A yachtsman has become the first quadriplegic sailor to complete a solo voyage across the Atlantic.

Geoff Holt, 42, from Southampton, began the 2,700-mile (4,345km) journey from Lanzarote to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, on 10 December.

His voyage was hampered by the lack of wind and mechanical problems on his boat, Impossible Dream.

His wife Elaine and son Timothy sailed out to greet Mr Holt off the coast of Cane Garden Bay.

Mr Holt suffered a diving accident 25 years ago in the bay that left him paralysed.

During the voyage, he has been aided by a carer and filmed by a cameraman, but did all his own sailing in the 60ft (18m) purpose-built catamaran.

Hydraulic technology

He told BBC News: "It's fantastic, it's absolutely wonderful to be back after 25 years to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, it is quite emotional.

"This has been years in the planning. It has been my dream to sail back across the Atlantic and I have only gone and done it."

This is the fourth time Mr Holt has sailed the Atlantic, but the first since his life-changing accident in 1984.

He broke his neck while diving into shallow water and has used a wheelchair ever since.

“ It has been my dream to sail back across the Atlantic ”
Geoff Holt

During his record attempt, Mr Holt has had to overcome engine problems and unexpectedly light prevailing winds.

He has limited use of his arms and hands and used a hydraulic push button technology to sail the vessel on the 28-day voyage.

Legendary sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnson led the tributes to Mr Holt.

"What a tremendous thing to have completed," he said.

"Geoff continues to raise the bar when it comes to sheer determination to allow nothing to stand in his way.

"I am so proud of his achievement."

Mr Holt is already the first quadriplegic sailor to sail solo around Britain - a feat he achieved in 2007.

Okay, as promised, a quick update on my joystick replacement problem on my Permobil. We were not going to let them walk all over us and simply ignore their responsibilities to all their customers. So after quite a few phone calls making it quite clear that they must bring this problem to a successful closure, a joystick became available. We were told that it was a completely different make of joystick that would be available for the foreseeable future & would also be a little bit more on the reliable side. However, when the joystick arrived it didn't really look any different from the old ones. I didn't really have any choice but to have it fitted since it arrived on Christmas Eve and the engineer had already been booked in to fit it. Even the Permobil engineer was puzzled at why they had sent exactly the same joystick as before. Anyway, it is all outfitted on the chat is working as normal which is a relief. However, been here before and have got the T-shirt........ three times, so I'm not holding my breath that this joystick is going to be any different from the last three.

If you are in the same situation as me please don't let Permobil walk all over you and abandon your situation. You may have to be firm with them but from our experience, getting a little irate does sometimes have its advantages.

I love my Permobil and I would really struggle with out it. I'm glad that they came around to my way of thinking and I applaud them for dealing with the situation promptly, rather than keeping me hanging on for months.

 

Okay, an update on my situation regarding Permobil ceasing to supply PG8 joysticks for older models of their power wheelchairs. We have been talking to Permobil and have made it quite clear that they are responsible for maintaining wheelchairs they have sold, and that means supplying spare parts. To cut a long story short they have now found some joysticks that will work on wheelchairs such as the chairman. I believe these are not actually PG8 joysticks, but are compatible with the wheelchair. I am having this replaced under warranty since it is any of few weeks since the last one was replaced. An engineer from them Permobil is visiting me on 24 December so I will update this information I came, hopefully with good news that everything is working and you will be able to obtain spare parts if needed, fingers crossed

 

I thought I would update you on the situation regarding my Permobil. I've already mentioned that I received a letter from the UK supplier of Permobil informing me that Permobil would no longer be providing replacement PG8 joystick controls. It seems the letter jinxed me as my existing joystick which was only replaced in September has developed a fault yet again. Thankfully I have got another a wheelchair I can use but that wheelchair is not equipped to use in my van so if I have to rely on it, that screws my driving up completely.

I purchased my Permobil in 2000 which isn't really that long ago. I think this is grossly unfair of Permobil to suddenly stop providing vital components for older models of their wheelchairs. If you purchased a vehicle at the same time wouldn't it be fair to say you would expect spare parts to be available for it for considerably longer than 10 years? Blimey, you can still find spare parts for cars that are 40 years old. My wheelchair cost £13,000, I was expecting to be able to maintain it for at least 20 years but it seems Permobil have put a stop to that.

Ask yourself a question "if you purchase a Permobil in 2010, will vital components still be available in 2020. 10 years may seem a long time, but when you're spending in excess of £10,000, that really isn't a very long time.

