Boarding Stairs on the Hard?

We've looked into a couple dry storage options on the hard in the PNW for winter, but one wrinkle is a yard we talked to wants us to buy their boarding stairway for $250. but come spring, then what? i guess you leave it there and lose your 250? They said you can bring your own or a ladder, but its a little hard to do if you don't live there full time.
I don't know how they block up the hull but i figure the swim platform will be at least 6' off the ground. Seems like there ought to be a way to buy a used stair from someone leaving the yard... just wondering if anyone has run into this issue or has any suggestions?

$2.5 boat dollars. Id just buy the steps and be done with it .

Isn't that .25 boating units?

If you built your own, it would probably cost you close to that and a ladder is sometimes not as safe as stairs.

I do get the rub here that they are looking for another revenue stream. Kind of like paying for the tarp at haulout that was already on the ground and still there when you leave. Got to wonder how many times that tarp has been sold. Just keep in mind that it's the rare boat yard that is just killing it money wise. More often than not, they earn a living but not much more. I like to think some of these charges are just a means of being more palatable, so long as some imaginary line does not get crossed.

Do you really want to spend a weekend building stairs?

Greetings,
Mr. g. I never realized how low the $$AU was in comparison with the $$US unless you mean $.25 boat dollars...

How often are you going to be on the boat? You can buy an 8' aluminum step ladder for ~$80 and lock it to one of the stands.

We built our own stairs during a retrofit on Hobo for about $200 but we were living on the boat. When we a were done, we gave it to the yard to use with the condition that they couldn't charge anyone to use them.

Ladders/boarding stairs are always a pain at dry storage yards.

That's seems odd to me. Everyone in our yard (and every other yard around here) uses ladders. The owner of one particularly deep-keeled sail boat built a sort of long staircase/ladder. [Edit: similar to the post above.] Many leave the ladders under their boats, but some use a stepladder they can fit in the back of an SUV or truck, or on the roof of a car.

It's a rare day at the yard when you can't just borrow a neighbor's ladder if you haven't brought your own. There are even ladders out back that nobody claimed at the end of the storage season.

Admittedly, I'm on the opposite coast. Maybe things are different in the PNW.

Most people in the yards in my area leave their ladder underneath the boat chained to one of the stantions. I use an old aluminum ladder which is kind of on the cheap side. I don't bother chaining it. Many people want to use it, but nobody wants to steal it. I know because sometimes I have to walk around the yard to find it. I've done this for over 10 years with no issues.

That ladder has lived year round in the yard for last three years. I don't summer at that marina. When I launch the boat in the spring, I leave it behind. It is still there when I come back in the fall. (Watch this year, it will be gone when I haul in a few weeks).

Everybody here uses cheap aluminum step ladders. Some lock them and some don't.

We store our boat for the winter in a storage barn about a mile from our home. I work on the boat all through the winter. So I set up scaffolding by the boat to make it easy to get on and off when i am carrying tools and parts.

Thanks for all the inputs. I should be clear in defense of this yard i called; they did say its fine if we want to bring our own ladder, but for people that want easier and more frequent access, they simply offer this 0.25 boat buck option.
It's good to hear that many people just use a ladder, which makes sense and we won't be getting on that often or with heavy equipment.
The other problem not living close it could be a challenge even transporting a ladder. After a little research though, i'm thinking of just getting an inexpensive collapsible or telescoping ladder that's easier to transport and maybe even store on the boat in the future.

Hamrow said:

.... i'm thinking of just getting an inexpensive collapsible or telescoping ladder that's easier to transport and maybe even store on the boat in the future.

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That'll work. but do yourself (and your partner a favor), tie it off. Ladders are problably the largest cause of boat yard accidents.

I wouldn't trust my body to the cheapo aluminum ladder I have so I use my 8' fiberglass ladder when the boat is on the hard. I tie it to a stern cleat so it doesn't slip and slide when I'm using it, and lock it to a stand when I'm not.

Larry M said:

That'll work. but do yourself (and your partner a favor), tie it off. Ladders are problably the largest cause of boat yard accidents.

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Agreed and absolutely, i've already considered the best way to tie and secure it.

GFC said:

I wouldn't trust my body to the cheapo aluminum ladder I have so I use my 8' fiberglass ladder when the boat is on the hard. I tie it to a stern cleat so it doesn't slip and slide when I'm using it, and lock it to a stand when I'm not.

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Good point, i'll make sure its sturdy, we just don't have the luxury some people do that live close to the boat and/or have access... like the guy with his boat in a barn only a mile away... must be nice!

Some of the cheap, folding aluminum ladders are plenty sturdy and have muti-positioning for versitility.

Just buy wisely.

Just use a ladder.

Yes, it is nice having the boat nearby in the barn over the winter. Last winter I was able to add a hardtop to the flybridge, fabricate a new flybridge enclosure, repair lots of fiberglass, paint the flybridge and cabin with 2 part polyurethane, paint the decks with Kiwigrip, remove 4 leaky windows and fiberglass them closed, install 3 new ventilation hatches, add a stern thruster, do quite a bit of wiring cleanup and some other small jobs.

This winter we will replace the AC/DC electrical panel, install 11 New Found Metals portholes, paint the hull with 2 part polyurethane paint. Should be a good time.

Nomad Willy said:

Just use a ladder.

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Common sense isn't allowed here go away

So where is the yard you are thinking of wintering the boat?

I have a 6 ft step ladder that I lock with a simple bike lock to a jack stand when I leave for the day. Now I also have a dirt home near the storage yard where I can store the ladder when the boat is in the water until the following spring.
Strange that they want to take on the liability of building and selling stairs. Ask if they will rent, say $10/month.

I'd like to give a plug to Little Giant ladders. Super stable, folds small but extends too. Chain lock it under the boat if you don't want to have it at home. I love mine. At least go check it out.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Little-G...pacity-Type-I-Duty-Rating-14013-001/202071180

dhays said:

So where is the yard you are thinking of wintering the boat?

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Dave, two options under consideration in Anacortes are North Harbor Diesel and Pacific Marine Center

One last issue on this ladder topic as i shop for ladders. My draft is 4' 10", then i guess my swim platform is probably about a foot above water line.
I know the yard will set a block under the keel but not sure how tall/ or number of blocks... so i'm trying to estimate max ladder size needed before we get there - assuming we will secure it to edge of swim. i've called them but they're not very definite about this kind of detail question.
Anyway, with all this said, i'm hoping an 8.5' ladder is sufficient(?) the next sizes up from this are 10.5 or 12' and i'd really rather not go that large, mainly due to more difficult transportation.
I see a couple of you mentioned an 8' height, so appreciate any feedback on this...

8 ft should get you there but is there something significant to grab as you reach the top? If not then you may need the 10 ft just to be secure in transition from ladder to swim platform.
Our yard places the keel on 12" blocks. with 4 ft draft and SP about 10" above the waterline, the 6 ft ladder top is right at the swim platform. But, I have good handholds all the way up.

Wood steps are well worth it when working on a boat on the hill. I HATE lugging crap up and down ladders.