Build a Boarding Step

Maybe even better than anything you can buy

By Capt’n Paul Esterle

When I first started keeping Ternabout in a marina with fixed docks, boarding was much easier. I would come striding down the dock, grab a couple of shrouds, place one foot on the deck and swing myself aboard. These days, I need all the help I can get.

I saw the prototype of this boarding step on a friend’s boat as he was passing through (the C&D Canal) on his way to Florida. I took some pictures and measurements so I could duplicate it later. I think this homemade boarding step worked better than any commercial variety I’ve tried.

The original boarding step was made from 3/4-inch plywood but it could also be built from a polymer lumber, like StarBoard®. StarBoard would be slightly heavier but wouldn’t need the sealing and painting plywood needed.

Either way, the first step is to make the pattern for the sidepieces. My favorite material for patterns like this is artist’s foam board. It is stiff enough to hold its shape but can be easily cut with a hobby knife. Making the pattern is a repetitive process of cutting and fitting until you get a snug fit.

The pattern should allow the sidepieces to lock in place over the toe rail but still allow easy removal. The original step had to fit over the jib sheet track as well as the toe rail. Don’t make the hook ends of the sidepieces any smaller than shown; there is a lot of force applied to the hook when stepping aboard.

Once the pattern is done, the sidepieces can be cut from the material of choice. The step, braces and toe kicks are all simple rectangles. It is important to dado the step into the sidepieces. Allow ample space below the dado on the sidepieces. The first step didn’t and the material below the dado broke out and had to be replaced.

If you don’t have the means to cut a dado, you could also use aluminum angle brackets under the step. These would need to be through-bolted, not screwed, in place. Use acorn nuts to avoid catching a foot or toe. If you are a belt and suspenders man, you can use a dado as well as the aluminum angle.

The boarding step is assembled using stainless steel self-tapping screws and, in the case of plywood, epoxy. Either material was pilot drilled for the screws. The braces under the step are especially important if you are using StarBoard as it isn’t as stiff as plywood.

The toe kick panel functions both as a brace and as a protector for the side of the boat. Several rubber furniture bumpers on the rear of the toe kick panel keep the step from rubbing against the hull. A piece of non-skid material on the top surface of the step assures secure footing.

A step made from StarBoard will require no further finishing. If you used plywood, seal it well with several coats of epoxy, especially the end grain. Then give it two coats of good polyurethane boat paint.

An improvement not shown in the pictures would be a lanyard attached to the step. The lanyard would be tied off to the boat so people (like me) wouldn’t be losing the step over the side.

The dimensions on the drawing are for guidance only; they will probably vary with your boat. If you like, you can make a two-step or even three-step model.

Dados 101

If you are an experienced woodworker, you can skip this section.

The boarding step or steps fit into grooves in the side pieces for additional strength. Those grooves are called dados. Dados are usually made one of two ways. The first is on a table saw, the second is using a router.

A table saw will use either a wobble dado blade or a stacked dado set. The wobble blade uses a single blade set on an angled hub. The hub is rotated to set the width of the dado and the blade wobbles back and forth, cutting the dado. With the “stacked” dado, a series of cutter blades and spacers are place on the table saw arbor to the required thickness. The arbor nut holds them all in place while the dado is cut. Make plenty of test cuts to get the dado width right.

With a router, a flat-bottom bit is used to cut the dado. A guide is clamped the correct distance away from the location of the dado and the router base run against it for a straight cut.

In either method, the depth of the dado should not exceed 1/3 the thickness of the stock being dadoed. In our case, with 3/4" stock, that means a dado 1/4" deep.

One other thing to watch out for: If using StarBoard the thickness will be 3/4". But if you are using 3/4" plywood, you should know it isn’t 3/4" thick, just like a 2 x 4 isn’t 2" x 4". Three-quarter-inch plywood starts out that thick but is actually 23/32" thick after sanding. Cutting a 3/4" wide dado would result in a sloppy, ill-fitting joint. Woodworking tool suppliers like Rockler can supply specialty bits the correct size at reasonable prices. •SCA•

First appeared in issue #88

For more of Pauley’s tips, his two books here and here.