As far as I'm concerned Permobil are still responsible for providing me with spare parts and you can rest assure that I am not going to let this matter to rest.  If you own a Permobil Chairman, or any other Permobil wheelchair that you bought 10 years ago then you may well be looking at the same problem I'm having. Don't just ignore the situation because your joystick is working okay, you will be screwed if it suddenly goes wrong, we need to take action now and try and appeal to Permobil that they still have a responsibility to older customers who rely on their wheelchairs.

This is a direct quote from Permobil's own website

Customer Support Center

A good product needs a strong organisation behind it in order to achieve it's full potential. We are here to help you find the best solution to your problem whatever it may concern: wheelchairs, spare parts or accessories. You may want a quotation for a wheelchair or you have a query about shipping documents or a technical question - we will be happy to help you.

I own a Permobil Chairman which I purchased in 2000. I recently received a letter from the UK supplier of Permobil informing me that the PG8 joystick will no longer be available and is now obsolete. I have already had my joystick replaced three times in the 10 years so it doesn't fill me with confidence that this one is going to be any better in the long run.

I'm quite sure you can imagine my worry at this decision Permobil have come to, by all accounts there are 25 people in the UK, not counting the rest of the world who are still using a Permobil wheelchair utilizing this type of joystick, so the law of averages states that one of us is going to have problems with our joystick at some stage. I can't speak for everyone who owns one of these wheelchairs but I am extremely angry and actually quite worried about what the hell I am going to do if my joystick decides it's going to malfunction like it has done three times before. I only bought my wheelchair 10 years ago, it seems ridiculous that Permobil have just washed their hands of it completely. I rely entirely on my power chair, without it I am bedbound, it's as simple as that. I'm not suggesting that Permobil should continue to manufacture my particular type of wheelchair for the next 50 years, but I do think they should keep a stock of spares for those of us who are still using the older wheelchairs.

I would like to think that if looked after properly, my wheelchair still has quite a few years left in it.  As it stands, if my joystick malfunctions, I've got to bin the whole wheelchair. Car manufacturers don't automatically stop supplying spares for the older makes of car, why should Permobil be any different?

If you are as worried as I am then we need to unite and try and persuade Permobil that their decision is very unfair to all of the older customers who chose one of their wheelchairs over any other on the market.

I can tell you one thing for sure, never again will I ever purchase a Permobil wheelchair.

A mate of mine who also happens to be a tetraplegic has recently created a website selling electric leg bag emptiers. I myself have been using one of these devices for the best part of 25 years. The independence it has brought me is really beyond description. Basically, it's giving me the chance to live a reasonably independent life without having to have carers visited me several times a day to empty my leg bag. If you are in the position where you are not able to open your bag yourself then one of these devices could well be your savior. Check his website out.

 

 

 http://www.legbagemptier.co.uk/

 

I thought it would be nice to mention a very courageous chap called Geoff Holt. Although we've never met personally, I have corresponded with him by e-mail. 

Geoff broke his neck in a very similar way to me 25 years ago. He was a very keen sailor before his accident and has continued to participate in this hobby even though he has a spinal cord injury and is confined to a wheelchair on a permanent basis. Geoff has achieved so much and was the first tetraplegic to sail single-handed around Britain. I for one don't know how he does it, I think he's absolutely fantastic and is such an inspiration to anyone who suffers from a disability. People often say I'm courageous, what I have achieved in my disabled life pales in comparison to what Geoff has managed to do. 

His next venture is quite unbelievable, he is going to attempt to be the first tetraplegic sailor to sail single-handed across the Atlantic. I believe he is taking a crew but I believe that he will be personally in charge of controlling his vessel. Anyway, enough of my waffle, please visit his website and give him the your support. This guy is an inspiration to both me and probably many other tetraplegics out there. I can guarantee you that you wouldn't find me out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, I'll stick to my little fishing ponds thank you.

Good luck Geoff, I know you can do it

 

http://www.geoffholt.com/

 

Please sign now to stop them from taking attendance allowance and disability benefits from the people who really need it

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/disability-living-allowance-(dla)/dla-aa-cuts

A government green paper has revealed plans to stop paying disability benefits and hand the cash over to social services instead. Join the Benefits and Work campaign to stop these cuts by typing your first name and email address in the boxes below.

