Gangway to stern of 330 Grady Express

[Blue Eyes]

Looking for suggestions on building or buying a gangway to quickly get children/dog (heavy lab) off the stern of the 33 Grady Express to the dock. I live in an area that does have 2-4ft tidal fluxuation....so it needs to be flexible.

any help REALLY appreciated!!! my back and yamaha engine covers are hurting.

 

[mboyatt]

I think posting a picture may give a better idea of exactly what you are dealing with. However, just thinking outside of the box, perhaps a portable wheelchair ramp would be an option. This would not be left in place overnight, etc.... Just used when you need access to the boat for loading. Check out www.discountramps.com or just do a google search for portable wheelchair ramps. Perhaps there is an industrial equivalent for construction projects. For example, I have seen aluminum planks that construction crews set between ladders or scaffolding to do work. I think the box stores sell these. Good luck!

 

[DennisG01]

Try googling for "boarding ramp" instead of gangway. You might get more hits in terms of buying one.

Haven't built this specific item before, but it would certainly be easy enough. Heavy duty hinges on the dock side. Attach starboard to the bottom side of ramp, where it would contact your boat -- plus a generous margin to allow for tidal movement and the typical movement of the boat while people are boarding. Use gas springs from the underside of the ramp to the dock/pier to (1) keep the ramp in a vertical position when not in use and (2) aid in lowering/lifting ramp. Or, use a damper (I think this is the right term - basically, a "reverse" gas spring) on the topsides. If you could install a vertical post on the dock (like a 4x4) you could just figure out a little rope/pulley system for deployment/retrieval of the ramp with a jam cleat or cam cleat being used to secure the rope (since you may not be able to reach a normal cleat mounted to the dock.

 

[Blue Eyes]

Thank you for your responses - I have been doing the same McGyver thinking.

One thing i forgot to add and my apologies - I need the boarding ramp or gangway to be for weekend use at other marinas...so not at my slip or drilled/secured gangway.

So something lighterweight and portable to take with us...been looking at dog ramps actually that support 250lbs...but the dog and me would exceed that limit! I need to start ramp business....there are not a ton of options.

 

[GYP-SEA]

How about 3/4" marine plywood 6' to 8' long and 24" to 30" wide with screen molding for non slip. Maybe 2X2X4-6" under center for added support ???. :hmm

 

[DennisG01]

I would go even lighter - 1/2" will be fine with the proper support. 2 or 3 square/rectangular pieces of stock running the length of the plank. I'd use fiberglass (super strong w/o being too large) so there's less worry about scratching anything (as opposed to aluminum). Something like this: http://www.mcmaster.com/#plastic-rectan ... ng/=shbf59 (click on "fiberglass" - the link doesn't work perfectly) You can make it as fancy as you want, but this will "get the job done" and be pretty inexpensive, along with lightweight. Maybe you can store it on the hardtop. Coat the wood with epoxy, and then topcoat/paint it with non-skid paint and it will look pretty nice!

Edit:
Here's another idea for the underneath supports: Get some cheap foam board insulation (pink or purple stuff at the home store). Use strips of those and lay on a piece of 1708 fiberglass. Would be a fun little project, but quite a bit more work than just bolting on some square/rectangular tube.

 

[Automated14]

I realize this is an old post but has anyone come up with anything good in the last 8 years?

 

[kirk a]

No, and I had posted a similar question earlier this year. Did not find anything that met the needs and was portable costing less than $1k

 

[Automated14]

I haven't see anything good period.... for any price. Not that money is no object, but i'd pay if it meant easy ingress/egress of the stern backed into a bulkhead with no finger dock.

I'm thinking of something that would effectively lengthen the swim platform on the Starboard side. I have an idea of utilizing the slot that the ladder pins slide into-combine that with wedges on the transom. make a small aluminum platform extension. that can slide down into the slot and pivot on the transom. Maybe even get crazy have that platform hinge and have adjustable length? definitely custom fab work. thinking of mocking something up in plywood as a beta test proof of concept.

 

[glacierbaze]

PetSafe Solvit Deluxe Telescoping Pet Ramp

SCHEELS.com

www.scheels.com

looks like a good starting point. Just do a Google image search for “dog ramps“, for more ideas.

 

[Automated14]

I bought a couple of those pet ramps and even the 600 lb one felt like it would snap in 2 when exteneded, I had lofty dreams of a giant retractable boarding ramp but I don't think it's possible with my current intellect and ability. I've settled for extending the swim platform to at least even with engines if not past it a little. I feel like this can be a pretty simple piece I cant take in and out as needed and not terribly hard to fabricate.

 

[Automated14]

Something like this. Please forgive the crudity of this model. I don’t have time to build it to scale or to paint it. I think I would put some kind of curved legs on it so it slides into and pivots on the exiting ladder mount (2 black nubs in model) and most of the weight would be pushing on the transom below water line.