Boat Ladders?

[BoatNoobie]

So I dont want to drill new holes or have a permanent ladder on my boat.

I need 1 for when we start tubing and such. Toss it in the boat for those outings. And leave it at home when I go fishing.

It's a small 16'5" aluminum boat. Lowe FM165 to be exact.
Dont have any good pictures, but this will give you an idea of what it looks like at the area I want the ladder to be.

So I'm looking at the hook type ladders. I see iboats has a few for sale.
http://www.iboats.com/Original-Gunw...47532385--**********.132295298--view_id.38199

Does anyone have any experience with this type of ladder? It states it goes over the side, as in port and starboard, or transom? Or all 3?

I dont get how the hooks are measured. Which size should I get? I dont see how much weight it supports either.

Or is there any other options I should look at.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ladders?

hook on ladders are a royal PITA.... you could easily mount a more permanent solution to the transom just to the side of the outboard such as a small swim platform.... Otherwise since you plainly said you don't want to do that then basically they are just one size fits all except that some have more steps than others.

BTW yeah port or starboard.... probably not transom at least on your boat since both hooks would have to be hooked at the same height..... picture taking a short ladder and just bending the end over to make a hook..... then make it floppy and set it up with a couple spacers to hold it away from your hull.

there ya have it... a boat ladder

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ladders?

try this
http://www.iboats.com/Garelick-Outb...50460094--**********.684640061--view_id.38751
or this
http://www.iboats.com/T-H-Marine-Reboarding-Ladder/dm/*******.150460094--view_id.685972

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Boat Ladders?

I mounted this one on my boat and it's always there when you need it.

http://www.basspro.com/Folding-Ladder-Universal-Mount/product/803/-374128

It doesn't take up any room inside the boat, and will be there incase of an emergency... like if I ever fall my dumb butt over the side while fishing over 45*F water.

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: Boat Ladders?

my first boat had one of those dam hook ladders used it once or twice then it just took up space. for what its worth it held me at all of 200#'s not saying thats what there rated for just saying that one held me. for the most part if your pulling kids they should be able to get on the tube if they fall off and from the tube they can hop in the boat thats what i did.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: Boat Ladders?

do you have a splash well? because i would love to have one of those transom ladders for my boat but i got a huge splash well so i have to put a ladder over the side never used it yet

 

[ziggy]

Re: Boat Ladders?

i have one from the old days. '75ish. it works ok.
i don't know if they have any measurements either. from what i've seen, any will work.
imho, they are not as easy to get up as you would think they are. i've used them before so can climb up them. i had my 'ol ladys son out with us last season. he'd never used one, also weights a lot (at least 200#). he had a real hard time using it to get back in. he had no experience getting back in a boat at all. so it don't come natural i guess.
myself. i just use the drive. use that as the first step. grab the rail and one jump using the drive and then pull myself up onto the boat. i'm 51. but i've also been doing that since i was 16.

imho. the hook on style is better than nothing. my 'ol ladys son would never have got in using the drive. he just don't understand cause he's got no experience.

they are also painful to store... mine is under my back to back seats. out of the way but difficult (not readily) to deploy..

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Boat Ladders?

I've got one of those folding hook-on ladders and as others have said, it's a PITA to have to store it all the time. I am looking for a permanent transom mount ladder now.

The hook-on ladders come in 3 or 4 step. Get the four step, you won't regret it. The hooks come in two sizes, 7" and 11". That is the "grip" size of the hook. I would guess from you photo that the 7" would be better suited than the 11". They are pretty much all rated about the same for load capacity at about 250Ib.

 

[stevtech]

Re: Boat Ladders?


Hi, Lowe 165. We tried an over the side ladder. Wife couldn't use it. We got this one at Cabelas, is great. I have had it on for almost a year. No problems at all. Wife can get in and out of the boat if it is in the water or on the trailor.

 

[blifsey]

Re: Boat Ladders?

It doesn't take up any room inside the boat, and will be there incase of an emergency... like if I ever fall my dumb butt over the side while fishing over 45*F water.

I was going to mention the same.

 

[ken52]

Re: Boat Ladders?

When you guys are talking about a folding hook on ladders are you refering to the ones that go over the gunwall?

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: Boat Ladders?

I use the lower unit, have a folding ladder on my 16'6" alumacraft what a pain. ade a rope ladder that hooks on the bow for swimming works well, boat stays steady (doesn't feel like going to flip. The rope ladder has a stip that if far enough down in water that you can get on the step by step up to flip over bow.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Boat Ladders?

What ever you do don't even think about trying one of those rope step ladders.

They are as useless as the folding ladders. Just hook it over a cleat . . . right?
First off the rope ladder "steps" all "float". Try getting your feet in floating steps!
I bought two last season and returned them real quick after trying one of them out.

But the reason rope or folding ladders don't work is the sides of most small boats are angled in which throws your weight outwards making them almost impossible to use.

If a boat was real high and straight down the folding ladders would work. If a boat was that high it would probably have a small swim platform anyway.

I have two small rigs that I'm finally going to mount a similar ladder to what Stevetech shows in his pic. For the few holes it takes at least it's solid and safe and always there. What if I fell out of the boat and I was alone, a ladder stored in the boat is useless. Like another poster has said already if you hit the water and it's 45 degrees you are not climbing over the motor, you will probably drown and try climbing over the outboard wearing a vest!
I always have big difficulty using the lower unit to climb back in even when it's 90 degrees out and I'm very fit.

I'd like to get some feedback on someone who has used the one in the link smokeonwater posted the
T-H Marine Reboarding Ladder. But I doubt if that one would be easy to use and it's very pricey anyway for what it is.

I will probably go with the small swim platform type although I don't like that Basspro model because of the springs it uses. I might look for a stainless model.

But I'd like to mount something this season, because using the lower unit scares me if someone ever hit the key or even the power trim which works without the key
Also, there are greasy parts on the outboard like the steering tube etc. when using the lower unit which can make it dangerous if you have a guest with you climbing back in using the lower unit.