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01-28-2014, 12:33 PM
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#1
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 63
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Boarding Ladder/Steps
My wife, who I just talked into owning a boat, has difficulty boarding and disembarking from our boat while traveling to other ports. I have been shopping both removable stairs and ladders to be attached to either side and find them to be extremely pricey. I've resigned myself to ladders as the stairs start @ around $2k. Does anyone have experience with these? Also, anywhere I can check for alternative sources? New Wave Fabricators ( Boat Ladders - Tide Rider Ladders - New Wave Fabrication) is the only one I've found so far with a quality product.
Thanks
Paul
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01-28-2014, 01:31 PM
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#2
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Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,143
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I made a 2 step 24 wide by 12 inch deep (top step has a notch cut down to 9" wide so you don't catch your toes) ladder with the Perko ladder catches screwed in under both boarding openings in the rail. It's made of 1x12 oak from Lowes and gets the usual approvals from others.
It's loved by my girlfriend who has trouble with many other steps and where it isn't good...we have the $15 Rubbermaid 2 step stepstool that we put on the dock.
After a couple hundred marinas between New Jersey and Cape Canaveral, both floating and fixed....99% they are perfect...the only problem so far has been the Indian River in Florida is down about a foot or a little more and some of the fixed docks are a giant step up (Titusville Muni being the worst so far)..but with the water low many are just dead level with the lower sides of my 40 Albin.
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01-28-2014, 01:35 PM
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#3
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Guru
City: Campbell River
Vessel Name: Blue Sky
Vessel Model: Nordic Tugs 42 Hull #001
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,972
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Have you looked at fender steps? We were looking for an occasional use ladder and picked one up similar to the one pictured, although we haven't actually used it yet.
FENDER STEP ®
__________________
Conrad
Berthed in
Campbell River BC
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01-28-2014, 02:15 PM
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#4
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TF Site Team
City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
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01-28-2014, 02:26 PM
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#5
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Guru
City: Longboat Key, FL
Vessel Name: Bucky
Vessel Model: Krogen Manatee 36 North Sea
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,196
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Not a bad idea, that Fender step. Thanks for the link.
__________________
Larry
"When life gets hard, eat marshmallows”.
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01-28-2014, 02:35 PM
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#6
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Guru
City: Vallejo, California
Vessel Name: Mahalo Moi
Vessel Model: 1986 Grand Banks 42 Classic
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,093
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I'm making one of these... The hardware is available from a couple of different sources.
__________________
Ray
"Mahalo Moi"
1986 GB-42 Classic
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑβΕ
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01-28-2014, 02:50 PM
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#7
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 63
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Quote:
Originally Posted by psneeld
I made a 2 step 24 wide by 12 inch deep (top step has a notch cut down to 9" wide so you don't catch your toes) ladder with the Perko ladder catches screwed in under both boarding openings in the rail. It's made of 1x12 oak from Lowes and gets the usual approvals from others.
It's loved by my girlfriend who has trouble with many other steps and where it isn't good...we have the $15 Rubbermaid 2 step stepstool that we put on the dock.
After a couple hundred marinas between New Jersey and Cape Canaveral, both floating and fixed....99% they are perfect...the only problem so far has been the Indian River in Florida is down about a foot or a little more and some of the fixed docks are a giant step up (Titusville Muni being the worst so far)..but with the water low many are just dead level with the lower sides of my 40 Albin.
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I like the idea of the sturdy oak steps but I think I'd probably need three steps which would make for a pretty heavy ladder. Are the rails made of oak as well?
I will make some measurements and consider.
Thanks
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01-28-2014, 02:55 PM
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#8
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 63
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Conrad
Have you looked at fender steps? We were looking for an occasional use ladder and picked one up similar to the one pictured, although we haven't actually used it yet.
FENDER STEP ®
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Another great idea. Thanks.
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01-28-2014, 03:02 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Port Townsend
Vessel Name: The Promise
Vessel Model: Roughwater 35
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,569
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggitoni
I'm making one of these... The hardware is available from a couple of different sources.
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That looks like the ticket. Where to get the hardware?
Sent from my iPad using Trawler
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01-28-2014, 03:07 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,870
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I think for anyone with mobility or coordination problems, a step hung by ropes that can move around is probably not the best solution.
Marine catalogs are full of steps for boarding boats or docks. Something made of stainless steel should be lighter than wood for the same strength.
Here's a start:
boarding ladder | Overton’s
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01-28-2014, 05:31 PM
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#12
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Master and Commander
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WesK
I think for anyone with mobility or coordination problems, a step hung by ropes that can move around is probably not the best solution.
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I also question the stability of a rope-hung step. Ray's solution is better.
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
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01-28-2014, 05:35 PM
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#13
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Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,143
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggitoni
I'm making one of these... The hardware is available from a couple of different sources.
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Similar to what I explained in post #2 and made for my boat.
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01-28-2014, 05:39 PM
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#14
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TF Site Team
City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggitoni
I'm making one of these... The hardware is available from a couple of different sources.
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Nice steps, Ray!
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