Help in Boarding

[Frank]

My best crew member had back surgery this spring and is some what reluctant about climbing on and off our boat. My solution was to buy a newer boat with a walk through transom. That not being possible this year (college tuition x2), any thoughts about getting on and off would be welcomed.

 

[Dave Winiker]

Suggest a two step,folding plastic stepstool (available at most any home center such as Home Depot or Lowes for about $15.00) and lowering the life lines. Should be a piece of cake

 

[Steve Dion]

I would not use a step stool....

I would not use a step stool, because they are too unstable. West Marine has a step that is made of poly that should make boarding easier for someone with back problems.We make a step out of 2 x 8's. The damn thing is heavier than hell but solid as a rock. It is two step high and could easily be made higher. Very good for stepping on to with a load of stuff in your arms.

 

[Terry]

Hi Frank, I made a step that hangs off the...

toe rail. The step is made of one and one-half inch white PVC pipe, elbows and couplings from Home Depot. Used a SS eye bolt on each corner with rope on each side clipped to the toe rail with a clevis. Wrapped 3M non-skid around the PVC step also from HD. It is light weight, easy to move around and very sturdy. It helps my first mate and me deal with the high free board on the P42.I tried the stool, but it was difficult to store, and one more thing to prepare for docking and casting off. I leave my step attached to the rail at all times. Underway it hangs off the outside of the life lines. It cost me about $30 to build.Terry

 

[Bob Talley]

Boarding Ladder

We have an H376. My wife had a lot of trouble boarding from the dock at high tide. We found an aluminum 3-step ladder with an upper grab rail that has eliminated the problem. It's called the Little Jumbo. You won't find it in the big catalogs. You can order off the internet, but we got ours from Martin Marine Store in Cheaspeake City, MD.

 

[Clyde]

Boarding Steps with handrail

For your best crew member who can't balance very well, a boarding step with a handrail with greatly help her board your sailboat. A cheap option, if you are handy with power tools, is to make a two or three step sailboat boarding step with handrails using marine grade plywood, outdoor treated wood or redwood. An expensive option is to get a polyethylene boarding step with a molded-in non-skid surface with the optional handrails from an Internet boating supply house.Fair Winds.Clyde