Client News
Hake Yachts designs first Seaward sailboat for customer who is a quadriplegic to sail solo
Stuart, Fla. – Kevin Robinson has spent the majority of his adult life in a wheelchair, but just last week, the freelance writer was able to rekindle his love for sailing when he took delivery of his custom-built sailboat designed by Nick Hake, president of Hake Yachts, and his team. “It’s totally exhilarating to be able to sail solo again,” said Robinson. “What was terrifying was the possibility of investing this much money and not being able to sail after all. It was a gamble, but there was no way to know it could be done without trying it.”
The gamble paid off. Initially, Robinson had contacted three other companies that shied away from the customization that he had in mind. However, from the moment Robinson contacted Hake last May, Nick was totally and personally committed to seeing the project through. “Hake was always a problem solver from the word go,” said Robinson. “He wondered how he could make this work.”
The 26-foot Eleanor P, as Robinson has christened the boat, is a Hake Seaward 26RK outfitted with a bow thruster on the front of the boat, forward anchor windless, stern anchor windless and three electric winches. A lifting mechanism takes him out of his wheelchair on the dock, over to the boat and into his special seat in the cockpit. The lift also allows him to be moved from the cockpit to the cabin without additional assistance. The seat travels on a custom rail system Hake designed which allows Robinson to reach either side of the boat while sailing.
According to Tim DeVries, sales manager at Hake, “While a few boats exist for people with disabilities, none are as high end as ours. Nick thought through every detail, pulling together different ideas, and made sure all the operations of the boat worked properly.” Hake Yachts often builds in custom details for its customers’ boats, but with Robinson’s order, Hake has shown that with a dream and a desire, anything is possible.
Robinson does not shy away from adventure and clearly embraces the new possibilities ahead of him with the Eleanor P. He hopes his experience shows others with disabilities that childhood dreams can become a reality again, a dream Hake Yachts made possible.
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About Hake Yachts
For more than 35 years, Hake Yachts has been building boats to a very high standard for sailors wanting a unique combination of quality, performance and the versatility needed to sail well in any water depth. Whether you dream of open water sailing, or finding solitude up a shallow bay or creek, Hake Yachts builds a boat you’ll be proud to own. For more information, visit www.seawardyachts.com.