribution even in con-
fined spaces. If necessary, the use of small slopes
can solve the problem of overcoming the lower
step, used until a few years ago in most door
frames and still in use today in yachts repro-
ducing classic interiors (Fig. 5.30).
Bedroom
The height of the beds on board should never be
greater than the height of the wheelchair seat.
Therefore, mattresses placed at a height greater
than 50/60 cm can create problems for a disabled
person when moving from their wheelchair to the
bed. The use of excessively high beds is frequent
in the bow cabins in which, in order to benefit
128 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.27 A traditional

kitchen does not allow the
movement of a wheelchair,
nor favour the correct
ergonomics of disabled
people

Fig. 5.28 Designing for a

wide range of users positively
impacts the usability of the
kitchen for everyone: it is
very important therefore to
respect the ergonomic needs
of a person in a wheelchair
5.6 Below Deck Spaces 129

Fig. 5.29 The entrance of a

cabin in a medium-length
boat: the net width of the door
is so narrow that it does not
allow access for a wheelchair
in any way, as well as making
the passage uncomfortable
even for able-bodied people

from a greater mattress surface, the increase in available space could be used for larger bath-
height allows designers to use the wider curva- rooms, therefore accessible and, above all, usable
ture of the hull (Figs. 5.31 and 5.32). by everyone.

It is therefore evident that a cabin, in order to It is therefore possible to correctly design

be accessible, must have easy and sufficiently
wide door passage, a generous floor surface to
allow a wheelchair to rotate 360° and a bed
height similar to the wheelchair seat.
In the case of cabins with single beds, it is
advisable to maintain a distance between the
beds of more than one metre, to allow a disabled
person to move comfortably (Fig. 5.33).
Bathrooms
The bathrooms of boats between 10 and 14 m are
almost always inaccessible. This happens due to
the limited space that the designers dedicate,
generally, to these environments, due to the
modern trend of having a bathroom for each
cabin. Probably, by limiting the number of
bathrooms compared to that of the cabins, the
bathrooms on small boats, by just following
some simple rules: steps should not be present in
the floor; the shower must be integrated to the
floor and equipped with a folding seat, to allow a
disabled person to shower without soaking his
wheelchair; the space in correspondence with the
shower tray (flush with floor) must be at least
80 cm and possibly placed next to the toilet; the
washbasin cabinet must have an open space in
correspondence with the sink to allow the dis-
abled to use it from the front; storage cabinets
must be at a suitable height to facilitate opening
and the use from below; the mirror needs to be
inclined if placed too high (due to the shape of
the deckhouse), to allow people in wheelchairs to
mirror themselves. Grab bars and accessories,
130 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.30 The door of the

bathroom is sized to allow
easy passage for a wheelchair:
the sliding door is preferable
to the hinged one, although
the latter does not create
particular problems for
disabled users if the internal
space of the bathroom is
enough to allow the rotation
of the wheelchair; to be noted
is the small slope, useful for
overcoming the lower step
that is so often present in
classic and vintage boats

Fig. 5.31 The wide floor in

front of the bed allows the
wheelchair excellent freedom
of manoeuvre, but the
excessive height of the bed
makes it difficult for the
disabled person to move from
their wheelchair to the
mattress

usually mounted in disabled bathrooms, are not An innovative solution trying to solve the
always necessary, unless requested for specific dimensional issue, guaranteeing the total acces-
needs (Figs. 5.34, 5.35 and 5.36). sibility of the bathroom, adopts the concept of a
5.6 Below Deck Spaces 131

Fig. 5.32 In addition to

being at the correct height, the
bed presents an edge free
from obstacles, allowing the
disabled person to move
directly onto the mattress,
without risking injury to
themself

