Northland disabled community secure boat ride

Sharon Carroll helped secure sponsors to extend the Wish 4 Fish's stay in Northland. Photo / supplied.

About 50 members of Northland's disabled community will be taking to the water this weekend on the custom-designed Wish 4 Fish boat.

The first of its kind accessible boat will dock at the Marsden Cove Marina on January 21, travelling from Tauranga.

Parafed Northland, a sports and recreation group for physically disabled Northlanders, first got in touch with Wish 4 Fish to supply a price for their raffle.

Parafed raised $13,000 from its raffle for the Northland Wheelchair Basketball Team in May last year and the winner won a ride with nine friends on the Wish 4 Fish.

Parafed Northland coordinator Sharon Carroll said out of this partnership an idea arose for the greater Northland disabled community.

"We saw this as a fantastic opportunity to see if we can get sponsorship to extend the days that they are up here and offer it to people are living with disabilities."

The customised Wish 4 Fish boat. Photo / supplied

The winners will be chartering on Saturday, but Parafed Northland was able to secure enough sponsors for a further full-day charter on the Sunday and two half-day charters on Monday.

Carroll says for many disabled people, it's an opportunity to enjoy the freedom of Northland's ocean waters, something they haven't had access to in very long time - or ever.

"Some of the people that have said 'oh my gosh I didn't think fishing was possible. I haven't been on the boat since I had my accident or I haven't been fishing in years'."

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The boat is a long-time dream of Bryce Dinneen, a tetraplegic whose passion for fishing inspired him to build a boat accessible for people with disabilities and illness.

According to the Wish 4 Fish website, the boat is a Roger Hill custom-designed 18m alloy high displacement cat powered by twin marine diesel engines.

It is designed with wheelchair users in mind, with a specially designed loading system and an onboard wheelchair lift.

"You just take things for granted often and it's just so cool to see people get so excited about having this opportunity," says Caroll.

Caroll envisages that giving disabled Northlanders access to explore the water that surrounds the region won't be a one-off.

"What we're hoping is that it'll go so well that we'll have more next year, it'd be incredible to think that it's something that happens every year."

"I think people don't realise how many things aren't accessible. You know, here it's not that hard to make it accessible," she said.

The boat trips are sponsored by Northpine, Trigg Construction, TLC 4u2 and Marsden Cove Marina.