Rear steps

[Cafnod]

Hi

Finally got the new shell after a few problems, it is now back at its mooring after a pleasant but eventless cruise down the Birmingham and Worcester.

ANYWAY

Rear steps, I have measured the height of the bulkhead at the rear of the boat and it is 44 1/2 inches. As I want to have a flight of four steps and then a step up on to the rear deck that makes them nine inches for each rise. However Unless I set the risers back under the treads I can only really get away with 7 1/2 inches for the depth of each tread, as this leaves me with a staircase 30 inches long and I do not want to lose any more cabin space.

Could other people tell me what the tread depth and riser heights are on their boats please, also the overall width of the steps would be useful too.

 

Thanks and regards

 

Richard

[Liam]

Obviously, the more steps you have, the more cabin space it's going to take up. Alternatively, you could have something more like a vertical ladder, with a hand rail on one side which you'd use to pull yourself up. Not sure if this is very practical or not.. depends on the individual.

[DaveR]

Is it possible to rotate the stairs 90 degrees and have the stairs coming down the bulkhead? This means you can then use the space that ends up "under the stairs" as storage.

[Cafnod]

Not really viable in this case thanks, if we were having a rear bed it would work.

[Richard Bustens]

You can increase the angle by offsetting the steps. i know these will not be ony use for you but you can see an examplr in screw fix catalog.

 

 

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/sea/search...=33669&x=6&y=12

[bottle]

You can increase the angle by offsetting the steps. i know these will not be ony use for you but you can see an examplr in screw fix catalog.

 

 

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/sea/search...=33669&x=6&y=12

 

Good idea just don't get off on the wrong foot

 

I,m gone.

[stuart]

 

This is an early photo of my steps. Similar situation to yourself.

 

They come into the cabin about 60cm/2Ft. They do feel a bit steep to start with but you soon get used to it!

 

 

 

Stu.

Edited May 2, 2006 by stuart

[nichimyo]

We are having some steps made for one of the side hatches, and they are going to double as a chest of drawers. The risers pull out to make the drawer fronts. I've also seen treads which lift up / hinge up to reveal storage space underneath.

[DHutch]

Heres the best photo of our rear steps i can find on the website.

 

 

There have to be geting for 10" high atleast, and are proberbly about 6" deep.

- Diamentions are from memory, but the wheel house floor (behind) is a good 3/4inchs above the waterline, and then the floor is no more than 4/5inchs off the base plate so it all added up about right. [she draws about 2'8" at the stern]

 

There perfectanbly servcble for stairs, you certainly dont have turn round to use them going down, and they have liftup treads, so we have our powertools in the top one, and other junk in the smaller one.

- There a compleatly loose unit, held inpace purly by the 1*1" frame round the bottom, which is screwed to the floor. except when i came of last year, and we keeped having to move them back against the wall!

 

 

Daniel

[david and julie]

Mine has the floor of the boat then 3 treads,the fourth is the engine cover outside(semi trad) I am at home at the moment but could get the measurements tomorrow if you want them, each step is about 9" deep and about 11"or 12" high.

 

The top leading edge(from inside the boat) of my first step is directly below the front edge of the hatch(centre hatch) when it is fully open. If you bring the stairs any further into the boat I found you climbed(upwards) to soon and banged your head.

 

You need to go into the opening as you rise to avoid this.

 

Sorry if this sounds complicated but it isn't easy to explain what I mean.

[bottle]

The top leading edge(from inside the boat) of my first step is directly below the front edge of the hatch(centre hatch) when it is fully open. If you bring the stairs any further into the boat I found you climbed(upwards) to soon and banged your head.

 

Makes sense to me, after hitting head in this manor when hatch was not quite fully open. Edit:for smileys language

Edited May 3, 2006 by bottle

[david and julie]

Measured my steps today.

 

They start on the floor(obviously) there are then three steps each 11 inches high the "top" step is the engine cover outside. They are 10 inches deep. The total height is 44 inches and the depth into the boat is 30 inches the same as the hatch. They are 24 inches wide. I made them out of 18mm hexadeck which is the brown grippy plywood you see on engine covers(£60-£70 for an 8x4) and I edged them in alloy edging about £10 for 2M length fron B&Q.

 

Although the steps felt a bit high at first I soon got used to them. I also toyed with the idea of five steps but they were too shallow to get you full foot on, which I didn't like.

 

Bottle wrote,

Makes sense to me, after hitting head in this manor when hatch was not quite fully open. Edit:for smileys language

Hope it didn't hurt to much, bet you don't do it again though.

[Cafnod]

Well thanks for all of your help and advise evryone. I really needed an even number of steps so I made four steps each with a nine inch rise and to bring the depth to the required thirty inches they ended up 71/2 inches deep. I have made the bottom two treads fully removable and the complete top section lifts off so that the two halves of the stair case can be used to support either end of the extension board of an occasional double in the rear utility room.

I intend using stainless steel coach step protector to edge each tread along with a run of grip tape in the middle of the treads too. Other materials consisted of 18mm WBP ply and 1 X 1 framing, put together with brass screws and waterproof glue.

Hopefully if I can get a second coat of yacht varnish on and dry over the weekend they will be in service next week.