boarding ladder

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bcbouy

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i'm looking for an idea for a portable boarding ladder that would work for a utility boat.i want to be able to haul my old,fat arse into my boat instead of heading to the beach for a swim.has anyone got any ideas? i've been looking online at the ones available but i'm not sure about the rope ones that look like the will push under the hull as soon as i try to push up on them.some ingenious soul on the site has surely come up with something already,no?pleaser help before it starts to really get hot up here.
 
BC - you are very correct about the rope ladder not working !!!!!!
the young and hardy can handle the ladder all the way under
the hull - but us more seasoned veterans need something that
will STAY vertical when 200lbs of body weight is applied.
You may have to either fabricate your own or pay the big bucks
for one that will work, and stow easily when compacted for storage.
I have used the basic rigid ladder that flips over the side with braces
that "try" to keep it vertical - but a pain to store with limited room.
I am presently refurbishing two 14 footers and will put the single
fold-down step on the transom like DaleH showed here while back.
Mine would be strictly for emergency re-entry into the boat if someone
falls out - - - not for recreational swimming.

Let us know what you find !!!
 
I have one of these on my Grady White and it works great. You could mount it many different ways, I have it on a swim platform but it could me mounted directly to the transom with some imagination.

I would never attempt to swim off my 14 fter, I am sure I would swamp it trying to get in lol

but it would work. Mine has 4 steps but then I have a big boat that its mounted on (24ft)

I found it for under $100 but I cant remember where

https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=14306&familyName=Windline+Over-Platform+Drop+Ladder
 
well,i know i can swim off my 14 ft. g3 ,3 years ago i accidently knocked my prescrpition sunglasses off my face and they went over the side and i went in right after them,and yes,i did manage to snag them.my wife was a bit perplexed as to why i suddenly went over the side though.i had a hell of a time getting back into the boat waaay out in the middle of the lake.i think i used the motor as a step.
 
One of the SPONSORS of this site...is The Rescue Step. I haven't used their product, but it looks pretty good. richg99

https://therescuestep.com/

Homepage_Slide-tm.jpg
 
To get out of the water, you really need a step well below the hull. That is where that one I made up from a Vance Mfg step shines, plus it is also a feature of that Rescue Step. Too bad the Vance step isn't made anymore ... and they sure don't give the R-Steps away, as are very pricey!

But BcBuoy ... I have a 2-step SS swim step like in the attached photo hanging around my shed. If you think it could work for you ... just pay for the shipping and I'll send it out to you ...
 

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richg99 said:
One of the SPONSORS of this site...is The Rescue Step. I haven't used their product, but it looks pretty good. richg99

https://therescuestep.com/

Homepage_Slide-tm.jpg

That looks like something I Need. Thanks for the link.
 
I have a whale tail on my motor and carefully use that as a step to get into the boat but it's not easy and I don't think I'd want to rely on that in cold weather.
 
One can get creative with adding steps, as shown below, but the biggest safety feature (to me) of that safety step, Vance step (sadly no longer sold), or a vertical marine "boarding ladder" is when it puts the bottom rung well below the hull bottom so one could just step up onto it and get most of their body weight out of the water using their leg strength.

Many of us, as we age, just can't get ourselves out of the water using our upper body strength alone.

Link = https://www.kaffenbarger.com/FS2797CH-Heavy-Duty-Cast-Aluminum-Folding-Step_p_2780.html

Even a typical boat 2 or 3-step vertical boarding ladder" could be affixed to the tin hull pretty easily. Here's how I attached my Vance step so that no holes were below the waterline:

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appreciate the offer daleh,but i don't think it would work.if i can't come up with something the rescue step may work,but they are spendy.i just went to check on my motor,which i've had running in the garage to break it in,so far i'm up to 6 hours and it hasn't even seen open water yet :D and i can't use the rescue step.i have side mounted seat benches in the rear and the only way to attach them is with riv nuts and if i screw even one up i'm screwed,plus no backing plate,so back to the search.
 
A member of Tin Boats Old Bill built a boarding ladder.
You need to go to the Jon and V boat forum and then to the first sticky. Scroll down to the section for innovative and different stuff. Then click on "Old Bills emergency boarding ladder"
 
DaleH said:
Ouch ... off tooic, I myself would NEVER break in a motor by running it in a barrel or on muffs ...
how is it any different than on the water??right now it's running 1/4 throttle without the prop and it's in gear.
 
lckstckn2smknbrls said:
A member of Tin Boats Old Bill built a boarding ladder.
You need to go to the Jon and V boat forum and then to the first sticky. Scroll down to the section for innovative and different stuff. Then click on "Old Bills emergency boarding ladder"
i could build something like that with some aluminum and some aircraft cable we have laying around our shop at work.i'm going to roll it around in my melon a little bit.just need to think of a way to mount it to the transom.
 
I wanted something more permanent and I could use wearing coveralls soaking wet in 35 degree water. I fish as soon as the ice is off the lake. Morning air temps are low 30's and water temp isn't much higher. I wanted a ladder that will extend into the water and is secure. I may only get one chance to pull my butt out before hypothermia sets in.

In the folder up position the ladder is out of the water.
GOPR1350.JPG


In the deployed position the bottom rung is about a foot below the water line and the second rung up is at the water line.
GOPR1352.JPG
 
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