Practical Boat Owner — November 2017

BOARDING LADDERS

2

The swim platform measures

approximately 46in (1.18m) wide and

is 15¾in (400mm) deep. With the old

ladder removed I thoroughly cleaned up

the platform for accurate marking up.

5
Ladder steps are angled and fitted
with a plastic tread to help grip. Tube
section diameters reduce to fit inside one
another, and care must be taken to ensure
the telescopic action works smoothly.

1
This is the
new
boarding ladder
I decided to fit
to my boat. It’s
designed to be
attached under
the swim platform
and has four
telescopic steps
which fold away
inside the main
stainless steel
frame.

6
Separating the main component parts
was simple. The two pivot bolts fitted
with plastic bearing washers and Nyloc
nuts were removed so the ladder part and
the frame could be fitted separately.

3

This shows the ladder extended. When deployed in the water it will drop down 45in

(1.15m). To avoid confusion during reassembly, I used tape to mark up the orientation

of the treads, frame and the pivot point.

4

When extended, the ladder swivels

down on a pair of nuts and bolts set

inside a long slot running along the frame.

This was one of those

onboard installation jobs

where I decided that it would

be time well spent to make

up a couple of simple

templates to help me

visualise how the ladder

frame would sit, particularly

in relation to the angle of the

transom and the clearance

required under the swim

platform frame.

Plywood templates were

made up to replicate the

frame top and sides.

These included the frame’s

pre-drilled fixing points so by using these

I’d be able to see clearly how things would

best line up.

In fact once on the boat the templates

showed that although two of the pre-

drilled frame holes would line up well, the

other two would fall in unsuitable positions

on the swim platform. Holes for M6 nuts

and bolts too close to the edge of the

timber slats would make them vulnerable

to splitting away.

The most practical solution, then,

would be to

drill new holes

in the frame

itself to provide

alternative fixing

points each

side – and of

course I could

do this in

the workshop

at home.

Test first with templates

The fixing holes could be marked up on the plywood template

Templates replicate the shape of the fixing frame