Larry Cooper has always liked to fish. So much so, that since 1978 he made a yearly trek from Idaho down to Cabo San Lucas to reel in the big ones. And although he had to take a brief hiatus from sportfishing after he sustained an SCI in a car accident in 1992, he vowed to never give up the sport he so dearly loved.

Six years later, after designing a wheelchair-accessible boat, some adapted fishing equipment and a barrier-free house on the beach, he was back fishing on the Sea of Cortez. Today he is happy to offer other wheelchair users the opportunity to experience this exciting recreational activity.

Making the Boat Accessible
Finding a sportfishing boat that could be adapted for wheelchair users was quite a challenge for Larry. After an extensive search, he purchased a 37-foot Egg Harbor sport fisher, and hired a crew to sail it to Baja from the East Coast.

Then the real work began. First, Larry designed a hoist for boarding and to access the  bridge. Then he added a fighting chair mounted to the deck, as well as lockdowns for folks who want to stay in their own wheelchair. After the adaptations were completed, he christened the boat "En Caliente," a phrase used to describe the heat of the battle when reeling in a big catch.

There is barrier-free access to all areas of En Caliente, except for the head, which is down four steps.  Larry was quick to find a solution for that that too.

“People who cath, can do that in the salon,”  Larry says. “And if you need to sit we have a portable head that we can move into the salon for you.”

Additionally, Larry has a whole collection of adapted tackle for anglers of all abilities. En Caliente is available for charter, but Larry is happy to take wheelchair users out for free.

“My payment is being able to go along and see the joy,” Larry says.

Accessible Lodging in a Beachfront Villa
En Caliente is docked right outside Larry's beachfront home in Los Barriles, just north of Cabo San Lucas. He also has a two-bedroom wheelchair-accessible villa – Villa Tranquillo - available for rent.

Villa Tranquillo features barrier-free access and includes a bathroom with a roll-in shower. A wheelchair van, as well as a wheelchair-accessible ATV, are also available for rent. Or if you’d prefer to leave the driving to someone else, Larry will pick you up at the airport in an accessible van.

Las Barriles is a pleasant little village of about 1,500 people, half of whom are Americans. 

“As of last year, it’s all paved and you can wheel anywhere in town from the villa,” Larry notes.

Larry encourages wheelers to come down and join him for a fun adventure in this sportfishing capitol of the world.

“We are fun, customer-oriented people. People who don’t like to have fun need not come,” Larry says.

For more information about Larry’s offerings, visit www.bajaenterprises.com or just give him a call at (866) 727-7986.

Candy Harrington is the editor of Emerging Horizons and the author of Barrier Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide For Wheelers and Slow Walkers. She blogs regularly about accessible travel issues at www.BarrierFreeTravels.com.

See Related Articles
If you’d like to enjoy Pacific Mexico from a cruise ship, then read Accessible Cruise in Pacific Mexico.

And for some accessible fun on a much smaller boat, check out Adaptive Kayaking.