Fig. 5.33 A cabin with two

beds requires a large floor
surface, to allow the disabled
person to manoeuvre easily
and be able to rotate 360°
132
Fig. 5.34 Narrow and cramped space, insufficient floor
surface and unsurpassed steps: these are, in general, the
characteristics of the bathroom in a modern boat, whose
dimensions would instead offer the (wasted) opportunity
to obtain much more comfortable and accessible spaces
prefabricated cell consisting of a WC/sink area,
of adequate size to accommodate a wheelchair,
and a circular entrance area, whose diameter,
equal to 150 cm, allows the wheelchair to rotate
360° without any obstacle. The cylinder is made
up of two sliding doors, which can disappear into
their compartments when they are opened, to
avoid creating bulk as much as possible. The
cylinder offers a space comparable to the lobby
of the bathrooms in a modern house, so that,
being in the WC area behind closed doors, the
individual can enjoy maximum privacy. Another
function of the cylinder is to be able, if neces-
sary, to become a fully usable shower area that
can be separated from the other spaces simply by
closing the doors, so as to avoid wetting the
adjacent areas. Finally, suggesting to mount the
cell on board small boats, which have very little
space, the cylinder ensures the rotation of the
wheelchair, while keeping the toilet area separate
(Fig. 5.37).
5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces
As already stated, the design of the bathrooms
must follow the rules of ergonomics and com-
mon sense, so that all people can use this space
without any discomfort. In summary, it is
important that all fixtures are accessible, that the
space to manoeuvre a wheelchair is present and
wide, that the shower is equipped with a folding
seat so as not to soak the wheelchair and that the
mirror and cabinets are at the correct height to be
used by everyone, even from below (Figs. 5.38,
5.39 and 5.40).
5.7 Bathing Systems
Recalling what has been repeated several times in
the previous paragraphs, a good designer must
not only be able to solve the issues presented so
far in the best way, but it is necessary that they
do it with the utmost respect for the individual.
The operation to allow a disabled person to bathe
is very delicate, as it means having to move them
from the deck to the water slowly and in total
safety. In the previous chapter it was highlighted
that the system consisting of a fabric harness
hanging from the boom of the boat is not only
uncomfortable for the person but also very risky,
and is therefore to be avoided as much as pos-
sible (Fig. 5.41).
It is very important to be aware of people’s
needs and to take into consideration that even an
elderly person, a pregnant woman or a child may
have difficulty getting on and off a boat using the
bathing ladder, usually located at the stern or
along the side of the boat. It is therefore,
once again, a matter of designing for a wider
audience, in order to make the boat as inclusive
as possible.
There are already effective systems to allow
bathing, such as the simple swinging structure
(see Fig. 5.42). However, it is necessary to pay
attention to the excessive use of certain systems
to make boats accessible to avoid the boat
seeming overly aimed at a certain type of user,
which could have a negative effect on the
remaining users, which, in general, tend to ignore
(more than discriminate) disability and diversity.
For this reason, it is essential to use all the
5.7 Bathing Systems 133

Fig. 5.35 A small bathroom

must be designed to best meet
the basic needs of disabled
people

Fig. 5.36 An exemplary

example of a perfectly
accessible bathroom: door
with double hinged panels,
floor surface suitable for a
360° rotation of the
wheelchair, sink free from a
lower cabinet for comfortable
use and the WC, placed at 45°
with respect to the bulkheads,
to allow the disabled person
to move from the wheelchair,
without external help or
supporting bars
134 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.37 A concept design

of a bathroom cell, to be
adopted in any boat from
10 m upwards, represents an
interesting solution for
accessibility on board

Fig. 5.38 Even the bathrooms washbasin cabinet, as Fig. 5.39 In the case of a shower integrated into the
already seen for the kitchen one, must offer the possibility bathroom space, it is useful to equip it with a curtain, to
to insert the legs under the sink separate it from the surrounding furnishings, and with a
folding seat, so as not to soak the wheelchair

available technologies, making the investment one in Fig. 5.43, already on the market,2 that can
more accessible also from an economic point of offer multiple solutions simultaneously, allowing
view, and to adopt aiding devices, such as the anyone to access the boat from different types of

2
Cf.: Opacmare Transformer. http://www.opacmare.com/
Catalog/transformer-integrato-nel-portellone-del-garage/.
5.7 Bathing Systems 135

Fig. 5.40 In the event that the shower is made up of a wide enough to allow the disabled person to access it
rigid box, it is not important to foresee the rotation of the frontally and move onto the retractable seat, avoiding
wheelchair, but it is necessary that the width of the door is wetting their wheelchair

Fig. 5.41 The most used system, currently, to lower the disabled person into the water: besides being unsafe, it fails to
respect the dignity of the person
136 5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

