UMaine group unveils canoe seat for Brewer High student

loading...

For more than four years, Catherine Jalbert has eagerly participated in the outdoor education offerings of Brewer High School.

But while Jalbert has proven her willingness to climb out of her wheelchair and take part in a wide variety of activities, there has been one thing she’s been hoping to do.

“She wanted to paddle,” her mother, Wanda Caron says.

In the coming weeks, Jalbert will get that chance, thanks to a team of University of Maine students and the generosity of several sponsors.

On Wednesday, that team – Phil Reed of Brewer, Joe Orsino of Ravena, N.Y., Tyler Brownell of Wells, Nathan Passmore of Pownal, and Mick Daigle of Skowhegan – unveiled the finished version of a canoe seat that was designed specifically for Jalbert, but could work just as well for many other disabled paddlers.

The capstone projects are a requirement of the mechanical engineering technology program, and Team Jalbert was one of two groups recognized for their efforts on projects that were initiated back in September.

The tenacious Jalbert was born with spina bifida and is now spending a postgraduate year at Brewer High. She has found ways to overcome many obstacles, but there was one activity that provided a particular challenge.

When she was in a canoe, where regular seats didn’t offer her a stable enough platform for her to actually paddle, she had to sit back and let others do the work.

“She’s been in the OE program for four years, and she hasn’t been able to paddle with them,” Caron said. “The only place she can sit is in the bottom of the boat. Even in the bottom of the boat, she’s not comfortable.”

Now, she’ll not only be comfortable, but will be able to truly participate in the canoeing that her outdoor education classmates enjoy so much.

Not as a passenger, mind you. A key goal for the Jalbert Team: Keep Catherine in the boat … until it’s time to get out of the boat.

“Safety was No. 1,” Reed said. “She couldn’t get entrapped in the seat if the canoe were to tip over. But if it was to roll over, she has to be able to egress easily.”

The design team began work in September and consulted with Jalbert, Caron and teacher Mark Savage. The plan went through three or four iterations before the final product was finished.

With a budget of just $300, the design team did what it could to cut costs … sometimes in inventive ways.

“There were three hinges [in the prototype],” Passmore said.

It turns out that Passmore had a ready source of hinges: His apartment, after all, had plenty of doors.

“We used the middle [hinges] out of two different doors. They were heavy-duty hinges, so we used them,” Passmore said.

The hinges were eventually returned to their original spots in his apartment, but even Passmore had to laugh about the episode.

“We’re crafty,” he said. “Limited funds, you know?”

Team Jalbert came in under budget, thanks to the help of several sponsors. Of that original $300, only about $120 was spent. The prototype would have cost $1,000 or more if all the parts had to be bought, Reed said.

The seat clamps into a regular canoe, with one necessary alteration: Another thwart has to be added in the bow for the seat to work properly.

The designers re-engineered hiking poles to serve as anchoring devices, and the seat back is adjustable. Added side support gives Jalbert the stability she needs, without confining her to the seat if the boat capsizes. A foot rest also adds comfort and stability.

“Rather than have one rigid [seat] angle the whole time, she can get into a more powerful position by bringing that seat forward,” Reed said. “Or, if she just wants to sit back and let the person in the back paddle for awhile, she can easily adjust that and just recline.”

Simply reclining doesn’t seem likely, however.

“She’s been learning all these paddle strokes in OE and she hasn’t been able to have a chance to paddle with them,” Caron said. “Now she’s going to be able to use what they’ve been teaching her.”

Caron said she and Catherine were thrilled to be receiving the seat from the students, but Team Jalbert had another surprise in store on Wednesday, as they presented the finished project.

The Allagash model canoe that Old Town donated to the team for testing purposes will also be given to Jalbert in the coming days.

Passmore, who was glad he and his team chose to tackle the project they did, thinks Jalbert will enjoy paddling it on open water after being confined to the pool during the testing phase.

“She’s always smiling when she’s in [the seat], so that’s a good sign,” Passmore said.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.