The Captain’s Launch (2025)
Photos by Josh McDaniel, Brad Deal
(This is part of a series on the 11 projects designed and built by classes in the Louisiana Tech School of Design at MedCamps of Louisiana.)
MedCamps Executive Director Caleb Seney: The Captain’s Launch was completed just before Memorial Day and was officially broken in earlier this summer. The Captain’s Launch provides storage and staging for our wheelchair accessible ADA compliant paddleboats. It allows us to dock the boat and roll a camper in a wheelchair on to it to cruise around the lake. The project is our first attempt at solar power at camp and just weeks into camp, the project is already paying dividends. We look forward to hundreds of campers enjoying it this summer and thousands of campers enjoying it in the years to come.
Tech Professor Brad Deal: The Captain’s Launch brought Kendell Webb, an alumna of the 2015 studio, back as an instructor. Using donated steel and houseboat floats, the students built the camp’s second floating structure, an inviting and calming space to help timid campers ease into the water. Floating floors with fixed roofs gave us a few mechanical and structural challenges, but the team met them head on.
We were especially proud of the solar array that powers the boats, an investment that will serve the camp well for years to come.
Program Summary: A new fully accessible paddle boat launch for a summer camp for children with special needs.
Program Statement: The Captain’s Launch transforms a shaded cove into an accessible waterfront haven for campers facing the greatest barriers to boating. Custom-designed floating ramps and slip bumpers let wheelchair users gently roll aboard pedal boats outfitted with remote-controlled trolling motors—empowering participants to enjoy open water without ever leaving the safety of their own wheelchairs.
By repurposing reclaimed houseboat floats, jet dock modules, and 55-gallon drums, the floating deck adapts to changing water levels and revives a once-inactive portion of the lake. Additionally, an adjacent amphitheater was restored, and a new fishing jetty expands on-site programs.
Drawing inspiration from the humble tugboat, this simple, inviting form features a pointed bow in the floor plan, sloping guardrails that echo a hull’s profile, and a gear-storage “bridge” for paddles, life jackets, and supplies. A sturdy steel roof crafted from donated drill stem and rod offers shelter and supports a 1.2 kW solar array that powers evening lighting and recharges boat batteries. Every detail underscores safety and dignity: an expanded-metal ribbon in the deck, paired with a matching linear skylight overhead, marks the moment campers become captains of their own vessels.
Named for the final stanza of William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus,” The Captain’s Launch lives its motto: “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” By offering universal access to the water and celebrating each participant’s journey, it invites admiration for both its humble materials and its profound impact.
Project Team:
Professors: Brad Deal, Kendall Webb
Students: Blane Buras, Juan Colorado, Emily Deshotel, Cooper Dewitt, Kaitlyn Edwards, Lauren Ellzey, Ellie Falcon, Connor Fonseca, Lorraine Freeman, Nyaleima Gbondo, Alexander Gibson, Travis Heard, Mitchell Jones, Grace Julius, Kyle Kieronski, Emma Lee, Macy Mclean, Kingston Nicholas, Travis Oehlert, Jacob Rodrigue, Wanda Ryba, Gavin Savois, Ashton Schlotterbeck, Elliott Scott, Phillip Stephens, Rian Woods.
____________________________________
MedCamps programs are completely free of charge to all campers with special needs. If you would like to support future projects at MedCamps, events, sponsor a campers attendance financially or volunteer please visit www.medcamps.org or email info@medcamps.org for more information.