Fig. 5.42 The bathing

system inspired by the
“swing” concept
5.7 Bathing Systems 137

Fig. 5.43 Designed for an

extended range of user, the
Transformer platform is
produced and marketed by the
Italian company “Opacmare”:
it is a multifunctional
gangway that allows access
on board and bathing

wharf, or to bathe, without special efforts, but of obstacles and impediments from pleasure
using a simple remote control. As it is with boats will make their use easier and more com-
buildings architecture, the removal (or reduction) fortable for everyone.
 Design Proposals for Accessible
and Inclusive Boats
The following chapter illustrates some projects
created by the author during a path of research
and were developed both during the exercise of
his profession and in the completion of a Ph.D. in
industrial design, obtained at the Department of
Engineering and Architecture of the University
of Trieste, Italy. These studies have made it
possible to apply what has been observed and
evaluated, and already explained in the previous
chapters.
The concepts shown are not presented as a
conclusive design response, but as an in-depth
analysis of the various functional problems
within research that also took into account design
issues.
6.1 Experimental Concept Design
of a 28-foot (8.53 mt)
Concept project made in 2004, developed by
architects Paolo and Mario Ferrari. Despite being
related to a boat of under 10 m (8.53 m) in
length, it is an important example of the attention
given to the theme of Sailing for Everyone. The
28-footer is a monotype racer designed by sailing
schools, ideal to offer disabled people, in a crew
with able-bodied people, the opportunity to
experience emotions similar to those enjoyed on
a smaller boat. The design philosophy, based on
the concept of “versatility”, inspired a boat that
can also be used by able-bodied crews, through
the installation of a tiller, so as to be sold to a
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_6
6
much wider user market. The choice of who will
steer the boat allows calibration of the difficulty
degree of sailing: it can be maneuvered with a
crew entirely composed of disabled people,
mixed or fully able: in mixed mode, a maximum
of five people can be on board. The project
includes a large cockpit, accessible through an
80-cm-wide gangway (Fig. 6.1).
The controls (helm and ropes) are deferred
and duplicated towards the bow by means of
hoists, offering the possibility for two individuals
in wheelchairs, positioned at the bow, to divide
the tasks for sailing. At any moment it is obvi-
ously possible for them to exchange their roles
(Fig. 6.2).
As mentioned, there is however the possibility
of inserting a tiller bar at the stern, so that an
able-bodied user can steer the boat in case of a
student crew or in emergency situations. The
small forward deckhouse was designed to offer
shelter from splashes of water and to house the
protruding parts of a wheelchair, the sailing
tools, as well being a storage locker. The boat is
equipped with a ballasted bulb that makes it self-
righting, so as to avoid excessive heeling, or even
capsizing, due to strong wind. It is clearly fore-
seen that the disabled components of the crew, in
addition to wearing life jackets (like all the oth-
ers), can easily release the belts that secure them
to their wheelchairs, avoiding them remaining
underwater if a capsize occurs. The systems for
fastening a wheelchair to the boat deck is also
equipped with an emergency quick release.
139
140 6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

Fig. 6.1 This 28-foot boat

has been designed to create
maximum integration
between people, thanks to the
possibility of hosting mixed
crews

