GangWay - usefulness?

Tim Good

Tim Good

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I have what appears to be a very expensive carbon / kevlar gangway that came with my boat. It is a MultiPlex folding system. See below:

multiplexgangway.jpg


Since we're setting off on a circumnavigation in April I am thinking of getting rid of it. It is big bulky and realistically can only be stored on deck. Do you think it is a good idea to set off without it or would I regret it?

I think if we planned to potter around the med then it would be excellent but we will ideally spend most of our time at anchor and moving around rather than in one harbour. We're also in our 30s are fairly agile.

Thoughts? Sell or keep?

Lastly does anyone have any idea how much one of these is worth or heard of that brand before?
 
Agree that not really useful for what you intend to do, but very valuable for a bigger Med based boat. Would guess new that would be £2k+. My simple folding aluminium and teak passarelle is now £600 new and I just sold it to someone on here for £250.
 
Tranona said:
Agree that not really useful for what you intend to do, but very valuable for a bigger Med based boat. Would guess new that would be £2k+. My simple folding aluminium and teak passarelle is now £600 new and I just sold it to someone on here for £250.
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Yeah it would go someway towards a new Hydrovane at least! That said, I imagine it is something I wish I didn't sell in about 20 years or so once our cruising lifestyle changes.
 
macd said:
You might consider whether a fenderboard might be useful on your travels. If so, it'd double up nicely as a gangplank, for a great deal less than realised by the sale of your designer carbon job.
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That is a really good idea, as you never know when you are going to visit a harbour only to find that the only space is against a rough concrete wall, or that you have to go bow or stern to and need something to get ashore. A fixed passerelle can actually be problem, as mine often ends up just in the right place to hit an electricty pillar or a bollard. I keep a small plank for use as either fender board or gangway where the passarelle cannot be used.
 
Norman_E said:
...mine often ends up just in the right place to hit an electricty pillar or a bollard.
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Glad it's not just me ;)

A fender board's also useful if the boat's being pushed hard onto a quay: by laying fenders inside and outside the plank, you give yourself that much more protection. No doubt northcave's going to spend most of his time on the hook, but there will be occasions when he'll have to make best use of whatever he's confronted with.
 
In your position I think I'd sell the fancy gangway and ship a sturdy plank with a few strategically placed holes for lines. Lots of uses for a plank - fender board, maintenance stage, platform for hoisting stuff aboard, strongback across a hatch to hang a tackle from, bunk board, stretcher, source of timber for repairs, etc etc. And as a gangway too.

Pete
 
prv said:
In your position I think I'd sell the fancy gangway and ship a sturdy plank with a few strategically placed holes for lines. Lots of uses for a plank - fender board, maintenance stage, platform for hoisting stuff aboard, strongback across a hatch to hang a tackle from, bunk board, stretcher, source of timber for repairs, etc etc. And as a gangway too.

Pete
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The trouble with sturdy planks, especially if they are going to be used for bows-to berthing, in which case they may need to be a bit longer, is that they are quite heavy and, depending on the boat, difficult to stow. I have had two planks and two ladder-based DIY passerelles and all have been a PITA, catching genoa sheets regularly, awkward to manoeuvre through the cockpit, etc. My current ladder-based one is 2 metres long, stowed outside the guard wires, which we have found is the least worst position for it. I am hoping that the folding passerelle that I have bought from Tranona will solve all these problems :)

I also carry a short fender board, about 1.3 metres long, that will fit inside a cockpit locker.
 
macd said:
Yes, bit on the heavy side. Mine was a length of larch, about 25mm thick, from Manx Forestry. (Not suggesting that's the place to go for everyone :rolleyes:)
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If you wanted to spend the time and effort, we see quite a few of around the dimensions of mac's but with many holes cut out to reduce weight. A neighbour in Greece bought a nice looking length of relatively light timber for a plank, having fitted various brackets and swivels it split right down the middle, so be careful!
 
Our plank is about 2.5 metres long, 20 cm wide and about 2 cm thick. It's got castors on the shoreward end plus a rope that's taken to the backstay: the inboard end has two ropes to fasten it to the cleats on the sugar scoop. It was bought to replace a folding aluminium item that proved too short at about 1.6 metres. We found we couldn't stand far enough off the quay to avoid ferry wash. It shows quite neatly against the inside of the guard rails, held in place by a couple of quick release straps. Although awkward to move single handed, it is possible but with two it's a simple job. No idea what wood it is but probably pine of some breed.
If we ever get round to venturing beyond the Med, we'll keep it on board for use if required and as a ready source of emergency timber.. If we head back to UK, I'd probably bring it ashore and replace it with a smaller lighter bit of plank for use as a fender board.
 
FullCircle said:
I am just converting a motorcycle loading ramp, folds in the middle, rated for 340kg, aluminium and under 40 quid.
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Others have offered similar good advice for good value folding boarding planks, particularly for use in the Med. I suspect the OP's priorities for his circumnavigation are relatively light weight, low bulk, convenient storage and in a material that isn't going to bash lumps out of his boat. In fact his leaning seems to be in the direction of the best possible means of achieving all these, which is to take nothing. I've suggested a simple, cheap wooden plank for the same reasons, plus its versatility*...and, not least, because it's cheap enough that he can simply chuck it away if it turns out to be too much of a faff.

* no-one's mentioned emergency rudder yet, so I'll throw in that one, too.
 
macd said:
You might consider whether a fenderboard might be useful on your travels. If so, it'd double up nicely as a gangplank, for a great deal less than realised by the sale of your designer carbon job.
Click to expand...

northcave said:
What is generally accepted material for a fender board? A scaffolding plank or is that a bit too heavy duty?
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I took a 2m scaff board around the UK on my little 8m boat and used it once (appropriately, Stonehaven). Padstow had a stock to loan. I'm going to dump it and take a 2m piece of 4" decking this year,
copying others
 
I wouldn't take anything on a circumnavigation. We left our passerelle at home and glad we did. We are currently in the Caribbean and haven't been in a marina for a year. Just the way we like it.
 
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