Boat boarding

Do all the boats you're mentioning have transom platforms? What about Passerelles? In Europe, while not by any means completely this way, most boarding is done from the stern. When boarding from the side, typically some form of ladder is required.

Are the finger piers in your marina fixed? I'm amazed at not rebuilding with floating.

Your point of looking carefully at boarding in the process of a boat purchase is very important.

IMO, all current builders. Many just don't seem to think about it, or care.

Seems all that own a boat find a way to get on and off. Shrug...

It looks like, as the docks were aligned vs. the boats in the photos, that you probably have a fairly substantial step down to the transom platforms, but that's still how you'd have to board. Issues only develop when one wants to dock bow in and the transom platform is well beyond the finger pier.

Boarding with steps for larger boats requires steps present and generally very high. It's a lot easier to step on a stern platform or use a passerelle than climbing 9 steps or so to get aboard on a larger boat.

25’ + tidal range in my part of the world. If you don’t have a floating marina/dock that first step might be a doozy

Yes and I didn't realize how big a problem I had I guess as we have boats we have to board on the platform, although one of them we could step over the side with a dock as high as the one shown.

When it comes to these styles of boats, we're not the center of the boating universe. For some of these builders, the US is a very small part of their sales.

Boarding gate and steps sounds nice but some boats have nowhere for the gate and entrance and then are the steps built in or separate and how far/many. Perhaps we need some photos of good examples of what one would like to see more often.

I agree boarding can be a problem, but haven't seen better solutions than what is currently being done.

Yes, and many areas have up to 8' variation. The worst I've seen is a lake, Fontana Lake in the NC mountains. They have about a 60' difference from summer to winter.

Your vessel needs to have boarding options . At least two ways to board, given a multitude of dock configurations out there.

My boat , I can get on from the stern platform and factory ladder and board.

Or I can board port or starboard side aft onto the factory installed steps. Onto the aft deck.
Only need a single box step to board . Which easily comes with us.
Sometimes I don’t need the box step at all.
IMO , all vessels should have two ways or more to board . No matter the size and shape of the boat.

Yes , but the difference is you want a boat that you know you can get on and off simply , no matter where you go
and dock.
Your home slip may be doctored up and work out just right for you and your boat but when you leave to travel you won’t have that luxury all the time.

“Finding” a way on and off is not much fun.

I was at Big Game/Bimini in 2018 and an older guy had charterered a 70’-ish-Euro looking yacht moored across from us. He had a nice blond companion with him—older than his “niece” would be, but easily 30-40 years younger than him.

Next morning I was walking the dock early and they were on the rear cockpit with the guy and the guy said “can you help her get off this boat?” It was high tide and the bulwarks were about 5’ higher than the dock but the swim platform was was below the dock level. He basically held her under her armpits while she reached her legs down to me , then wrapped her arms around my neck to help her in the dock.

She was hot; smelled great, was a bit embarrassed. Later the tide was lower and she was able to shimmy over the edge reboard herself. (Maybe I was hoping to help?). Later I was walking on the dock with my wife snd the companion was again on the rear cockpit and she said “there’s my knight in shining armor”. My wife looked at me a bit puzzled, and I explained how I helped. My wife didn’t roll her eyes… but maybe did mentally…

And THAT is when I realized boarding options on some boats were very poorly designed. And Back on Topic!