Boat U.S. - March 2008 - (Page 49)

plicated. For more details on the ladders tested as well as rankings, visit our web site at BoatUS.com/foundation. Important lessons we learned about boarding ladders: 1. Looks can be deceiving; just because it appears simple doesn’t mean it’s right for your boat. Designs vary widely so consider your boat’s hull shape and freeboard before buying. 2. A few minutes spent testing your ladder in calm, warm water could save you time and hassle when you actually need to use it. It might even save your life. 3. Proper technique is critical. Practice boarding with your ladder so you’ll know exactly what to expect should you need to get out of the water quickly. 4. Many ladders need additional rope and/ or a carabiner or clip for attaching it to a ring or cleat on the boat. 5. Price is not necessarily an indicator of performance. Even a simple looped dock line can be workable when needed. The key is to test it out beforehand so you’ll know what to do in an emergency. Video Testers determined that while boarding over the side of the jon boat was possible, boarding at the bow or stern was much easier. Among our test ladders were some distinctive designs. One ladder made specifically for RIBs had a unique, S-curved design that hugs the hull of a RIB perfectly. A slight outward contour on the bottom step provides better leverage. Though well suited for the RIB, it was not a good fit for the jon boat or the Whaler. In contrast, the Whaler’s vertical slab side was perfect for an all-aluminum, three-step, fully rigid design with hook-style arms. Bearing a close resemblance to its permanently mounted cousins on bigger boats, it was unusable on the smaller RIB and the jon boat. The least favorite ladders were the ones that floated, scraped arms and legs or got tangled, making deployment com- 6. Finally, keep your ladder within a short reach from the water, don’t stow it in a locker where you won’t be able to get to it once you’ve gone overboard. After all, if you can’t reach it, you can’t use it; and if you can’t use it, you may not be able to get back in the boat at all. You never know when you’ll need a little help reboarding your boat, so be prepared. For more information on our testing methods and results as well as video demonstrations of boarding ladders, visit our web site at BoatUS.com/foundation. — By Amanda Suttles Boat Ladder Test Results Manufacturer and Model 5 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 3 2.5 2.5 2 2 # of Rungs 1 3 1 3 5 4 1 5 3 2 1 Highest Tester Rating on: RIB, Jon, Whaler Whaler, Jon RIB, Jon RIB, Jon Whaler, RIB RIB, Whaler All Whaler Whaler Only** RIB only** Not for Small Boats Material webbing/rope plastic/aluminum/rope plastic/rope webbing/rope plastic/webbing plastic/rope dock line rope plastic/rope plastic/aluminum aluminum/rope plastic/rope Retail Price $23.99 $84.99 $24.99 $42.99 $124.99 $24.75 $12.99 $31.99 $39.99 $50.99 $29.99 Web Site www.clevel.com www.garelick.com www.davisnet.com www.clevel.com www.plastimo.com www.plastimo.com www.westmarine.com www.sea-dog.com www.garelick.com www.plastimo.com www.doylemarine.com C-Level Sea Steps Safety Ladder Garelick Inflatable Boat Ladder Davis Swim Stirrup Reboarding Ladder C-Level Sea Steps Safety Ladder Plastimo Five-Step Safety Ladder Plastimo Rope Boarding Ladder 10' Length of 5/8" Polyester Line Sea-Dog Step 5 Rope Ladder Garelick EEz-In Gunwale Ladder Plastimo Folding Inflatable Ladder Doyle Quickstep Boarding Ladder **Low ratings for two of the test boats brought average down, but ladder received exceptionally high ratings on one boat as noted. Stars: 5 stars (highest rating) - 1 star (lowest rating) BoatU.S. Magazine March 2008 49 http://www.BoatUS.com/foundation http://www.BoatUS.com/foundation http://www.clevel.com http://www.garelick.com http://www.davisnet.com http://www.clevel.com http://www.plastimo.com http://www.plastimo.com http://www.westmarine.com http://www.sea-dog.com http://www.garelick.com http://www.plastimo.com http://www.doylemarine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Boat U.S. - March 2008

Boat U.S. - March 2008 Contents Behind the Buoy BoatU.S. Reports Member Forum Cap'n Drew Sailing the Sidewalk Aviators Ahoy Docking and Duffing Waterfront Living: Charleston Waterfront Marketplace Grady Right 2nd Time Around DIY: Keeping the Water Out Hot Tips Boat Smart Ask Chuck Foundation Findings Tangled Line At Your Service Good Foundations BoatU.S. Exchange Behind the Boat Where Our Flags Fly

Boat U.S. - March 2008

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