2024 Tennessee RiverLine Summit Presented by BoardSafe Docks
BoardSafe Docks is pleased to partner with the Tennessee RiverLine to support the development of North America’s next great regional trail system.
The 2024 Summit is happening now at the Lodge at Pickwick Landing in Hardin County, TN.
The interactive forum offers planning sessions, outdoor excursions, water trail workshops, accessibility awareness, and networking opportunities.
Tennessee RiverLine’s vision of a continuous water trail experience begins where the Tennessee River forms in Knoxville, TN, to its confluence with the Ohio River in Paducah, KY. It includes 652 miles of paddle trails and touches the four states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Improving accessibility to the Tennessee River is a dream for anyone who enjoys kayaking, canoeing, and spending time on the water. Their full vision is laid out in the booklet here: Tennessee RiverLine Vision Booklet.pdf
Accessible recreation by BoardSafe
The desire for accessible recreation in and by the water offers new economic opportunities, encourages ecological stewardship and conservation, draws people to the water, and promotes better health for its citizens. Kayaking, canoeing, and fishing opportunities connect people to their communities. The advantage of ensuring that entry points offer universal access ensures that paddlers with disabilities and mobility limitations can be included in activities along with family and friends. Educating others about universal access has become a significant part of BoardSafe’s Mission. Our goal is to assist others in understanding that “accessible” is not synonymous with “adaptive.” Paddlers with physical disabilities and mobility limitations require additional adaptive features to enter their kayaks and get out on the water. When BoardSafe’s Kayak Launch was designed, BoardSafe’s team collaborated with a group of paddlers in wheelchairs who provided input into the launch’s features. These meetings ensured the necessary features were not overlooked and would be developed to the extent necessary to provide the accommodations paddlers in wheelchairs require for safe entry into their vessels. Equitable access ensures all paddlers may enjoy the beauty, diversity, and history of the Tennessee River and beyond.
What makes BoardSafe unique?
BoardSafe’s unique applications for improving accessibility with their adaptive features, paired with the design integrity of their floating dock system, continue to make them the industry leader and expert in accessibility for all. Ultimately, the user experience is improved for everyone who uses their launch systems for kayaking or fishing.
BoardSafe’s manufacturing takes place in Fleetwood, PA, but as a licensed contractor in Tennessee, they have a strong presence helping to improve accessibility with their adaptive kayak launches and fishing piers. Their pedestrian bridges, gangways, and rowing docks also improve access points throughout the state.
Representing BoardSafe Docks at RiverLine’s Summit are Tom Warchol, a BoardSafe Partner, Kelly Bealls from the Business Development Team, and Bill Bogdan, an adaptive sports enthusiast who has partnered with BoardSafe to share the important message about universal access for all.
Helping non-disabled people gain a better understanding of the features required for inclusive fishing and paddling is necessary because, all too often, launches are built and deemed to be accessible when they’re not. When a paddler in a wheelchair can enter their vessel safely and with minimal assistance, their experience is life-changing. The paddling experience is improved for the adaptive paddler as well as those kayaking with them. Here is a video of Bill using BoardSafe’s Adaptive Kayak Launch independently: Adaptive Kayak Launch at Lake Chaminwood
Accessibility in the outdoors
Tennessee RiverLine is a catalyst for new investments in outdoor recreation and infrastructure that will create jobs and stimulate the economy. Successful paddle trails should ensure proper accessibility that includes features for paddlers in wheelchairs. Paddling and kayak fishing are a great part of their rehabilitation and exercise routine and it gets them out on the water with everyone else.
When accessibility is at the forefront of the design process, the paddling experience will be improved for all users. Communities investing in accessible infrastructure will benefit economically and ecologically, will improve public health, and draw more people to the water.
BoardSafe prides itself on developing a trusting and respectful relationship with our clients throughout the manufacturing process. Our team understands our products’ impact on communities and has witnessed our product designs improve lifestyles for the adaptive and recreation-loving communities we serve. We are proud of the partnerships we develop with our customers and appreciate the opportunity to develop our customers’ visions and turn them into legacies of waterfront inclusivity for generations to come. Through the power of partnerships and collaborative planning, great things are happening in Tennessee!
