dock steps

[labrador]

I'm in at a new marina and went from a fixed pier to a floating dock. As i have an aft cabin getting on and off the boat necessatates a set of boarding steps. Wow was I suprised at what they want for a 3 step polythylene with an aluminum rail! The cheapest I could find was over 200.00 plus shipping! Anyone have any suggestions as to where I can find something cheaper?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I built mine out of treated lumber and screwed it down to the dock.

 

[Trojan]

I did the same only mine was a 5 step.


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[Norm Mayer]

My 44' tricabin came with what I believe was original equipment Marquip 5 step stairs that fastened to the boat with special fasteners (mounted permanently on the boat on both sides). The bottom of the stairs is on wheels so it can move with the boat as it moves, Including up and down. Marquip is still in business, and they want a fortune for replacements. What I did was buy an extra set of fasteners from them and mounted them on a 4X4" wood platform bolted to the floating dock. That way, they didn't have to be disconnected every time we went for a ride, which is every week!

I also bought a Marquip ladder (used, for a few hundred $) from Sailorman (Fort Lauderdale, FL) that I keep on the boat for when we were out cruising to other marinas, restaurants, etc. It can be installed with quick release pins in a matter of a couple minutes. I have found this to be a very good system. The steps have special pins that are bolted to the boat on the side rails to store them when traveling, but for a short, temporary hop, the ladder is much quicker and easier to deploy.

Hope this helps. PM me if you want more information and pictures. By the way, when I went to Sailorman's store, they didn't have the ladder. They took my name and number and put them in their computer. Lo and behold, we got a call a few months later and they had come across the ladder I wanted. It was not in perfect condition so I had to do some repairs and refinishing. But I got the ladder at a CONSIDERABLE savings from what Marquip wanted new. I even did some modifications. It was a five step ladder. Longer than we normally needed. I cut the bottom two steps off with a hack saw, but made stainless tubes that will fit inside of the original tubes and fasten with pins, so I can add back the two steps if I ever need them!

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

I have the same setup as Norm. I got my steps from a man who was replacing his 7 step boarding ladder for $100 (complete with handrail). I cut it down to 5 steps. Quick release pins make it easy to take on or put on.

I also read some time back 'somewhere' where a man needed a boarding ladder and wasn't willing to spend $1800 on a new one so went to Home Depot and bought a folding attic ladder and cut it down to size, put wheels on the bottom and clamps on the top for about $120 total. It folds up when not in use and also has a handrail.

 

[Trojan]

I also have the Marquip steps. But I found the home built steps worked better. They can be made wider than the Marquip for the guest that are not to stable. They do not move around as much as the Marquip. They only tilt when the waves move the dock. The Marquip go one way, the boat goes the other, the person on the steps goes OH SHi#. I made my steps rise up and down both directions of the dock with a center hand rail. I was lucky the new boat on the opposite side to me is the same height so the steps go the full width of the dock with a large boarding platform at the top. The ladies love that. Don't get me wrong, the Marquip steps are great when we travel. But I don't care for the moving around because of the wheels. Even though they are needed. I also built me a single step from aluminum that will fold up and fits the Marquip mounts that I use when I dock at a fixed dock or one that is taller than the floating dock.




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