Fig. 6.2 The design

philosophy was based on the
concept of “versatility” to
offer an accessible and
inclusive boat
6.2 Experimental Concept Design of a 33-foot (10.05 mt)
6.2 Experimental Concept Design
of a 33-foot (10.05 mt)
Project carried out by the author in 2001 as his
Degree thesis in Architecture, at the University of
Rome “La Sapienza”, supervisor Prof. Corrado
Terzi, co-supervisor Prof. Andrea Vallicelli.
This 33-foot monohull is 10 m long and
3.40 m wide; measures in which it is really dif-
ficult to design layouts different to the traditional
one, as illustrated in Chap. 4. From this assump-
tion, the design of this boat was made starting
from a blank sheet and developed according to
the principles already illustrated and, above all,
following a continuous logical thread to offer
maximum accessibility to a wider range of user.
The layout features sensitive innovations,
including the aft “beach”, the large full-height
glass door, a lateral distribution corridor and a
sleeping area moved towards the bow. The
choices made are essentially linked to very clear
objectives: cancellation of obstacles for the best
accessibility, high quality of comfort on board,
strong connection between the inside and outside
environments and maximum use of spaces.
A totally inclusive project, therefore, espe-
cially from an ergonomic point of view: design
is, by now, a “psychological” element and must
be interpreted to give added value, represented
by the product’s ability to express an innovation
that satisfies all users (Fig. 6.3).
Fig. 6.3 The deck plan highlights a layout very different from that of the existing boats
141
The layout of the deck, asymmetrical, is
studied in detail so that a person in a wheelchair
can live life on board in maximum autonomy. In
fact, he is assisted by various aids. Boarding
takes place via a retractable davit contained in the
roll-bar structure, which can move the person in
his wheelchair and avoid him being separated
from his wheelchair. Once on board, he can
access the interior, directly from the large aft
platform, through a large sliding glass door and a
hydraulic lift that allows him to overcome a
minimum height difference of just 40 cm, or
reach the central cockpit with the assistance of a
lift integrated in the deck area (Fig. 6.4).
The interiors consist of a comfortable and
bright dining area for 4/6 people, separated from
the adjacent large aft beach by the sliding glass
door, offering direct and continuous visual con-
tact with the sea, an element that is usually not
considered in traditional design. The upper
cockpit, located centrally, contributes to imple-
menting this distribution choice. Through the
innovative lateral distribution corridor, perfectly
accessible thanks to the correct sizing of the
passage, it is possible to reach the cabin, which is
easily accessible by the disabled person directly
from the corridor, and a bathroom equipped with
a 180° folding door to facilitate entrance by
wheelchair. The surface of the bathroom, in fact,
can be greatly enlarged, when used by a disabled
person in a wheelchair, simply by choosing to
142
Fig. 6.4 The interior layout differs significantly from what was illustrated in Chap. 4
close the door against the cabinet on the left: in
this way they will be able to use the bathroom in
absolute comfort. At the bow there is a cabin
with a double bed for eventual companions or
guests. It should be noted that the kitchen, the
navigation instruments and the storage lockers
have been placed on the left side, in order to
rationalize space and not create obstacles along
the corridor (Fig. 6.5).
6.3 Experimental Concept Design
of a 45-foot (13.71 mt)
Experimental project of year 2003, developed by
the architects Paolo and Mario Ferrari. This boat,
13.71 m long, represents the next step, if com-
pared to the previous projects, but, more than all
the others, it is innovative and effective for the
results achieved.
In fact, renouncing the idea of having to use
bulky, heavy and expensive mechanical aids, the
boat is designed to be comfortable and to also be
able to compete against traditional boats of the
same size. The importance of designing an
innovative and pleasant deck was taken into
account, in the belief that an accessible boat must
also be beautiful and elegant: for this reason, the
main feature of this 45-footer is the totally flush
deck (Fig. 6.6).
6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats
The result is a very streamlined line, softened
by the soft curves of the aft cockpit and by the
rounded shape of the deck. The project foresees a
new type of fully accessible wheelhouse: a large
wheel positioned in the centre of the cockpit,
along the longitudinal axis of the boat, which
allows people in wheelchairs to pass through it,
as it is devoid of the supporting column con-
taining all the mechanisms for the movement of
the rudder (now placed under the deck).
This allows the boat to have, in addition to a
truly original and extremely refined helm, total
accessibility from the transom to the dining area
below deck.
The particular conformation of the project
allows a minimum difference in height between
the cockpit and the space below deck, which are
joined by a ramp that makes the path linear and
free of obstacles (Fig. 6.7).
The interiors, as well as the cockpit and deck,
are very innovative and demonstrate in-depth
ergonomic research. The design pays attention to
the furnishings and the wide floor space guar-
antees that a disabled person will be able to move
around below deck without encountering obsta-
cles of any kind (Fig. 6.8).
The distribution layout foresees a central sal-
oon consisting of a dining area, an accessible
kitchen on the opposite side, two cabins for
guests with private bathrooms and a spacious
6.3 Experimental Concept Design of a 45-foot (13.71 mt) 143

Fig. 6.5 The section drawings are used to check the correct dimensioning of the spaces. On the right the sequence of
the boarding system and consequent transfer to the upper cockpit
144 6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