BoardSafe Docks is the industry leader in adaptive kayak launches and fishing piers, gangways and pedestrian bridges, rowing centers, and marinas. We specialize in design consultation, engineering, and manufacturing, and will work with you to ensure your project is accessible to the widest range of users. You may learn more about BoardSafe Dock’s projects through our website at BoardSafeDocks.com or by calling 610-899-0286.
Shawnee Mission Park Marina Upgrades: Easy Access to Canoes, Kayaks Debuted at Popular Johnson County Park
Have you seen Shawnee Mission Park Marina’s updates? The largest park in Johnson County and the most visited park in the entire state of Kansas has reopened after a $1.6 million renovation.
The popular marina at Johnson County’s Shawnee Mission Park opened last summer after undergoing extensive renovations that began in November of 2022. The popular new features include a massive new ADA-accessible dock, a new ticketing booth, dock-level bathrooms, upgraded security cameras, and a storage facility for the marina’s 85 boats.
The final addition to the park’s impressive amenities is a BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch. Visitors can rent kayaks, tandem kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, and pedal boats to launch into the lake. The inclusive features offered by BoardSafe’s kayak launch provide all paddlers with a steady platform to enter and exit their boats.
The feature-rich launch provides universal access with its ADA gangway, tiered, step-down boarding bench, a roll-cage offering an overhead grab bar, grab straps to lower oneself into their vessel, and a stabilizing kayak chute with pull bars for a stable entry onto the water. Everyone knows that getting in and out of a kayak is often the most challenging part of kayaking. BoardSafe’s inclusive features improve the user experience for everyone—young and old, novice and experienced, paddlers with mobility limitations, and even paddlers in wheelchairs.
Long-term planning and preparation paid off
The project cost was approved as part of the county’s capital improvement plan for 2022. However, the marina improvements serve as part of the department’s long-term Shawnee Mission Park Master Plan, which dates back to 2003. Johnson County cares about its community and is committed to achieving its long-term goal of providing a state-of-the-art, inclusive recreation facility for the community.
What’s new at the park?
The park had an aging marina and storage building. The new building underwent significant improvements for accessibility. The improvement project also included the addition of new restrooms and a customer service counter. The park offers a lake, beach, beach house, marina, and floating docks for boating, paddling, and fishing.
The aquatic manager for the Johnson County Park and Recreation District reported that thousands of boaters use the marina’s rental services each season, and they are fortunate to bring the best to their community. High rates of usage support how facilities such as these are important draws for communities. Close-to-home recreation brings communities together and provides inclusive recreation for all, no matter the ability or disability.
Paddling builds inclusive communities and improves quality of life
As the county better accommodates all visitors, many local leaders have recognized the popularity of paddling and the need to provide safe and convenient access in and out of the water. BoardSafe’s well-known inclusive adaptive kayak launch allows people in wheelchairs to safely transition into their kayak and get out on the water. The launch system has been designed and engineered with input from adaptive paddlers to identify features that will improve the paddling experience for all users and ensure that family and friends can paddle together.
Economic benefits of building an accessible kayak launch
- Promotes tourism A kayak launch can attract tourists to the area and increase annual visitors to the trail. Visitor spending will increase revenue to shops, restaurants, gas stations, and hotels and appeal to nature, history, and culture enthusiasts.
- Job creation The construction and operation of the kayak launch can contribute to the economic development of the community by creating jobs for residents, such as construction workers, small business owners, kayak rental operators, and paddling guides. River and lake communities attract and retain skilled workers and businesses. Economic development inspires entrepreneurship and generates tax revenues for municipalities and states.
- Increases property value Inclusive access to a kayak launch can increase property values in the area, which can benefit local property owners and help spur economic development. Homeowners desire close-to-home recreation and are looking to connect with friends, family, and nature through outdoor recreation.
- Offers inclusive water access An accessible kayak launch will encourage more people to participate in outdoor activities on the water. An inclusive launch brings family and friends together and offers a healthy activity for people with mobility limitations and disabilities. As more disabled paddling groups look for recreational opportunities, a fully inclusive launch will draw adaptive paddlers to the water. In turn, this will benefit the local economy by promoting spending on outdoor gear, related activities, and services.
