In addition to his new tiller, Philip has ordered a new boarding ladder for his Lugger.
There has been a very good response to my boarding ladders, among the very many who use them on a daily basis whilst on one of our Dragon Drascombe Lugger Charters in the South Ionian. The major benefit to my design is when starting to put body pressure on the lower tread, it will not fold under the hull of the boat. The ladder frame padded hooks fit snuggly over the Gunwale rail, gripping it and stopping the ladder moving along the rail.
Firstly on their construction and material. I only use Iroko for all the component parts; its inherent robustness and oily grain make it extremely suitable for the marine environment, and it needs no protective coat. The ladder is of a totally articulated construction. Treads are loose to slid and move and held to form its frame shape by dowels and pegs, all are easy to replace.
So when hooked onto the Gunwale rail of the Lugger it hangs, allowing the knees with protected pads on the point of contact with the hull to give it the rigidity needed to support the person stepping onto the first tread.
A small point to note is I’ve added a security line to the head of the ladder. If there is a swell and the floatation capability of the ladder is such to lift it off the Gunwale rail, it will not float away!