Fig. 6.6 The deck is clean and free of obstacles. The cockpit is perfectly accessible and usable by people in
wheelchairs

Fig. 6.7 The section drawing perfectly clarifies the linear path to allow a disabled person to reach the space below
deck, starting from the transom

Fig. 6.8 Despite the limited space available, the interior layout has cabins comparable to those of a traditional boat of
equal length
6.3 Experimental Concept Design of a 45-foot (13.71 mt)
cabin for a disabled person, with easy access to
the bed and a comfortable dedicated bathroom
(Fig. 6.9).
This boat is devoid of any mechanical aid in
order to reduce construction costs and weight,
but it can be equipped with totally servo-assisted
sailing equipment, embracing the philosophy of
Easy Sailing, typical of modern high-end boats.
The only issue not yet resolved in this project,
especially due to spatial problems, concerns the
accessibility of the bow area: a topic that will be
addressed in the following experimental project
(Figs. 6.10, 6.11 and 6.12).
6.4 Experimental Concept Design
of a 77-foot (23.47 mt)
Experimental project of 2011, developed by
architects Paolo and Mario Ferrari, with the
collaboration of arch. Andrea Bocchin. This
23.5-m-long boat focuses on creating slopes and
eliminating any obstacle, so as to allow anyone
to move freely on board without the requirement
of special adaptations. The lack of obstacles on
the deck is already evident in the cockpit, where
the wheels of the helms, resulting from the 45-
foot project, have no spokes, allowing a disabled
Fig. 6.9 A wheelchair can
easily access the areas below
deck, thanks to a linear path
that leads from the transom to
the companionway, passing
through the innovative
wheelhouse and to the descent
ramp
145
helmsman to have a comfortable and correct
posture and proving that such a system can be
used by anyone, with no differences (Fig. 6.13).
In correspondence with the twin wheels of the
helm, tilting platforms are mounted to the deck,
controlled by an electric box unit, which, thanks
to an instant response time, allow the wheelchair
to maintain an ideal position even when the boat
is heeled. It is obviously possible to provide
these systems also in correspondence with the
other sail control positions, in order to guarantee
maximum safety for any other crew members in
wheelchairs (Fig. 6.14).
The deck is characterized by a large glazed
deckhouse, embraced by two ramps, one on each
side of the boat, which lead the disabled person
from the cockpit to the bow, thus completing
what had not been possible in the previous
design experiences. At the stern, on the other
hand, two “L” shaped seats can be joined to serve
as two telescopic tables which, when not needed,
disappear into the deck (Figs. 6.15 and 6.16).
The ergonomic research, then, obviously
focused on the passage from outside to inside,
with the insertion of a ramp equipped with lateral
fall protection. Even in this project, the insertion
of any mechanical aid has been deliberately
avoided, showing that an attentive design can
146 6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

Fig. 6.10 Below deck, the

disabled person can use all the
common areas and easily
access his own cabin,
equipped with a dedicated
bathroom

Fig. 6.11 The helm is

completely accessible: a large
wheel, free from obstacles,
allows the wheelchair to pass
through it

contribute to making accessibility possible to Going down using the ramp, there is access to
means of transport up to now dedicated only to a saloon consisting of a symmetrical dining area
the few (Fig. 6.17). and a spacious kitchen on the left side. On the
6.4 Experimental Concept Design of a 77-foot (23.47 mt) 147

Fig. 6.12 The disabled helmsman can steer the boat possible to mount a tilting platform to straighten the
thanks to some safety additions, such as fixing the wheelchair in case of excessive heeling of the boat
wheelchair to the deck and fastening securing belts. It is

Fig. 6.13 The cockpit, completely transformable in its spaces, has two symmetrical helms perfectly usable by anyone

opposite side there is a single cabin and a daily Finally, the crew area, located at the far bow, can
bathroom. At the aft there are two guest cabins accommodate up to 4 people (Figs. 6.18, 6.19
with dedicated bathrooms, while the two forward and 6.20).
cabins and bathrooms are totally accessible.
148 6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

Fig. 6.14 The helm, in addition to being ergonomically correct, is equipped with a tilting system that always keeps the
helmsman in a horizontal position

Fig. 6.15 The great innovation of this 77-foot project consists of two ramps along the lateral passages of the deck,
which allow the disabled person to move independently from stern to bow

