Length of Passerelle in the Med

[Sybarite]

We are currently preparing our boat Arrifana a Westerly Oceanlord for taking her to the Med in May and have started to look at amongst loads of other things methods to get ashore when moored stern to and bows to.

Most people seem to have a passerelle and I planning to make one of these out of an aluminium ladder I haver but I am not sure how long it needs to be so any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Also are there occasions when you have to moor bows to without access to an along side pontoon and if so any an suggestions/ideas as to hoe you do this would also be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Mark

The length should take into account the shape of the stern: a retroussé stern will need a longer one.

 

[Resolution]

We have a GS Optima Gangway (made of polyurethane) supplied by Calibra Marine which is probably more expensive than some of the options in this thread but we are very impressed with it. Ours is the 2.2 mtr version(also a 2.6) and would not go shorter than that. Folds away nicely on stern when not in use to 110 x 15 cms weighing 12 kg. Has proved very user-friendly and safe for multiple crossings of infants to mildly infirm pensioners, heavy luggage, diesel cans etc. And, like our previous dodgy plank, it floats!

Snap! Exactly what I have, and like you I have found it works well.

 

[jordanbasset]

We have a GS Optima Gangway (made of polyurethane) supplied by Calibra Marine which is probably more expensive than some of the options in this thread but we are very impressed with it. Ours is the 2.2 mtr version(also a 2.6) and would not go shorter than that. Folds away nicely on stern when not in use to 110 x 15 cms weighing 12 kg. Has proved very user-friendly and safe for multiple crossings of infants to mildly infirm pensioners, heavy luggage, diesel cans etc. And, like our previous dodgy plank, it floats!

As a matter of interest how much was it with the fittings - thanks

 

[Carmel2]

As a matter of interest how much was it with the fittings - thanks

If you have to ask them for a quote, it ain't going to be cheap.

 

[Tony Cross]

Most people just tie their dinghies to the bow and let them float about. It's perfectly acceptable, even if you do get the odd griefer who feels it's bad form. Just make sure you move the dinghy out of the way if it's blocking the berth next to you when someone wants to get in. Some people tie their dinghies amidships, purposely blocking berths next to them. Now that is bad form, and I wouldn't hesitate to aim for the gap. Dinghies make good fenders!

If the quay is smooth, we drop the dinghy down a bit off the davits so it's sitting just above the waterline, then the passarelle can be lowered over the dinghy. Many of the larger boats do this, and we find our passarelle is just long enough to do this a lot of the time.

That's really the key problem with a dinghy on the bow. It's too easy to forget it's there once you are nicely secure, and off you go to the nearest bar for a welcoming drink. Meanwhile your dinghy has drifted into the berth next door, or is blocking the approach to the berth next door. That's what is really annoying. So IMO if you do leave your dinghy at the bow be sure to secure it close under your bows once you're moored, your soon to be new neighbour will greatly appreciate it!

 

[Seren]

As a matter of interest how much was it with the fittings - thanks

Can't find the paperwork and grey cells not responding so best to get in touch with Tziona of Calibra - 02380 403944, sales@calibramarine.com, www.calibramarine.com
The only extra fittings you need are the nylon socket to receive the aluminium pivot at the inboard end and a pulley system to control the height at the quay end - this was easy using the 'goalpost' on the stern of our Ovni. Worthwhile getting good kit here - we often board/disembark without the gangway touching the quay to get over the problems of surge etc. Didn't bother with the Optima extra of boat's name as we did a decent job ourselves using acrylic paint and stencils.

 

[dolphin]

i am using a simple wooden plank with dimension 250 x 30 x 5 cm with 4 (four) holes at each of the corners
two for lashing at boat's side and the others two for supporting ropes, holding the plank all the time 10-15 cm above the berth
last 50 cm of the supporting ropes are bungee cord, extending once you step on the plank

 

[capsco]

Have a look in the for sale section, the answer to your prayers?

 

[nimbusgb]

Motorcycle ramp. 2.1m long

Folds in the middle and stores either on end or across the bottom step.

Cost about £150 all in with a cast ali hinge T and top hats supplied from bigship.fr

I have got a hangar and lines to suspend it all from the topping lift to keep it off the hard.

View attachment 48793

I have a bag full of those wheels if anyone needs a pair!

