Making Fishing Available to Everyone

Most Amelia Island residents know that large numbers of fishermen take to the area's inshore
and offshore waters each year in search of a wide variety of fish. Some fishermen are in search of a
tasty meal, some prefer the thrill of landing a hard-fighting gamefish and others may simply enjoy a
beautiful day on the water. Now, thanks to the hard work of a local charter captain, those numbers
of fishermen now include the physically challenged.

Captain Steve Hair makes fishing charters available to everyone.
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    Captain Steve Hair of Amelia Anchors Away Charters has modified his 36-foot charter boat, Ye
Ole Pirate, to provide physically challenged anglers with an opportunity to enjoy both inshore and
offshore fishing trips. The modifications to Ye Ole Pirate include a wheelchair ramp and a large
number of additional handholds.
    The idea of offering fishing charters on a specially-modified boat came to Hair, a Fernandina
Beach native, about three years ago when he was the captain of a 23-foot charter boat. He began
to take people who were physically challenged out on the water, and he immediately realized it was
a very rewarding experience.
    "I have fun fishing," Hair says, "but there are people who don't get to do it. That's why I wanted
to do this."
    Hair had grown up very familiar with the problems faced by the physically challenged. He had to help care for his brother who was paralyzed from the waist down. Also, his brother-in-law, an avid fisherman, was electrocuted and lost an arm.

Last year was the first full year that Captain Hair ran charters on the newly-modified boat, and he was very pleased with the response, considering his amount of advertising was minimal. He made
35 chartered trips with physically-challenged clients. This year, Hair said he expects that number to
double.

Ye Ole Pirate features a wheelchair ramp and extra handholds
for physically-challenged anglers.
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For more information on Amelia Anchors Away Charters, please call Captain Steve Hair at
(904) 277-2086, or e-mail him at aaacharter@aol.com.