Boston Whaler Portable Boarding Ladder

[John Scott]

Looking for a recommendation for a portable gunwale boarding ladder for a 2004 Boston Whaler 160 Dauntless. Would appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

 

[Stinnett21]

Why not one for the transom?

 

[Stinnett21]

A fixed transom mount would be much safer but you may have things in the way, i.e. tabs, transducers, etc.

 

[JimS123]

Back in the day when closed bow runabouts were the norm, we all had what you are asking about. The storage space under the bow had ample room to store it. But even more important was that the typical OB boat had a full width transom splash well, so there was no room to put your feet and a transom ladder wasn't practical.

Then, the bowrider came of age and boats had OEM transom ladders. Thus, the market for the portable ones disappeared.

To answer your question, choices for what you want are few and far between. And basically they are all the same. So, go on ebay and find the cheapest one you can find. Or, go to any marine supply web site (like IBoats here).

 

[John Scott]

Back in the day when closed bow runabouts were the norm, we all had what you are asking about. The storage space under the bow had ample room to store it. But even more important was that the typical OB boat had a full width transom splash well, so there was no room to put your feet and a transom ladder wasn't practical.

Then, the bowrider came of age and boats had OEM transom ladders. Thus, the market for the portable ones disappeared.

To answer your question, choices for what you want are few and far between. And basically they are all the same. So, go on ebay and find the cheapest one you can find. Or, go to any marine supply web site (like IBoats here).

Thanks for your reply.

 

[John Scott]

A fixed transom mount would be much safer but you may have things in the way, i.e. tabs, transducers, etc.

 

[John Scott]

Yup. Things in the way and being 69 you it's difficult to swing legs over the rear transoms seat. Oh, to be 40 again!

 

[southkogs]

LOL ... even at 40 I was causing the boat to rock quite a bit when I loaded up over the gunwale. Here's the ladder:

JIF Marine, LLC Gunwale Hook Ladders - Aluminum or Stainless Steel

ALUMINUM GUNWALE HOOK LADDERS - NOT TELESCOPINGAvailable in 3, 4 & 5 Step Hook Depth: 7" or 11" DMT3A-7 3-STEP GUNWALE HOOK LADDER DMT3A-11 3-STEP GUNWALE HOOK LADDER Height: 40" Width: 15" Hook Depth: 7" or 11" Weight: 8 lbs DMT4A-7 4-STEP GUNWALE HOOK LADDER DMT4A-11 4-STEP GUNWALE HOOK LADDER...

www.iboats.com

Welcome aboard.

 

[Stinnett21]

Don't mean to insult intelligence but If you're by yourself, or if whoever else is with you is not friendly, don't forget to deploy the ladder prior to jumping in. That's the danger in this setup. I can easily see myself jumping in and forgetting it, especially toward the end of the day...ha.