DIY pushpit Gate

[pcatterall]

Hopefully my photos will have uploaded. Its ages since I added any and I keep forgetting how to do it!!

Now we are mainly mooring stern or bow to we thought we needed to investigate the issues of getting aboard and decided we needed a gang plank and a way of getting our little old legs over the pushpit.
For the gang plank ( when tarted up it will become a ‘passerelle’) we are using the ‘ships ladder’ with light ply board over the rungs. The ladder will ( next project) also go over the stern as a boarding ladder ( held away from the inward slope of the transom by a large fender)
The shore end of the plank is suspended above the pontoon by bungey cord from the mizzen boom and the boat end by lashing to a fitting, this end is work in progress and if anyone has any bright simple ideas they will be appreciated. As ever we dont want elaborate fittings which need to be removed to sail or which get in the way when sailing.
You can see ( I hope) that the pushpit top rail has been cut but can quickly be replaced using the T fittings. I was going to remove a section of the lower rail and fit 2 more uprights to the deck but the existing measures seemed fine and some of the original strength has been retained. It would be nice to find just a straight connector rather than the T pieces but I cant see one in any catalogues. In fact only one connector is really needed as the port side of the rail uses an ‘inner tube’ to effect the ‘join’ Possibly I could make a ‘connector’ with a length of SS tube of 25mm ID to slide over the top tube and secured by a screw or through bolt.
Any comments which would help improve the pushpit gate and the gangplank arrangement will be appreciated.

 

[Cloven]

Previous boat, same problem solved as follows.

Cut out centre section of pushpit, fitted strengthening bars which also acted as handrails and then a wire with a pelican hook across the opening:

Designed more for ease of access to dinghy but would work the same.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Does it have to be tubing? I imagine that closing the gap before sailing would tend to be somewhat fiddly.

What I have is a simple length of cable with a shackle on one end and a Wichard type snaphook at the other. Simple, cheap and it works. I don't know if you can see what I mean in this photo:

 

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

... a wire with a pelican hook across the opening...

Well, my immediate thought as I was reading the OP was, Why not just use a chain with a pelican hook across the opening? But maybe work has progressed too far for that now?

Mike

 

[oldsaltoz]

I saw a very nice in in Cairns last year, the forward end of the rail tilted forward and down the side rails about 1.50 m each side lifted and when in position folded in to provide a hand rail at the top end, There was also provision for the board to be fixed into a section of the rail making the board vertical with a block and sheets to lower it ashore if need be.

I'm pretty sure i have a picture of it somewhere, will have a look and try to upload it later.

Good luck and fair winds.

 

[Graham_Wright]

We produced what we called a "Ladderelle". It raised absolutely no interest and the only example is now on my boat.

It comprises a boarding ladder, hinged at the deck and around 30" from the deck attachment and, when not deployed, fills the pushpit gap.

It can be released from the water and the bottom rung ends up around 2 feet below the water level.

The hinge arrangement locks in the other direction and so can enable its use as a passerelle.
The gap so left is filled by a wire line with snap hooks.

I commend the idea of bungies. They can keep the shore end off the quayside and avoid that horrible graunching we see so many times in France. They also give some sense of psychological reassurance holding on to them for steadying but the help really is only psychological.