- Offers increased recreational opportunities An accessible kayak launch can provide new recreational opportunities for residents, which can improve the overall quality of life in a community. A gentle paddle down the river and sightseeing through calm waters on lakes offer associated health benefits and improve the overall quality of life.
- Environmental benefits Accessible kayak launches can benefit the environment by helping to protect local waterways and wildlife by maintaining the health of our most valuable natural and cultural resource.
Working together achieved results
For this extensive project, the Johnson County Parks and Recreation Department worked with design firm SFS Architecture on the project’s concept design. BoardSafe was brought into the planning for their experience and expertise in designing and building accessible floating docks. They understand the impact projects like these have on communities. With over 30 years of construction experience and 20+ years as the industry leader in dock designing, engineering, and manufacturing, BoardSafe knows that each location and installation presents distinct challenges. Water flows, tidal fluctuations, and environmental and habitat considerations, all need to be considered
when selecting the optimal dock configuration for each site. How the products fasten to the shore must allow for movement under varying marine and traffic usages. These variations—as well as ecological considerations—are carefully calculated.
BoardSafe has designed over 20 different launch configurations that can be customized to their customer’s launch site, which makes BoardSafe stand out in the marine industry.
Click here to view the 20 different kayak launch layouts that will affect pricing.
For this particular project, launch option #2 was selected with a 4 x 20 single rail gangway and a 20’ kayak chute. BoardSafe takes pride in knowing we put our customers on the right path to obtaining the best launch configuration for their site.
BoardSafe was pleased to help Shawnee Mission Park achieve their accessibility goals. To learn more about the most durable and accessible aluminum floating launch system for your location, contact BoardSafeDocks.com today at 610-899-0286. BoardSafe’s team will help you find the ideal solution for improved accessibility to and around the water.
Customer Service and Experience Put BoardSafe Ahead of the Rest
Are you scouring the Internet looking for a kayak launch that is truly accessible—one designed with input from paddlers in wheelchairs?
Are you in search of a kayak launch that is structurally sound, durable, and won’t get washed away in the first flood or demolished by a high wind storm?
Do you need help understanding how long your gangway or kayak chute should be? Or what size freeboard you’ll need? Do you understand what size floating dock will work best for your application? Are your stakeholders clear about what to budget for your accessible floating dock system?
Get your questions answered with BoardSafe Docks
If you have questions like these to be answered, BoardSafe Docks is here to help.
BoardSafe takes the time to help you understand the features and factors you need to understand when considering an accessible launch system.
BoardSafe Docks designs, engineers, and manufactures marine access products that positively impact communities. BoardSafe improves accessibility for all paddlers in order to improve everyone’s paddling experience. For paddlers in wheelchairs who require additional adaptive features to enter and exit their vessels, the launch’s inclusive features are life-changing and offer adaptive paddlers the opportunity to be out on the water with family and friends.
BoardSafe’s experience and expertise set us apart from the rest
BoardSafe is not just selling a commodity—We’re selling an experience and creating paddling adventures for those looking to enter their vessel safely and easily. Improving access to water is a big investment in your community, and when it’s done, it should be done correctly. We’re confident about our dock-building experience and our ability to help you find the best solution for your site conditions. It’s worth your time to give us a call.
We frequently hear that our customer service is unmatched by other dock-building companies who are only interested in selling a dock. BoardSafe takes pride in knowing we’ll put you on the right path to obtaining your accessible kayak launch, and that our system will work, customized for your site with one of our many launch configurations illustrated here:
https://20491040.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20491040/BoardSafe%20Kayak%20Launch%20Layout%20Options.pdf
Learn more about what BoardSafe offers to our customers in this video:
BoardSafe, the one-stop shop for design, construction & installs of adaptive water access equipment.
With over 20 years of experience in the marine access industry, BoardSafe knows and understands what it takes to build structurally sound, durable, maintenance-free marine access products. Because we are industry experts, BoardSafe’s innovative designs and solutions can provide accessible solutions for accessing your waterfront safely and easily. Call us for more information at 610-899-0286 or contact us through our website at BoardSafeDocks.com.