Pushpit Access

alahol2

alahol2

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Joined
22 Apr 2004
Messages
6,129
Location
Portchester, Solent
www.troppo.co.uk
We normally board the boat (from the dinghy, swimming) via the stern ladder then over the pushpit. SWMBO has now got severe arthritis in the hip so finds it almost impossible to get her leg over (so to speak:D). Can anyone suggest a way to make the horizontal, central bar of the pushpit easily 'droppable' so that she can just step through? It needs to be relatively rigid and strong when in place but easily moveable.

FFSTERN.JPG
 
Does it absolutely have to be a bar? Many modern boats would just have a pair of wires across there, with hooks so they can be removed.

Depends whether your corner frames relay on each other for mutual support, I guess. If so, you might have to add an extra leg to each one, coming down to the transom at an angle.

Pete
 
My Dads' late model Centaur had a boarding ladder on the transom, and a drop down bar on the pushpit secured by a single wing nut on a chain, the join had overlapping solid 'halves' of the tubing. It was simple but very useful.

It would mean removing the pushpit, but I've found Chris at CB Marine by Chichester Marina is an excellent stainless fabricator, very reasonable too; no connection. 01243 511273
 
prv said:
Does it absolutely have to be a bar? Many modern boats would just have a pair of wires across there, with hooks so they can be removed.
Pete
Click to expand...

Yes, I had thought of that and I think it would work, the corners of the pushpit, I think, would stand alone.

Seajet said:
My Dads' late model Centaur had a boarding ladder on the transom, and a drop down bar on the pushpit secured by a single wing nut on a chain, the join had overlapping solid 'halves' of the tubing. It was simple but very useful.

It would mean removing the pushpit, but I've found Chris at CB Marine by Chichester Marina is an excellent stainless fabricator, very reasonable too; no connection. 01243 511273
Click to expand...

I can picture that and it sounds ideal. I wish it could be done without removing the pushpit. I'll have to think if it's possible to fabricate a joint off the boat and bolt it into the cut ends of the tubework.
 
colhel said:
I think I'd be more inclined to fit pelican hooks to the guard rails, either by allowing the whole wire to drop or having a shorter peice between two stanchions and boarding from the side.
Click to expand...

I think it may eventually come to that but we have quite high topsides and to get a swim ladder deep enough into the water it would need to be about 5 or 6 feet long. I may have to do it anyway so that SWMBO can alight onto a pontoon/other vessel more gracefully.
 
alahol2,

in case it's any help as a supplement, one grand plan I have after going overboard from my tender at the mooring is to have my plastic flexible ladder ( Mastep I think, I was kindly given it, useful though it's not exactly a delight to use ! ) ready bundled up at the cockpit coaming - the transom in my case but could be at the sides to help Mrs alahol on pontoons etc - with a line so I can grab and deploy it from the water.

As for pelican hooks on guardrails, I am a huge fan of these and use them every time I board from the tender; vital for MOB stuff, and at pontoons I double the wires back to the central stanchion leaving the cockpit clear to step in and out of.

I have known lots of people attacked by arthritis, usually active fit people; it's a complete sod and I wish you and your wife all the best getting round it.
 
Curcumin in curry may help....

Some research on antibiotics indicate some infections may be the cause although as it's an auto immune condition any anti inflamatory will assist in reducing symptoms

Doxycycline may prevent joint destruction by stabilizing cartilage

Worked for me, 3 months of doxcyline ( only after showing doctor research papers from trusted peer reviewed medical journals) and now curry every other day.
 
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Thanks Seajet, I've got quite a long length of Mastep folding ladder at the bottom of a locker somewhere, no good to get out of the water on our boat because it disappears under the boat when it's that low. A couple of treads midships each side may well help with pontoons/dinghy. Removable lifelines are on the agenda.
Ianabc, thanks, SWMBO is currently waiting for a replacement and is often dosed up on ibuprohen etc.
 
To keep the BBQ support, cut the horizontal bar near midships and fit a 90 bend, a short vertical and a SS round base, all easily available, baseline if nothing cheaper or loca.. You can fit SS eyebolts through the new bend before installing and to the stbd pushpit and fit wires with a pelican clip.
No welder or fabricator needed, perhaps rigging supplier for the wire and pelican clip.
 
colhel said:
I think I'd be more inclined to fit pelican hooks to the guard rails, either by allowing the whole wire to drop or having a shorter peice between two stanchions and boarding from the side.
Click to expand...

I've made gates in the guard wires and use a step fender adjacent to shrouds (as handholds) for boarding from the dinghy. Much safer than stern if any rise/fall.
 
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