Fig. 6.16 Once on board, a

person in a wheelchair can
move around the entire deck,
from the cockpit to the bow,
through the side walkways or,
again, access the living spaces
below deck through the large
companionway
6.4 Experimental Concept Design of a 77-foot (23.47 mt) 149

Fig. 6.17 The connection between the exterior and the interior spaces is obtained by inserting a ramp

Fig. 6.18 The internal space available for this large yacht is able to offer maximum accessibility and two cabins, in
which 360° rotation of a wheelchair is possible

Fig. 6.19 The analysis of the flows helps to understand the accessible routes in the underlying environments, coming
down from the deck
150 6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

Fig. 6.20 The 77-foot design experience concludes deep research into accessible and inclusive monohull boats.
Starting from here, however, a detailed study on the standardization of the proposed solutions is certainly possible
 Conclusions
The research carried out so far has allowed us to
explore the offering of monohull sailing boats
usable by people with motor disabilities and to
propose design solutions inspired by Design for
All, in a truly inclusive perspective with respect
to human diversity and non-mortification of
disadvantaged people.
The number of older people, for example, is
constantly growing. In fact, it is expected that by
2050 an impressive figure of 2.4 billion individ-
uals1 will be reached worldwide. Generic data,
but sufficient to give an idea of the number of
people who will be discriminated against because
of being unable to use objects designed for an
abstract “standard user”. Everyone has the right
to inclusion and to be able to use products and
environments independently and comfortably.
It can undoubtedly be said that Inclusive
Design is spreading increasingly, in particular
when applied to buildings made for collective
use and inspired by the DfA criteria. This disci-
pline is quite recent, but is starting to have con-
crete implications and is enjoying wide success
in the sector of product design, in which the
advantages of its application are immediately
tangible: customer loyalty and market expansion,
with positive feedback on corporate image too. It
is therefore necessary to export these principles
to the boat building industry. In fact, this
examination revealed that the nautical market is
lacking in availability of accessible means of
transport, which allow a disabled person or
1
Love, P. (ed.) (2015), Ageing: Debate the Issues, OECD Insights, OECD Publishing, Paris, December 18, 2015.
https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264242654-en.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7
weaker groups of people to access sailing,
despite the growing demand from both individ-
uals and sailing schools. This book therefore
aims to be an initial tool, useful for the design of
inclusive sailing boats, as well as a starting point
for solutions that can also be applied to motor
boats. In fact, it proposes alternative solutions to
the traditional design approach of a boat: the
distribution of spaces has been redefined and
several solutions have been adopted, besides a
more attentive sizing to the needs of people with
motor issues. Solutions have also been studied to
improve the accessibility of a boat, starting from
the boarding system from a wharf to the boat’s
deck, contributing to make these vehicles inclu-
sive and aggregating, as well as free from dis-
criminating elements. The technical indications
have been tested with four “experimental pro-
jects” on hulls of variable length from 28 to
77 feet. These projects interacted with the pos-
sible solutions previously defined and, in a type
of feedback process, they highlighted further
problems to be considered and also provided
precise indications about the critical issues and
the difficulties of an inclusive design.
Accessibility and safety are the two parame-
ters that guided the previously exposed study
activities. Accessibility was examined in relation
to the external space (boarding systems, mobility
in the cockpit and on the deck) considering both
the position of the guest, whom is transported,
and that of the crew, which is responsible for the
151
152
management of the boat. The internal space was
examined starting from the problems of accessi-
bility and mobility to reach the main functions
(bathrooms, bed) and those related to the use of
the living area, such as the preparation of food
and furniture designed according to the needs of
people in wheelchairs. The safety of the disabled
person was considered for each of the afore-
mentioned functions; it is desirable that in future
other issues will be reconsidered, such as the
structure of the wheelchair. Furthermore, it is
useful that the engineering of the described
safety systems (maintenance of the horizontal
plane, wheelchair locks, etc.) are deepened,
simplified and made easier, through subsequent
investigations: as it is important to remember that
everything works in a space continuously oscil-
lating on the three Cartesian axes.
Conclusions
This book also intends to make up for the
almost total absence of specific publications on
the topic addressed, creating a reference within
the literature of this research field. The design
experimentation, conducted through the devel-
opment of sailing yachts of different sizes, rep-
