Curvelle, whose Curvelle Quaranta megayacht catamaran should be ready late this year, now has two slightly modified designs for mobility-impaired owners and guests.
Both designs maintain the standard Quaranta LOA of 110’6” (33.7 meters) and beam of 29’5” (9 meters). They also preserve the interior door widths and side-deck widths, which Luuk V. van Zanten, Curvelle’s founder, says already are wheelchair- or scooter-friendly. “Our original research found that superyacht owners very often had older parents who need wheelchair assistance and found it frustrating that they could not be included in the cruising itinerary,” he explains. “That’s why we addressed this factor right from the start. We obviously prioritized getting the project underway and starting the build of the first yacht, which incidentally is on schedule, before we completed the design scheme for a more specialized custom yacht.”
As to the access factor on hull #1 as well as the modified designs, the side decks measure 92 centimeters, which is about 36 inches. Consider that many wheelchairs are between 24 and 27 inches from wheel to wheel, and that organizations representing people with disabilities state doorways need to be at least 32 inches wide. Furthermore, these same organizations explain, doorways should be at least 36 inches wide—the side-deck width aboard the Curvelle Quaranta—if a wheelchair needs to turn to pass through it.
The illustration here shows how the Curvelle design team took mobility-impaired movement needs into consideration. The red icons represent electric wheelchairs, which are wider than scooters. Either way, users of these mobility products can access everything from the main deck, where all six staterooms are situated, to the saloon deck (one level above) and to the sundeck.
One change the two modified designs incorporates: electric-powered berths. These should make getting into and out of bed easier. Should someone simply wish to relax in bed without fully reclining, the heads of the berths can tilt up.
Another alteration is a larger passerelle that allows a wheelchair or scooter to ride along it from the dock to the aft deck. If owners or guests have a waterproof mobility aid, they can wheel over to an aft platform that lowers 85 centimeters (just shy of three feet) and gets netted off, as a pool. Air nozzles beneath the platform turn it into a spa.
The two new Curvelle Quaranta megayacht designs further offer two different ways to get about the decks. Owners can opt for a stair-climbing apparatus—a specially designed wheelchair that can move up and down steps. Or, Curvelle will include a glass-enclosed elevator forward on the main deck, for scooters.
For further details directly from Curvelle about these mobility-friendly designs, please fill out our contact form.
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