When the beach wheelchair used by Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club for its Access Disabled Sailing Program fell apart from overuse, it looked like many disabled sailors would miss out on the fun.
The wheelchair is used to get the sailors down to the water’s edge because most new mobility chairs can’t be used in sand and saltwater.
But when NYRC Sailing Manager, Paul Blundell, dropped into see Mark Tirrell at Noosa Marine Repairs, the problem was solved.
Mark offered to rebuild the wheelchair as a donation for the program.
“There are always plenty of good deed stories around Noosa and Noosa Marine Repairs has now added to the list,” Paul said.
“I picked up the new chair last week and it’s safer and stronger than the original now that Mark has made the frame from aluminium tubing and not PVC like the original. Marks’s young son is currently sailing in the junior Tackers program and Mark just wanted to give something back to the club. When the old wheelchair fell apart he jumped at the idea of redesigning the chair and building it to last.”
Noosa Marine Repairs has recently moved to 8 Production Avenue, Noosaville and Mark can be contacted on 0414 634 650. They do all types of welding and engineering, lathe and milling, boat, trailer, pontoon, and jetty repairs.
“Mark has been around for years and he can’t fix it, he knows who can,” Paul said.
