Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

a70eliminator

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Sep 9, 2007
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3,762
Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

It does look like it's missing a rung, It wouldn't be too difficult to add one, a nice stainless piece of pipe, fishmouth the ends and tig weld using stainless rod, well not that easy for everyone I guess.
Here's an idea looking outside at my kids old swing, there is a slide with a ladder and each rung is attached with two bolts, they look like a piece of pipe smashed flat on the very end then contoured half round where it bolts to the uprights.
I would no way even suggest using them because for one they aren't strong enough for an adult, not stainless, ect. I'm just looking at all the possibilities you could pursue to make your own custom modified step.
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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51,019
Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

i think this would make her very happy.
http://www.iboats.com/Dock_Edge_Fli...93958477--**********.354631710--view_id.49357

IMG_1883.jpg
 

JimKW

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 10, 2009
Messages
397
Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

That handle ladder might work, but not sure it would mount right. It would have to be all the way back for the ladder to fold down and the shape of the boat might not allow for that. I don't want anything that looks all jury rigged, but that would definitely do the job and make it much eaiser to get on the boat.

I also don't think I could put another step on the existing ladder. I would really like one with smaller steps with the bottom being a little lower and the top one being as high up as possible leaving room to get your foot on it. I might give fabricating something a try though. Definitely the cheapest alternative and nothing to lose if it doesn't work.
 

45Auto

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2,842
Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

I sure hope JimKW doesn't see that picture, TD! He emphatically said he doesn't want a ladder folded FLAT on the platform! I can't imagine what he's going to say when he pictures that monster bolted to the back of his boat! :)

No doubt it would be much easier on the wife, for some reason I just don't get the impression that it would agree with his vision of his boat ......
 

nlain

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Nov 17, 2005
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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

RoyR is trying to get you hurt with his suggestion. :D

I know you said you did not want a ladder on top of the swim platform. The photo below shows mine in the closed position, it really does not show up that much, it is three steps, flips out and telescopes down. just so you can get an idea of how it may look. Another thought, how about a non slip pad where she would put her knee, that way she would not have to put it down on a hard surface.

2005_1016Image0017.jpg
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

i agree it would not be the prettiest thing, but when Mama's not happy, no one is. the ladder he has is the worst in the field. he does not have the capabilty to have the covered ladder like nlains, with is a good set up, we have 2 like it on the deckboat.

he does not have many options. he could move his cleat and install a handle rail to help with a longer collasping ladder.
 

rbh

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

I know we could certainly use a ladder with at least three rungs, right now we just have a single, one foot drop, so its one foot on the flat part of the leg above prop (always were sandles when I swim) grab handle, foot into ladder then up.
pain in butt
rob
 

JimKW

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

Before coming to work this morning I measured the distance from the one step on the ladder to the swim platform: 27 inches. Now that is one big step! I have found a 3 step replacement made by Windline, the manufacturer of the one that is on there. Not sure if it will work or not though.
 

83Evinrude

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

JimKW:

We have the same issue on our Glastron mostly with our parents trying to get back on board. I don't want to spend $1500 on an extended swim platform so I'm trying to come up with a longer ladder that doesn't destroy the nice lines of the boat.

A model like nlain has should work fine but I'd rather not have it laying on top of the swim platform.

It looks like yours is like ours and bolts on from underneath (ours has a notch for it in the starboard transom). I've emailed Windline and looked at their ladders and all that I've seen don't bolt on like yours and mine does.

I've even thought of buying a three step telescoping model and attaching its tubes to our mounting hardware. It seems like this would work if he tubes were the same diameter and the distance between them was the same.

Attached are some pics of what we have. Let me know if you figure something out and I'll do the same.
 

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JimKW

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

Luckily my boss is out of the office today and I just spent the majority of the day shopping the internet for ladders. Please don't tell anybody.

83Evinrude mine does not mount anything like yours. I have found a Windline SM3X that appears to be identical to mine with the rungs instead of one. I have contracted Windline and they are sending me the dimensions. I hope they include the bolt pattern cause that is what is most important to me. The cost is around $140-$160. They also make an SM2X with two steps. The 3X is 35" long and the 2X is 24". The one I have is 17".
 

This_lil_fishy

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

Definately needs more steps, although to me the mounting looks awkward as well. The fold down telescopics are the Bee's Knees! Heh...aparently they have bad knees too. Anyhow my glastron has one very much like Nlaids' boat. They are very easy to use, and the steps are close together so you can choose which ones you need. To be honest, I'd say it's your best option unless you know someone at a machine shop. They could fad up a removable one that could hook over that grab rail, much like the larger one the other poster (sorry didn't catch yer name) with the hand rails all the way up. Thus no mods to yer boat.


ian
 

JimKW

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

I'm buying a 2 step telescoping ladder that is very close to the same width as mine on e-bay for $54.50 with free shipping. Wife and I went out an measured and the three step would actual hit the ground by about four inches. The two step I am buying has shorter steps than all the others I have looked at (nine inch vs. 10-11 inch).

The overall length is 23" which means the bottom will be ony six inches lower than what I have now and the top rung will be eight inches higher than the only step I have right now. Just hope I can jury rig it to work and not look jury rigged. The overall width is 1/4" more than what I have now, but at the top I figure I could get that much flex fairly easily.

Well after typing that, I'm going over to e-bay and do a "Buy it Now".

Just finished buying it. There are nine more available. Here is the link to what I bought:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/INFL...2544400QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear
 

JimKW

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

Just an FYI for anybody looking at this trying to get ideas, here is how mine is mounted. What I am looking to do is just replace the ladder part and keep al the mounting hardware. When I'm finished I will post pictures (assuming it works) and I know what it means to ***-u-me.

IMG_1884.jpg


IMG_1885.jpg


IMG_1886.jpg
 

JimKW

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

Well I got the ladder today and took about five minutes to put it on. Perfect fit! Makes the bottom of the ladder 21" instead of 17" and the top rung is now 10" instead of only having the one at 17". Good news is you can't even tell I did something. Take a look:

IMG_1895.jpg


IMG_1896.jpg
 

jaxnjil

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Re: Wife Having Trouble Boarding When Boat In Water

sweet.let us have one more follow up on how it workes for here on the water
 
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