If your dink is in the way or you velcro
the ladder closed, if you go overboard, how do you get back on board?
I did the velcro tie for years, until my wife fell off the dock. She couldn't get out on any of the boats, and hung onto a dock attached ladder that has a bottom rung 6 inches below the water for a few minutes until help arrived and got her to a power boat's swim platform.
We removed the velcro and tied a line to the second rung from the top that hangs low enough to reach from the water.
We plan to stay out of the water, but, this will work better than before.