I need help thinking out of the box... I am 67 and have damage to my spinal cord which limits ability to walk. I have virtually zero feeling in my feet. Not a big deal usually but when I try to get into or out of my boat things can get interesting, especially when either the boat is rocking or there is nothing on the dock to hold on to. I am thinking about mounting a standard hospital style walker with the (10" legs removed) to the bow casting deck. Not only would that help in getting in/out, it would help me when I raise my Minn Kota Power Drive trolling motor. Once upright on the dock my cane does fine.

The question is, how to attach the walker to the front deck? My boat is a 17 1/2' aluminum, deep vee and the deck is 3/4" marine plywood that is carpeted. Is there a better option?

I do fine when I have someone with, me but that doesn't seem to be practical to find somebody that can fish as much as I do.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I'd take it to a small welding/fabrication company and ask them to weld brackets to the legs.. I think a piece of sheet metal with holes drilled thru it should work for a bracket. Don't see why it should be an issue with your boat.

I would have to think that most boat manufacturers have some kind of handicap accessible solutions that are better suited to your needs. That's not to say that NoBassPro's solution doesn't work, but check around?

OR..You can just invite me on all your trips and I'll help you out...

Round handrail bases bolted to the plywood floor, as an easy removal you can use cotterpins to secure the walker to the bases

Or, if all you're looking for is something to put your hand on to steady yourself, adding a planer board mast might work. Plus give you some different presentation options depending on what and where you fish.

There is a company out there that makes rails for a boat. I've got the info somewhere.

http://www.thefishnrail.com/

The Fish'n Rail was created by Jeff Thompson, a retired Marine Corps major jet fighter pilot and a test pilot. He suffers from a deteriorating disc disease, aggravated by years of exposure to excessive G-forces. After multiple surgeries, he was faced with abandoning his passion for bass fishing.

Not willing to give up the sport he loved, Thompson put his NASA experience and master's degree in aerospace engineering to work designing and developing the Fish'n Rail system. Now he and others can move about their boats and enjoy fishing once more.

I found some plastic rod brackets that were intended to snap on to a 5 gallon bucket, as a rod holder for cat fishermen. I took these same brackets and snapped them on to my boats wind shield and I've got a rod rock that holds up to 10 rods off the deck at an angle. I have some handicap issues as well and with this bracket I can reach down and grab different rods and not have to reach all the way down to the deck.

Aluminum for an aluminum boat. Stainless is acceptable for use with aluminum, but the products here might be cheaper than stainless steel.

I selected this page because it has flanges which can be used on the tubes of a walker. The come with set screws, though the material on the walker may be a bit light for the set screw to hold. There are numerous makers of aluminum rail components. I've used it on my lobsterboat, and it held up for years, even in a saltwater environment.

You can check out their entire line of parts by navigating this web site.

http://www.hollaender.com/?page=flanges

Thanks guys for all the great info. I talked to the Fishin Rail folks but the http://www.hollaende...m/?page=flanges doesn't come up.

The weather has turned sour so I should have some time to look further.