Our story ...
Our story ...
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Upon upsizng from a small racing boat to a larger cruiser my 5’3” wife struggled with the height of our new deck above the pontoon. Over three seasons we bought and tried several different ladders and steps to get her safely and easily onboard, but we just couldn't find anything that worked really well. We also realised this boarding problem wasn’t limited to only my wife - many of our guests also had difficulty getting on and off the boat. We were even forced to accept that we could no longer invite one friend with some mobility issues as unfortunately our judgement was that he simply would not be able to get aboard the vessel safely at all.
Chatting with others in our club, it became evident that many others had similar difficulties but, with no better options, were making-do with the best of whatever ladder/steps they had found.
After the cost, frustration and disappointment of buying and trying various steps / ladders / stools etc. we now had a 'tick-list' of features we wanted:
〜 safe, solid, comfortable steps with good toe-space ✅(so fender steps are out!)
〜 attach to the boat, rather than teetering on the edge of the dock almost toppling when side stepping across ✅ (so kitchen-type steps were also out!)
〜 not require drilling any holes in the boat ✅
〜 not wobble - instead should give a reassuringly solid 'feel' as soon as you step on and transfer your weight onto it (the common hook-on steps were out!) ✅
〜 slope towards the vessel to aid climbing without having to haul yourself up by relying on grip and arm strength to stop falling backwards ✅
〜 narrow the width of the 'fender gap' which sometimes keeps the vessel out from the pontoon creating a gap which can be intimidating for non-boaties ✅
〜 compact and easily stowed aboard ✅
〜 easily moved and adjusted to any desired location along the toerail ✅
〜 float if dropped overboard ✅
〜 and of course: look great! ✅
Mk1 prototype proved the concept worked - there was a comfortable toe space and the steps were rock-solid underfoot 👏
By Mk3 the design was more refined but further testing revealed a better bracket and other small refinements were needed
Mk6 - ready for production!
The search for our dream boarding ladder continued as we moved on to another sailing season and by coincidence at this time there was an article in Practical Boat Owner article which stated: "Two of the most dangerous things you will do on a boat? Get on it. And get off it...."
We visited chandleries, looked around marinas, and spent endless hours googling potential solutions, believing there must be one out there. Yet after all this searching we just found more of the same wobbly, ineffective, cumbersome, and sometimes dangerous ladders/steps etc. which boat owners were using to scramble aboard. We also noted a few homemade contraptions - but nothing we saw was in any way impressing or inspiring us.
Our extensive research ultimately confirmed that there were simply no really good products available that were capable ticking all our ✅boxes.
It was then we knew we could do better: we could design and create a ladder that ticked all our boxes🤓.
Initial efforts immediately revealed we were onto something as passing boaters noticed our unique boarding ladder and voiced both admiration for and interest in acquiring one! This was just the Mk1 version - which was only really intended for proof-of-concept purposes.
After a season with so much positive feedback from fellow sailors we knew this product had potential beyond use on our vessel.
The next two years were spent continually testing, improving and refining all aspects of the steps. Compliments and enquiries continued to flow throughout and, 5 prototypes later, everyone was hopping on and off our boat with ease, in safety and now also - with style!
The Mk6 ladder ticked every box and we were ready to start making a batch of them to 'test the market'.
We decided on a name, registered it and 'Sailsteps.com' was born.
Our Sailsteps boarding ladder has been years in the making, and we are both pleased and excited to present it to fellow sailors to use and enjoy.
We are a small, family-run business and feel assured that Sailsteps will have you and your crew boarding and disembarking with ease, safety and style - looking as elegant as our handmade boarding ladder while you do so!
Some pics taken while carrying out "discreet research"...🫣
An accident waiting to happen as you step across😬 ...
Useless as a fender; should be called a 'wobble-step🥴'!
Why is it tied to a cleat🤔 and where to stow it🤔?
A plank and 2 ropes: also known as a swing😉
Even worse - 4 'wobble-steps' 😅! Bulky, but too thin to be a useful fender!
wobbly as there's no adjustment. Also needs strong arms 💪as it slopes backwards
For the Mk4 ladder paper & pencil sketches were still the norm; however as the design evolved by Mk5 the stainless steel components were designed using the latest computer aided 3D software
For the Mk4 ladder paper & pencil sketches were still the norm; however as the design evolved by Mk5 the stainless steel components were designed using the latest computer aided 3D software
Initial aluminium alloy
top bracket designs
top bracket designs
Mk6 top bracket computer aided design (CAD) for laser cutting
Practical Boat Owner
👈see PBO article
PBO's Mark Prior stated that:
"Two of the most dangerous things you will do on a boat? Get on it. And get off it...."
should you slip into that dreaded no-person’s-land
twixt pontoon and boat"
Graham Bristowe - Manager of Swanwick Marina said:
“Falls into water are high on our list of potential risks ...
While incidents are not that common they do happen”
Simon Haigh, managing director of Boatfolk Marinas, said:
“Falling into the water
is not an uncommon occurrence,
but luckily one that isn’t happening daily.
Typically, for a medium sized marina it happens a handful of times each summer season and usually less than 10 times in a year."
Another PBO article highlighting ''... the dangers of falling in while in a marina''
"... I found a crew member hanging from one of the warps, soaking wet after having fallen in when attempting to step on board from the pontoon.
He was clearly properly cold and I’ve never seen anyone look more frightened."
Interested? Contact sailsteps1@gmail.com for more information.
Interested? Contact sailsteps1@gmail.com for more information.
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