 

[SHUG]

What I did was to buy an 8x4 sheet of 18mm plywood. I then drew out the curved shape of the gunwale and and cut two side pieces about 140mm deep which formed the main structure. I then cut cross pieces to form the treads of the walkway and made mortise joints into the side pieces which were glued and screwed in place. All in an afternoons work.
The result was a comparatively lightweight, strong passeralle , 8ft (2.4m) long, which stowed neatly along the gunwale. Sorry no pictures at the moment but I hope you get the idea.

 

[affinite]

I'm afraid that I think that most of the DIY jobs look ... "home made"

I particularly dislike the ladder with a bit of ply screwed on the back that is fairly common.
Having said all that @Nimbus G, I do like yours

How do you hang the passerelle off the topping lift when its not central ?
Doesnt it just swing around in an arc ?

 

[nimbusgb]

I'm afraid that I think that most of the DIY jobs look ... "home made"

I particularly dislike the ladder with a bit of ply screwed on the back that is fairly common.
Having said all that @Nimbus G, I do like yours

How do you hang the passerelle off the topping lift when its not central ?
Doesnt it just swing around in an arc ?

Yup, you need a guy/stay line to the transom rail to stop it. Not too bad because the topping lift then ends up off the vertical and out of the way of the shopping bags when you walk aboard!

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?423809-Passerelle-£400&highlight=passerelle

 

[Sarnia]

It's going to depend on your boat and where you can attach it. I added a stern platform to the transom, with the swivel as far aft as it would reasonably go. My passarelle is 2 metres long, also a ladder, one piece without a hinge. This is just about as long as I can comfortably manoeuvre from the stanchions where it is normally stowed.

We initially berthed bows-to when we reached the Med, as ours is not the easiest boat to reverse. However, the hassle and problems of climbing over the pulpit every time convinced us to convert to stern-to. This was when I added the platform. Although reversing in occasionally causes us some problems, overall it is far more convenient to go this way.

+1 you will see many wooden planks used, cheap and easy to stow and replace, I have an aluminum one piece with a pin that adjusts to the angle between the deck fitting and berth, at the deck end, and 2 wheels at the other, approx 2 m long.

 

[Jamesuk]

aluminium ladder I have but I am not sure how long it needs to be so any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Also are there occasions when you have to moor bows to without access to an along side pontoon and if so any an suggestions/ideas as to hoe you do this would also be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Mark

Get a blank of wood and epoxy it, The ladder might get a bit heavy once you have added to it.

Length wise, go for 8 feet.

As for mooring like another poster - Stern or bow to will be usual unless refueling then you will be side on.

When going stern to, get tyre in line with your mooring lines on each cleat and pull the lines in hard so the tyres begin to look like rugby balls. Replace when ever as they are usually given away by garages. When the boat had a force 8 gale your boat will remain pointing out to see while all the others end up losing their planks of wood (gangways) into the water etc.

Just make sure your cleats are up for it. Reinforce them if necessary.

 

[Max K]

2 metres minimum and the trade-off between swivelling or fixed mount needs consideration. Fixed is better for getting "Granny" on board but swivelling is much more adaptable to the variety of quaysides you will meet. Also, consider having more than one mounting point to accommodate different quayside heights. For example, Gaios on Paxos has a quayside less than half a metre above sea level whereas, Agia Eufemia on Keffallinia has a quay around 1.25 metres high. You don't want to be going ashore up an absailing wall or trying to get groceries back down it, too often.

Max.

 

[nigelmercier]

I bought a board that was 8 feet (2.4m) long. The end was split, so I cut of a foot, it was now too short. It does depend on the shape of the stern of course.

 

[Jamesuk]

I bought a board that was 8 feet (2.4m) long. The end was split, so I cut of a foot, it was now too short. It does depend on the shape of the stern of course.

Very true

 

[mlthomas]

Motorcycle ramp. 2.1m long

Folds in the middle and stores either on end or across the bottom step.

Cost about £150 all in with a cast ali hinge T and top hats supplied from bigship.fr

I have got a hangar and lines to suspend it all from the topping lift to keep it off the hard.

View attachment 48793

I have a bag full of those wheels if anyone needs a pair!

This looks really neat so had a look on the web and found this
http://www.theramppeople.co.uk/the-black-widow-mkii-xl
Great tip - I can see a purchase happening soon