I've read a few posts here in the past about people falling out of their boats and almost drowning. When its cold outside and the water is cold, you have a very short time to get back in your boat before hypothermia sets in and you drown. It got me to thinking about my fishing partner and I. My partner is 83 years old. My boat is a 18' Crestliner deep V and does not have a built in boarding ladder. It has real tall sides on it that keep you dry when running in rough water, and keep you safe inside the boat. But the down side to that is that the sides are so tall, that if you do fall out of the boat, you have a zero chance of getting back in over the side even in the summer. The sides are just too tall. I take my family tubing and what not in the boat in the summer and I know from experience that boarding the boat from the water is not happening. The only way in the boat is on the boarding ladder that I bought at Academy that hooks over the side for $20 or to try and squirm over the back where the motor is. Coming over the back is extremely hard but it can be done. I dont know that it could be done in cold water though, its hard enough in warm water in the summer. Anyway back to my fishing partner. He is 83 and in pretty good health, but there is no way that he could pull me up out of the water if I fell in. I'm 6' 245lbs. If the water was cold, I would probably die. Like wise, if he fell in, I dont know that I could pull him up, he is about 5'10" and around 200lbs. I am in good shape, pretty strong, but trying to pick up dead weight over the side of the boat, even if he was trying to help, and being wet on top of that, would just be dang near impossible. Point being, I bought that boarding ladder from Academy for $20 and it folds up flat and stores in my rod box against the wall of the boat, right next to the throw cushion. I also keep one of those foil blanket things that is supposed to bring your body temp up when you start getting hypothermic. It fold up in a nice little package about the size of a deck of playing cards.

How many of you that don't have boarding ladders keep one in your boats? I'm just thinking out loud here, thats all. But I think its a good idea that if your boat doesn't have a ladder on the back of it, to buy one. Their cheap, they fold flat, and they may save your or your fishing partner's life. Its also a good idea to get one of those foil blankets to warm you up if you do fall in. I know that summer is coming up and this is not so much a worry as it was in say December. Like I said, I'm just thinking out loud here and rambling, thats all. Stay safe out there guys.

Boarding Ladder
Emergency Blanket

Academy has ladders made out of rope and pvc and they lay pretty flat and don't take up any room (cost around $30, but it appears easy to make one). You hook it around a cleat. Maybe have one hanging off the back of your boat.

I am thinking about making one, to hang off my bow cleat, to make it easier to climb into the boat from the bow without getting wet, after I have beached the boat.

http://www.rnrd.com/mpa.main.html#

eladder is always there and out of the way

After my wife fell in, the light came on and I decided that I should not be without one myself. I fish by myself a lot and have been known to get dunked by a hidden stump. I purchased an e-ladder from BassCat. It bolts up to the same holes that my Merc uses and all you do is pull a spring loaded pin out. It drops down and gives you a place to step up. The ladder you are talking about has advantages but, if by yourself, it could be ugly.

Keep in mind that your 83 year old fishing partner will probably be unable to assist in boarding. in fact, he will be nothing but dead weight and probably be exhausted or in shock. Therefore, the ladder needs to be of sufficient length to allow the man overboard to gain purchase to the bottom rung with no more effort required than swinging the extended legs forward and resting the weight of the body on the lowest rung. This will allow the man overboard to lend the greatest amount of assistance in his reboarding.
Could be a neat project for you, to custom build a ladder that will meet these requirements.
Good luck in protecting your fishing partner.
J.B.

Thats why I bought the solid ladder instead of the rope ladder. The one in the picture has three steps, but the one I bought has four. It works perfect for boarding because the bottom step is down in the water and you dont have to struggle to get your foot up so high to get on the ladder.

Rope ladders are fine for younger stronger people in warm water. But in cold water when its an emergency, they are dangerous. They are hard enough to climb when your not scared and panicing. I had one of those first, its on the bottom of Eagle Mountain lake.

Just another thought, those eladders are good if you are fishing by yourself because the ladder that I have does me no good if I am fishing by myself. Someone needs to be in the boat to hang it over the side. I hardly ever fish by myself, and NEVER fish by myself in the winter or at night.

I wish everyone would think ahead like you have. I went fishing with a friend in his big 23" center counsel. I was throwing a castnet from the front of the boat, got my feet tangled in the net & in I went. He had no ladder, but luckily I was able to reach up & grab the railing. Climbing back in was out of the question. The water was cold, but I held on until he was able to get me to shore. He had no blankets..nothing & it was Dec. Talk about being cold ! Never thought it would happen to me.