The Shaping the Future of Care Green Paper published by the DWP and the Department of Health on 14th July sets out government plans to get rid of attendance allowance and, depending on public reaction, also leaves the way clear to end the care component of DLA.
The consultation period for the green paper ends on 13 November. If there has been no significant outcry against the plans by then, it seems very likely that whichever party is in power after the next election will seize this opportunity to cut public spending by over a billion pounds a year. Unfortunately, so far, that outcry has been very muted indeed, with only a few agencies – including RNIB and Age Concern and Help the Aged - speaking out. Shamefully, at least one major disability organisation, Disability Alliance, immediately announced its support for the green paper’s proposals.

This is in spite of the fact that a report in November 2009 by the Institute for Social and Economic Research warned that taking DLA and AA from claimants and making it part of a ‘personal budget’ administered by social services will leave millions of disabled people worse off and with less independence. The lack of protest is caused at least in part by ministers deliberately choosing ambiguous terms for their plans. The green paper refers only to cutting ‘disability benefits, for example Attendance Allowance’. Some organisations with predominantly younger members clearly believe that because DLA isn’t specifically named, that therefore it isn’t in the firing line.

But they are forgetting all the deception and weasel words that have surrounded the introduction of employment and support allowance. For example, ministers said that ESA would be paid at a higher rate than incapacity benefit. In fact, it turned out that cuts in related premiums mean that many people are very much worse off on ESA than they would have been on incapacity benefits. "

If you've never heard the term "tombstoning" then basically it means jumping into the water from very high structures. This can be anywhere from 10, to 80 feet. The practice is mainly carried out by young males. If I turn back the clock 25 years it was a practice that we all participated in on a regular basis during the summer. However it wasn't called "tombstoming" in those days, we just called it "jumping off very high rocks"

It doesn't take a blind man on a galloping horse to work out that jumping from a high structure into water carries substantial risks. It is very easy for us adults to tell children that it's dangerous and they should not be doing it. Now I can just about remember what it was like to be a child. If an adult told me not to do something, that was almost a green light to go into it anyway. Young males have very little fear and don't really know the dangers they put themselves into a lot of the time. Blimey, it wasn't just jumping off high rocks that we used to get up to, When we were fishing at Berry Head in Brixham we used to climb the cliffs to get to the cafe, rather than being sensible and using the pathway. We would abseil off carparks using the hose, ride our bikes as fast as we could amongst traffic, I could go on forever about the dangerous things I got up to as a child. If an adult had told me not to do it, it would have gone in one ear and out the other.

So how can we stop kids putting their lives at risk? You can't and you won't, unless of course you lock them up from the age of 10 until they are 20. I haven't visited the places that people use for "tombstoming" so I can confirm whether or not this is already in place, but would it not hurt to make it quite clear how deep the water is at high and low water, and also to make it quite clear if there are any underwater hazards. A large red sign attached to a rock would be easy to put in place.

Now this is aimed at anyone who likes tombstoming. If you are familiar with the environment that you are jumping into then all I can say is be careful. On the other hand if you are jumping in to unknown water then you are taking your life in your hands. I was in hospital recently and there was a young lad who broke his neck whilst jumping off high rocks. Remember that once you damage your spinal cord there is no going back. The spinal cord does not repair itself so a spinal cord injury will affect you for the rest of your life. It's your choice.

The Roho cushion is arguably one of the best pressure relieving wheelchair cushions available today. However it must be setup correctly. You can't just pump a Roho up and expect it to do the job. The Roho will only give you maximum protection if you follow a few simple instructions and set it up correctly. Don't overestimate the power of a Roho cushion. If you set it up incorrectly, you may develop pressure sores

Ensure the ISOFLO® Memory Control^TM Unit valve is in
the unlocked position by sliding the valve to the right.

Inflate the cushion until all the cells are full of air. When
this is done the cushion will have a SLIGHT upward arch

Place person on cushion. Check footplates are properly
adjusted

Slide your hand palm side down to locate the boniest
prominence-usually the ischial tuberosity. If you are not
sure lift the persons leg slightly and you will feel the boney
area move

While keeping your hand under the boney prominence,
open the ROHO air valve and let air escape. Continue to let
air out until you can feel about 15mm between the bone and
the base of the cushion. The person will feel themselves
sink into the cushion

Close the air inlet valve

 

 

With the ISOFLO® Memory Control^TM Unit still in
unlocked mode position the pelvis. If correcting asymmetry
you may need to hold the pelvis in position. Once the pelvis
is in the desired position push the ISOFLO® Memory Control
^TM Unit to locked position

Contouring as per this photo after a person gets off the cushion is normal. Do not adjust air unless patient is less than 15 mm from the base. If cells look full with nobody on the cushion it is likely it is overinflated

 

 

Immersion is the aim, picture at the bottom is correct, picture above is wrong!