OnBoard Magazine - Issue XII - 2020 Season

new ramp is lighter and can be stored in the salon when fishing. Also, an aggressive nonskid pattern allows everyone to navigate the ramp when it’s in the cockpit. Within the salon, two changes were made. The first was removing the starboard- side dinette table, which created a wider lane to reach the companionway steps. Release Marine fabricated a custom fold- out table that is not attached to the salon sole, so it can be moved to the dinette or placed inside the L-shaped sofa on the port side. The second step was removing the carpet, replacing it with a wood laminate for durability, ease of cleaning and easier movement for Nichols’ chair. From the beginning, Nichols wanted to stay on the boat during tournaments and any extended fishing trips, including a 30-day stay in Chub Cay where the team fished 22 days. How would he access the master stateroom and head with a fourstep staircase between the salon and the companionway while staying in his automated chair? The solution involved cutting out the staircase and attaching the entire component to a slide system with safety locks. This allows the stairs to slide aft below the salon floor, exposing a scissor-lift elevator that has the same teak-and-holly flooring to match the companionway’s. While this might seem to be a straightforward process, it was quite complex because of the number of safety measures that had to be in place. The lift cannot be activated while the stairs are in their normal position, and the lift was programmed with precise starts and stops to allow seamless transitions to the salon and companionway floors. Now that companionway access had been achieved, Nichols needed improved access to the master stateroom. The Bluewater team removed the entry door and widened the opening to 4 feet. They engineered a 4-foot trifold pocket door made of high-gloss teak to match the remaining doors. When the door is open, the master stateroom looks massive. The open concept is enhanced by the removal of a hutch on the forward wall, which provided enough room for a double-door access to the master head. The head itself was raised approximately 8 inches to allow easier transfer from the chair. All the modifications appear to be from the Viking factory—one would never know the difference. Nichol’s chair also needed modification. The Bluewater team reconfigured it tomake its profile slightly narrower to allow for a smaller-profile cockpit/salon ramp and to avoid widening the salon door. In addition, the team found smaller wheels with more swivel ability. Foldable, narrow armrests also allowed easier access to the salon. As with the bridge access, the tolerances are tight, yet the process works flawlessly. With the 2018 Big Rock tournament approaching, all the tasks were complete except the installation of the Seakeeper. The 2008-model boats were not built to accommodate Seakeepers and this job was a major project. So, the team decided to fish the Big Rock and Hatteras Marlin Club tournaments without a gyrostabilizer. Hall relates a tale about those 2018 tourneys and how Nichols inadvertently set a standard as he fished without a Seakeeper: Several of the owners and captains grumbled to Jarrett Bay Boatworks President Randy Ramsey about how rough the fishing conditions had been. Ramsey retorted, “Perry Nichols and the Knot Done Yet were out there for four days in a row with no complaints!” He labeled Nichols a game-changer, referring to how he lives his life to the fullest. After the Hatteras Marlin Club event, Bluewater had one month to complete the Seakeeper 26 installation. It was indeed a major project and included a partial cockpit deck removal and reconfiguration of the fuel tanks, along with stringer modifications to handle the stress on the hull. While the job was laborious, Bluewater finished right on time. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 4 9 M A R L I N M A G . C O M Nichols was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, which causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. Nichols’ prognosis was uncertain, because research on MD more than 40 years ago was not as advanced as it is now. “I didn’t think I would live to be 25 or 30 and here I am at 61, fishing off- shore for billfish,” he says. He has always had a passion for fishing, beginning with fresh- water when he owned a Ranger bass boat. As his condition worsened, his arms and shoulders became weaker and he was unable to cast a rod and reel. As the disease progressed, he used cane poles for crappie until he could no longer hold a simple piece of cane in his hands. Nichols sold the Ranger and gave his fishing gear to the children in his local community. A CHANCE MEETING Though Nichols had been affected by a devastating situation, he stayed positive. After I met himat the 2019 Big Rock BlueMarlin Tournament, this personal attribute is clear. His quiet personal- ity and calm presence draws people to him. Throughout his life, he’s been fortunate tomeet many people—one of those is Darrell Gwynn. He was a world-champion drag racer until an accident left him paralyzed in 1990. Gwynn has established several char- itable organizations to cure paralysis and provide automated wheelchairs to those in need; he’s also the owner of the Darrell Gwynn Ventures drag-racing team. He partners with Hooker reels and Bass Pro Shops to let people with disabilities knowhow they can still enjoy the outdoors and fishing in particular. Soon after he met Gwynn’s parents, Nichols was invited by Darrell himself to go fishing in Islamorada, using electric reels in a saltwater environment. That led to Nichols chartering a f w times in South Florida where he and Gwynn caught sailfish. According to Keith Jones, Nichols’ lifelong friend and caretaker when they travel, “They share a bond that a nondisabled person cannot compre end. It is a special and very unique friendship.” Nichols soon realized that with the assistance of electric reels with wired remotes and his own boat, he could target off- shore species, including billfish. So he told his wife, Lisa, he wanted to buy a boat. From the beginning, she supported him in his decision to fish offshore. Nichols told his friend and ch rter boat owner, Todd Porterfield, of his decision to purchase a boat. Porterfield called Earle and Chris Hall of Bluewater Yacht Sales, who showed up at Nich ls’ office in central North Carolina two days later. In late 2017, Hall began to search for the perfect boat that would fit Nichols’ needs, and another friendship began. THE SEARCH IS ON Hall knew exactly what he was looking for and he knew the timeline Nichols had in place: to fish