resents an element of novelty compared to what
has been done to date in pleasure boating.
By adopting all or part of the solutions pro-
posed in the research, it is possible to create a
new type of sailing boat and allow everyone not
only to sail independently and safely, but also to
create new business opportunities, such as yacht
charter for extended users, inclusive sailing
schools and the development of further solutions
increasingly useful to build boats truly “for all”.
 Epilogue
by Andrea Ratti
The luxury of deprivation
The most recent economic data continues to
highlight a constant growth trend in the world
yachting market. Within this trend, social
dynamics intersect in an equally evident way,
confirming that the mechanisms of progressive
concentration of wealth increasingly condition
the orientation and the structuring of sectors
linked to the production of unnecessary and/or
luxury goods.
Turnover increases, while production volumes
decrease and, consequently, the number of users
involved or interested in benefiting from the
output of this sector.
Within this scenario, it has often been sug-
gested that the dynamics of social evolution are
the only ones capable of truly influencing the
markets, so economists are always very inclined
to warn us against believing that “the market is
always right”, stating that those who believe that
they are smarter than the market may face major
disappointments.
Nonetheless, history also teaches that, without
vision, no element of strong innovation would
have ever introduced radical changes in the
methods of attributing value to products.
In order for this to materialize, however,
design must preserve and enhance the strategic
dimension of its role as well as its responsibility
and, from this point of view, I believe that the
study reported in these pages is an expression
of it.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7
Adopting a ‘Design for All' oriented approach
does not mean looking for banal technical solu-
tions to issues relating to ergonomics applied to
living spaces, but rather adopting a cognitive and
speculative perspective that can allow openings
to an interpretation of absolutely unexplored
spaces. It opens up the possibility of intuiting and
experimenting with the potential for the use of
materials and components that go beyond simply
satisfying elementary and codified requirements.
Starting from the search for possibilities to
make a living space more usable, regardless of
the user who will use it, does not only mean
expanding the group of potential users, but
reserving the opportunity to explore and antici-
pate new housing models, discover unexpressed
needs and values. It means building the privilege
of approaching a project with that margin of
uncertainty in defining the path that represents
the only condition for overcoming a perhaps
more rigorous, but potentially sterile or even
boring design model.
Only when we understand that perceptual
synaesthesia is not a starting point, but a result to
be pursued, do we realize that we can maximize
the role of a single sense only when we break it
down and dissociate it from its joint role with all
the others.
Imagining ourselves in a condition of reduced
or modified mobility, hypothesizing to perform
vital functions in conditions of deprivation of
light, excluding hearing to receive and exchange
153
154
information, does not mean identifying ourselves
in “disadvantaged” situations, but, from a design
point of view, opening new and otherwise
unintelligible contexts, worlds and ways of using
the environment and artefacts that surround us.
Such a mental approach can lead, for exam-
ple, to interpret the sensory power of materials
according to a different or even inverted
hierarchy.
When designing a boat, solving the issue of
noise or the propagation of vibrations from a
physical-technical point of view tends to legit-
imize an approach aimed at the resolution of a
problem that we know how to quantify, to
measure instrumentally and to approach in terms
of solution. All of this provides us with relative
security. However, very often we fail to notice
that we are actually solving a task that we have
assigned ourselves by previously defining that
parameter as a problem.
But are we able to quantify what amount of
possible results we are precluding, and which we
could draw upon, if we considered that parameter
as a resource, interpreting it, for example, as if it
were a building material?
Epilogue
What heritage of information can contain a
sound, potentially modulated in frequency and
intensity, when we imagine the privilege of
hearing over sight as a channel for acquiring
information and for interacting with the sur-
rounding environment?
What potential could be explored, when
thinking of exploiting an on-board vibration as
an actuation mechanism to trigger a change of
properties or the morphology of a material or of a
device with interactive capabilities?
Designing for an enlarged range of users does
not mean sharing an ethical dimension of doing,
but implies the possibility of accessing a pow-
erful channel that forces us to broaden our
perspective.
This is a real luxury that any designer cannot
afford to waste.
Prof. Andrea Ratti
Associate Professor at Department of Design
Polytechnic University of Milan
Italy
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