access to engine bay

[aristorias]

I am not knew to boating but certain aspects get more challenging as you age. One of which is climbing out of the engine bay with dodgy knees.

 

Getting into it is relatively simple but getting out is another matter. I wondered if any members have over come this problem and knew perhaps of where I could obtain  a short ladder say just two rungs with hooks to hold it firmly in place?

 

You will have the eternal gratitude of my knees if you can.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, aristorias said:

I am not knew to boating but certain aspects get more challenging as you age. One of which is climbing out of the engine bay with dodgy knees.

 

Getting into it is relatively simple but getting out is another matter. I wondered if any members have over come this problem and knew perhaps of where I could obtain  a short ladder say just two rungs with hooks to hold it firmly in place?

 

You will have the eternal gratitude of my knees if you can.

 

 

I just cut a ladder down to 4-rungs.

[Tony Brooks]

Much depends upon what sort of boat you have and where & how the engine is fitted.

 

On my cruiser stern, I made up a simple three plank stool that sat on the engine beds over the propshaft, so I could step onto that and then down again onto the beds. I had enough space to leave it in place.

[magnetman]

33 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

I just cut a ladder down to 4-rungs.

He wants one with 2 rungs. 

 

 

Another approach is to employ a fit young woman to do the works in the engine bay while scantily clad. Filter changes regularly. 

 

Not cheap. A minimally runged ladder may indeed be the best approach. 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I just cut a ladder down to 4-rungs.

 

52 minutes ago, magnetman said:

He wants one with 2 rungs. 

 

Well he could have two then!

[MtB]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

He wants one with 2 rungs. 

 

Well he could start off using Alan's idea of making a four rung ladder out of a full sized ladder, then apply the same technique on the four rung ladder to make a two rung version. 

 

It's a bit like the adage about if you want to go there, I wouldn't start from here. 

 

 

[Ronaldo47]

Some 30 years ago I bought myself a gasless welder to do some non-stuctural welding on my camper van. I had never used one before and for practice I made a short ladder from some steel tubing my neighbour had given me that had been the frame of his old frame tent. In principle you could have one made up using 20mm steel electrical conduit. It's not difficult to hammer ends flat and then  bend  to make hooks.  Cut the pieces  for legs and rungs to size and find a friendly welder or blacksmith.

Edited September 16, 2023 by Ronaldo47
typos

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, Ronaldo47 said:

Some 30 years ago I bought myself a gasless welder

 

A what??!!

 

Is that what people like me would call an "arc welder" ? Or something new and different that I've never heard of? Sounds intriguing. 

 

Thanks.

 

 

[LadyG]

A boarding ladder for yachts come with hooks

[Ronaldo47]

It's a type of arc welder that uses cored wire instead of solid wire plus gas to exclude the atmosphere. The core volatolises in the heat of the arc to provide the shielding gas. 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Ronaldo47
typo

[blackrose]

44 minutes ago, Ronaldo47 said:

Some 30 years ago I bought myself a gasless welder to do some non-stuctural welding on my camper van. I had never used one before and for practice I made a short ladder from some steel tubing my neighbour had given me that had been the frame of his old frame tent. In principle you could have one made up using 20mm steel electrical conduit. It's not difficult to hammer ends flat and then  bend  to make hooks.  Cut the pieces  for legs and rungs to size and find a friendly welder or blacksmith.

 

Isn't it easier to take an angle grinder to a short aluminium ladder and make it a bit shorter? The hooks might not be necessary if the OP can have the top permanently bolted on somewhere.

 

I cut this old aluminium ladder down and fitted it which makes it much easier to get up and down from the roof to the bow.

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by blackrose

[magnetman]

Trampoline ladder. 

 

 

£10. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325581839332

[john.k]

I made a short ladder to get in and out of my crane ,when my  knees got bad ......you find the bare length isnt enough ,you need enough length to hang onto to keep yourself upright......I already had busted extension ladders ,so just a section the right length.......incidentally ,angle grinder isnt ideal with ally ,it may grab .

Edited September 17, 2023 by john.k

[blackrose]

26 minutes ago, john.k said:

....incidentally ,angle grinder isnt ideal with ally ,it may grab .

 

It's fine I've cut loads of aluminium with a mini angle grinder. Just use slitting discs and don't put too much pressure on it. Use the side handle and if it grabs you just hold onto it, it's not going to rip it out of your hands unless you're scared of it and you're too timid.

[BEngo]

Use stone cutting discs for ally.  They have silicon carbide grit ( which is what is normally used when grinding aluminium alloys) rather than alumina and they don't grab as badly.

 

N

[blackrose]

1mm slitting discs don't grab as long as you let the disc do the work. They do wear out pretty quickly though.

[aristorias]

Thanks to all who replied. I think I will go along with the boarding ladder sugestion if I can find one...

[Tony Brooks]

7 minutes ago, aristorias said:

Thanks to all who replied. I think I will go along with the boarding ladder sugestion if I can find one...

 

Look up Dingy Boarding Ladder, they often only have two or three steps

[magnetman]

The boarding ladders often look a lot like trampoline ladders with a bigger profit margin. 

 

[Sea Dog]

11 hours ago, magnetman said:

Trampoline ladder. 

 

 

£10. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325581839332

Trouble with those is that the first windy day after buying them they end up in someone else's garden... 

[magnetman]

9 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Trouble with those is that the first windy day after buying them they end up in someone else's garden... 

I bought one for a pound and used it as a stern deck shade on one of my boats. Did the job nicely and got some laughs.