Please select your home edition
Edition
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350

Ten Tips for choosing the right boarding ladder

by Sail-World Cruising on 15 Aug 2012
Boarding Ladders - photo by West Marine SW
Every boat of a certain size needs a boarding ladder. But choosing the right boarding ladder for your boat could make a critical difference to your life on the water some time in the future.

Here are ten tips to help you make the right decisions:



1. Firstly it's only the very strong-armed who can pull themselves up the side of a boat of any size without some assistance, either from above, or from a boarding ladder. So when choosing a boarding ladder it's an excellent idea to work out a way of releasing it from in the water. While it may be useless in a stormy sea, it can nevertheless be useful in calm or enclosed waters, especially if you are on your own. One good method of doing this is to have the boarding ladder set into a swim board, but this involves stern mounting, which raises another issue.

2. Boat ladders must extend below the level of the water to be effective. Ladders with at least 2-3 rungs below the surface are the best, but this means they must either fold or be removed when underway.

3. Ladders should be mounted so that the steps extend far enough into the water to make climbing aboard as easy as possible and at a spot that's convenient for boarding. For example, stern ladders are quite common on sailboats, but this is frequently where the motion of the boat is the greatest. On sailboats with a fixed pushpit, a better place may be on the side, near the cockpit, where the lifeline gate is located.

4. Comfort and security is important, particularly for those less athletic. Broad, nonskid treads are better than 1' stainless tubing, which can be remarkably painful under bare feet for some people.

5. Finger and toe security is also important, so the best ladders are those that stand off away from the side of the hull, because that provides clearance for small digits.

6. Side rails that extend above deck level provide a handy place to grab.

7. Construction is another decision. You'll probably have to decide between stainless-steel, aluminum or plastic. Aluminum is lighter and less expensive, while stainless-steel looks better and is stronger. Plastic treads are fine and are quite comfortable.

8. Whether you decide on a removable or fixed ladder depends greatly on the type of sailing boat:
Swim step ladders hang down from swim steps and usually fold up on top of the step. Since the swim step is so much lower than the side of the boat, these ladders generally need only 1-3 steps.
Transom ladders hinge up and down and generally match the appearance of the pushpit.
Removable ladders fit in brackets bolted to the hull or deck. The brackets have keyhole slots that hold the ladder securely, yet allow it to be removed quickly for storage.
Many ladders fold in half so they can be left in place without dragging in the water. They can be used while folded when boarding from a dinghy and extended when swimming. They are also easier to stow.

9. Rope ladders are flexible, collapsible and lightweight, but they're not ideal as a primary ladder because their flexibility makes them difficult to climb. Try in calm water before you rely on them as your sole reboarding method.

10. Finally, how to choose the right sized ladder:
First measure the height of the freeboard to the water, you then should plan to have 2 rungs / steps beyond this distance. Depending on where it is placed, this could be a long ladder and so most are designed to fold or be easily storable.

There is another issue to consider - can you get back into your dinghy unaided? If you can't then maybe you need to consider a some kind of ladder for that too!

Selden 2020 - FOOTERSwitch One DesignB&G Zeus SR AUS

Related Articles

Quick thinking averts disaster for Magellan
Back racing in the Melbourne Osaka Cup, thanks to a fast, smart response In the early hours of Sunday, April 6, quick thinking and cool heads aboard Magellan averted what could have been a race-ending rig failure, just off Ambitle Island in Papua New Guinea.
Posted today at 2:42 am
For the love of small, fast boats - the Cape 26
Chickens, eggs, and boats. Until now, had never, ever put that lot together! The proverbial chicken, an egg, and boats. Not entirely sure I had ever pondered that until after my recent conversation with Davey James and Mark Mills. The genesis for the discussion was the reveal of the new Cape 26 OD....
Posted on 6 Apr
Sail Port Stephens Passage Series overall
Cream rises in phenomenal finale at Port Stephens It was a fitting finale to the 2025 Sail Port Stephens Passage Series (Commodores Cup), with crews aboard the 105 yachts enjoying the kind of premium sailing conditions that attracts boats from as far as the Gold Coast and Melbourne to the event.
Posted on 6 Apr
Emma Wilson crowned outright champion
Overall winner of the 54 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca Winner of the Women's iQFOiL windsurfing competition, Great Britain's Emma Wilson has been crowned outright champion of 54 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels.
Posted on 6 Apr
Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS overall
Great Britain tops medal table as the event enjoys a fabulous finale The showcase curtain-raiser to the new Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, Mallorca's famous 54 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels started in perfect sunshine and seabreezes last Monday and today came to a fabulous conclusion.
Posted on 5 Apr
Two golds for Australia at Sailing Grand Slam
Grae Morris and Zoe Thomson have claimed a gold medal each at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía regatta Grae Morris and Zoe Thomson have claimed a gold medal each at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía regatta, held over the past six days in Mallorca, Spain.
Posted on 5 Apr
Melbourne Osaka Cup Update - Alive charges north
The fleet is scattered from Queensland through to Micronesia Alive is on the move, gliding north like a great white shark, silently closing in on the fleet and picking off competitors one by one. The race now stretches over 2,500 nautical miles, with boats scattered from Queensland through to Micronesia.
Posted on 5 Apr
Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS day 5
It's a fab four in a row for Beckett but Saturday is Medal Day Sofía as the first major Olympic sailing regatta of the Los Angeles 2028 cycle, the Balearics' giant 54 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels rolls into Saturday's big finalé, the Medal races
Posted on 5 Apr
Sail Port Stephens Passage Series day 4
All sweetness and light airs With the switch flicked to signature Sail Port Stephens conditions, sunshine and a light south-westerly, the stage was set for a banner edition of the 2025 Passage Series on Thursday.
Posted on 4 Apr
Vaikobi Launches New Board Short Collection
With a buy second pair half price deal Vaikobi, a leader in high-performance ocean sports apparel, is proud to introduce its latest collection of men's boardshorts: the Newport Boardies and Paddle Boardies. Designed for comfort, sports versatility and hydrodynamic efficiency.
Posted on 3 Apr