Finding the Right Boat Ladder

The Question

During the summer, as folks are more frequently going for dips in the waters they play in, we frequently get questions similar to this: "I have a 1997 XYZ 27' Bowrider Boat, I'm trying to replace my boat ladder. Help!!!"

The Answer

Most often, these boaters are trying to exactly duplicate the ladder they had on their boat to begin with; essentially they're trying to avoid drilling new holes. Unfortunately, this is sort of a bad news/bad news proposition.

First bad news: if your boat is more than 10 years old or so, it may be tough to find an exact duplicate of that ladder. Second bad news, if your boat is newer the boat manufacturer may be able to connect you with a new replacement ladder but expect to pay through the nose for it. $400-600 is a fair estimate.

Your other option is to purchase a replacement ladder from a company like ours. You'll pay something more reasonable, say in the range of $100-$150. The drawback with this option is that the ladder will not be an identical match to your current ladder, although it may be a close match. Ultimately, expect to be drilling a couple of new holes, but you'll have peace of mind knowing you've got a new, reliable ladder in place!

Published April 20, 2018

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