Cabin Ladder Woes

[Simon]

Hi, my 78 H30 entry ladder seems a bit small for the boat. The footsteps are thin and the whole ladders seems a bit uncomfortable. Has anyone replaced it with a wider, more "comfortable" solution?Simon

 

[Bill]

steps

Simon, don't know if it's the same design. But I replaced the steps on the front of the engine box on my 1983 834 a couple of years ago with wider ones. The dogs were especially intimated by the narrow steps that came with the boat. It was an easy matter of removing the steps off the metal frame, then making larger ones (filling the gap between the old steps and the engine box) using the old ones as a pattern.

 

[Simon]

Thanks Bill

Your solution is the one I was thinking about and will probably go with. But in searching the archives found some nice designs for future project. My present ladder is just that, two ss tubes with 3 inch steps, not very "user friendly". I am thinking maybe to link the ladder frame somehow with the motor cover thereby giving it more stability.Thanks for sharing. Simon

 

[Gil C. - the Wanderin' One]

Easy way to break a leg.

I too am not sure of your design. I did the same thing on my '86 H31 a few years ago as Bill did on his boat. Just remove the old step boards, make larger ones, and you may have to put a brace board strip under the wider steps at the engine cover to support the steps.

 

[Steve Dion]

Steep.

Simon:You steps are quite steep. This is not the same case as with the H'31/H'34 where the treads are narrow and have a space between the step and the mounting board. We have modified our like Bill & Gil by just putting wider treads. You will have to replace your entire step to correct the problem on the H'30. There are places like H&L Marine that can make you new steps that should blend with your existing interior. Minnie's Surplus in Costa Mesa, CA may also have some surplus that would work for your setup too.