A Dazcat for a disabled soldier
Tom Hughes suffered a serious injury in a rugby match in 2011. As a Captain in the British Army, he had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan... The medical verdict was harsh: Tom will never walk again. However, he set about trying to live as normally as possible.
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Publié le
14/05/2021
Par
Emmanuel van Deth
Numéro :
177
Parution :
May.
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Jun.
2021
He embarked on a Ph.D. and patiently transformed his (recently restored) MG with the addition of an automatic gearbox; he also fitted out a custom-made van, but most notably, ordered Artemis from Dazcat: a catamaran he can handle solo. The naval architects have gone for long sugarscoops to facilitate wheelchair access. The tender is equipped with a drop-down ramp, like a landing craft. There are no steps, of course, neither on deck nor inside. The helm station is perfectly sheltered, forward in the nacelle. The rig comprises two headsails, and it’s also possible to hoist a large spinnaker on downwind points of sail. All maneuvers are controlled by electric winches. The energy system has of course been taken care of: a hydrogenerator and 1,500 Wp of solar panels are fitted. For the appendages, the Delta wing keels (like the Dart 18) limit the draft to 4feet (1.20 m), allowing for a close approach to the shoreline. Tom plans to cast off late 2021, mostly accompanied by crew. Artemis will sail to Cape Verde, Brazil, the Falklands, the Strait of Magellan, and then to the Pacific and its atolls. Next will come Australia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Southern Africa.
