Newbies trying to Board

Hi - sorry for this very green question. We are very new to boating and have a 1987 Bayliner Capri. My wife is less than athletic and has fallen just getting into the boat. Is there anything we can do, such as attaching a rod to hang onto? Or is it just practice?

thanks!
Les

Re: Newbies trying to Board

What model is your Capri? The cuddy version has notoriously high sides, and not much room to enter/exit. Best way in or out is to step right on the seats. You can also get some grab rails at a marine dealership or a hardware store (like the ones you'd put in a bathtub) and mount them strategically for her. A small step-stool inside the boat might help, but then you have to store it somewhere. . .and like most Bayliners, interior space is something you don't have much of!

Re: Newbies trying to Board

Welcome aboard, good question. Safety is important. Note: falling while getting onto a boat is common (at least for my family). Do you have a bimini top or something to grab? Probably not given the question. I make sure that I get on the boat first and give everyone a hand stepping on the boat and down to the deck. I also have a bimini top which I use and encourage others to use to steady themselves.

Re: Newbies trying to Board

Keep the boat close to the dock. I'd rather give scratch the paint than have someone fall. As mentioned above, give a steady hand to those entering the boat, if needed.

If you are launching the boat from a trailer each time, you can also teach your wife how to run the boat. Have her get in on dry land and be the one who backs it off of the trailer. That way she is in the boat from the start.

Depending on boat height in relation to the dock, she could either sit on the dock and swing her legs into the boat (if the dock is higher than the gunwale). The other way is for her to sit on the edge of the boat and swing her legs around 180 degrees to get into the boat. I had my 90 year old grandmother do it the same way. She was scared at first, but beaming ear to ear during the entire time on the water.

Re: Newbies trying to Board

Thanks to everyone for the replies. It's a Bayliner 1700 and I had thought of getting the Biimin top just for the grabrails! The bathtub type grabrails sound like a great idea! In the meantime, I'll see if she can sit down and swing around into the boat.

thanks again for your thoughts and patience!

Les

Re: Newbies trying to Board

I bought my one boat, an 18' cuddy cabin, from an older couple. The last owner built a small wooden step and ladder that stows neatly under the gunwale and he kept a boarding ladder for loading at low tide. The ladder was just one of those curved top swim ladders that would normally hook on the side of the boat to allow a swimmer to climb in. It weighs near nothing and folds flat when not in use. I launch from a ramp with no dock so I hop into my boat from a nearby piling or over the stern while shoving off into deeper water so I've not had to deal with loading at a dock.

Re: Newbies trying to Board

This may sound obvious but it's something that a lot of us know by instinct or take for granted and I've found is useful to tell people. I make sure to explain that once they put a foot into/onto the boat, they need to transfer their weight to that foot immediately. Problems seem to arise when people have one foot on the dock and one in the boat, and they then drive the boat away from the dock.

Re: Newbies trying to Board

Thanks J Howard and that's exactly the problem she had! She put one foot off he boat and couldn't get up the gumption to move the other foot. Then (of course) the boat moved slightly and she was almost caught in a spread eagle! I should point out - in fairness to my wife - that this ramp has no cleats to tie the boat and so we just tied to a nearby tree; not very stable at all.

Les

Re: Newbies trying to Board

The biggest problem we have is when we beach. I usually get out and ground the boat before bringing her off. She still wants to get off over the sides as she hasn't gotten comfortable with the walkaround. Later, I will add a boarding ladder to the front. (on the honey-dew list)