the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in June 2018. While Hall found two boats quickly, both of those contracts fell through. Mate Mike Adkins and Capt. Mark Rogers ready the cockpit-mounted davit used to hoist Nichols aboar Kn t Done Yet . MAR0919_F-HAN_Fishing is No Handicap.indd 49 8/14/19 3:40 PM OCTOBER 2019 48 MARLINMAG.COM MAR0919_F-HAN_Fishing isNoHandicap.indd 48 8/14 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 5 1 M A R L I N M A G . C O M the entire component to a slide system with safety locks. This allows the stairs to slide aft below the salon floor, exposing a scissor-lift elevator that has the same teak-and-holly flo r- ing to match the companionway’s. While this might seem to be a straightforward process, it was quite complex because of the number of safety easures hat had to be in place. The lift can- notbeactivatedwhilethestairsare intheirnormalposition,and the lift was programmed with precise starts and stops to allow seamless transitions to the salon and companionway floors. Now that companionway access had been achieved, Nichols neededimprovedaccesstothemasterstateroom.TheBluewater team removed the entry door and widened the opening to 4 feet. They engineered a 4-foot trifold pocket door made of high-gloss teak to match the remaini g doors. W en the door is open, the master stateroom looks massive. The open concept is enhanced by the removal of a hutch on the forward wall, which provided enough ro m for a double-door access to the master head. The head itself was raised approximately 8 inches to allow easier transfer from the chair. All the modifications appear to be from the Viking factory—one would never know the difference. Nichol’s chair also needed modification. The Bluewater team the starboard side of the cockpit was impaired, and even with a nonskid surface, the aluminum was slippery when wet. Later in he tournament season, a lighter carbon-fiber ramp was devel- oped that solved a few issues. The new ramp is lighter and can be stored in the s lon when fis ing. Als , an aggressive nonskid pat- ter llowseveryonetonavigatethe ampwhen ’s inthecockpit. W t inthesalon,twochangesweremad .Thefirstwasremov- ing the s arboard-side dinette table, hich creat d a wider lane to re ch the companionway steps. Releas Marine fabricated custom fold-out table that is not attached to the salon sole, so it can be moved to the dinette or placed inside the L-shaped sofa on the port side. The second step was removing the carpet, replacing it with a wood laminate for durability, ease of cleaning and easier ovement for Nichols’ hair. From the beginning, Nichols wanted to stay on the boat dur- ing tournaments and any extended fishing trips, including a 30- ay stay in Chub Cay where the team fished 22 days. How would he access the master stateroom and head with a four- step staircase between the salon and the companionway while staying in his aut mated chair? The solution involved cutting out the staircase and attaching Thanks to extensive customization, even the bridge is accessible using the davit (opposite). Clockwise from top left: The aluminum ramp leading to the salon has been upgraded to a carbon-fiber version; wood-laminate flooring is durable and allows easier movement for Nichols’ chair; the extra-wide doorway leading into the master stateroom; a cleverly engineered scissor lift rises from the floor when the salon steps are retracted aft. MAR0919_F-HAN_Fishing is No Handicap.indd 51 8/14/19 3:40 PM O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 5 1 M A R L I N M A G . C O M the entire component to a slide system with safety locks. This allows the stairs to slide aft below the salon floor, exposing a scissor-lift elevator that has the same teak-and-holly floor- ing to match the companionway’s. While this might seem to be a straightforward process, it was quite complex because of the number of safety measures that had to be in place. The lift can- notbeactivatedwhilethestairsare intheirnormalposition,and the lift was programmed with precise starts and stops to allow seamless transitions to the salon and companionway floors. Now that companionway access had been achieved, Nichols ne dedimprovedaccesstothemasterstatero m.TheBlu wate team removed the entry door and widen d the opening o 4 feet. They engineered a 4-f ot rifold p ck t door m de of high-gloss teak to match the remaining doors. When the doo is open, the master stat oom looks massive. Th open concept is enhanced by the re oval of a hutc on the forward wall, which provided enough room for a double-door access to the master head. The head itself was raised approximately 8 i ches to allow easier transfer from the chair. All the modifications appear to be fro the Viking factory—one would never know the diff rence. Nichol’s chair also needed modification. The Bluewater team the starboard side of the cockpit was impaired, and even with a nonskid surface, the aluminum was slippery when wet. Later in the tournament season, a lighter carbon-fiber ramp was devel- oped that solved a few issues. The new ramp is lighter and can be stored in the salon when fishing. Also, an aggressive nonskid pat- ternallowseveryonetonavigatetherampwhen it’s inthecockpit. Withinthesalon,twochangesweremade.Thefirstwasremov- ing the starboard-side dinette table, which created a wider lane to reach the companionway steps. Release Marine fabricated a custom fold-out table that is not attached to the salon sole, so it can be moved to the dinette or placed inside the L-shaped sofa on the port side. The second step was removing the carpet, replacing it with a wood laminate for durability, ease of cleaning and easier movement for Nichols’ chair. From the beginning, Nichols wanted to stay on the boat dur- ing tournaments and any extended fishing trips, including a 30-day stay in Chub Cay where the team fished 22 days. How would he access the master stateroom and head with a four- step staircase between the salon and the companionway while staying in his automated chair? The solution involved cutting out the staircase and attaching Thanks to extensive customization, even the bridge is accessible using the davit (opposi e). Cl ckwise from top left: The aluminum ramp leading to the salon has been upgraded to a carbon-fiber version; wood-laminate flooring is durable and allows easier movement for Nichols’ chair; the extra-wide doorway leading into the master stateroom; a cleverly engineered scissor lift rises from the floor when the salon steps are retracted aft. MAR0919_F-HAN_Fishing is No Handicap.indd 51 8/14/19 3:40 PM Mate Mike Adkins and Capt. Mark Rogers ready the cockpit-mounted davit used to hoist Nichols aboard Knot Done Yet . 20 BLUEWATER