Anyone make/use something to help people get in/out of their boat?

My father turns 83 this year, his hips/knees are getting the better of him, and a bout of shingles left him with nerve damage in one leg.  I'm looking for a safer way to get him in/out of his boat (18' Lund Tyee).

Was wondering if anybody has been down this road before, and what they've used.

Currently, we try to have 2 people along with him, one stands on the dock, one in the boat, helping his feet over the gunwale.  It gets trickier when it's just me with him.

I'm considering a pool ladder, one side shorter than the other to rest on the dock.  They have the handrails at the top but I'd cut one off so he can pivot and wouldn't have to try and lift his feet up so high as he turns to go down the other side.

Thoughts?

I actually saw something similar with the PVC pipe up on Lake Geneva 

that's a nice setup runnvike! thanks

I built a handrail several years ago very similar to nihsif's post.  attached is a picture (I hope)  I dont remember the pvc pipe size but there is a size that is perfect for my seat post.  One leg attaches to a seat post with a coupling.  I made another leg that ends in a tee for a big base that touches down on my side rod locker.  Then the handrail extends over the side of the boat.  My wife uses it to step onto the rod locker and then down onto a step I set in the bottom of the boat.   pvc is pretty cheap and you can make it in a couple of hours.   I take it out of the boat once wife is aboard and stow it in the back of the pickup.

thanks, I see how that could make it harder ...might be easier if one side just had the poles like at the end of the dock

Here is a picture of what I am talking about.  When alone launching or retrieving, the railing is in the way, you have to walk the entire catwalk either way to get to your boat or trailer, or even hold onto the lines. Depending how deep the ramp is, that catwalk can extend beyond my trailer, which makes it harder yet.

MM%.. or anyone.. any chance of getting a picture of these launch sites? I've never seen one.... not even sure where any exist* around SE WI... thanks in advance

edit:   * except at Wind Lake... missed that first time around

Down here in Central Illinois, every launch is handicap accessible with those high railings on the dock approach. I launch alone and I am hadicaped, but I hate those railings.  They should put the railings only on one side opposite the ramp.

It is ironic as I am currently going through physical therapy, and I plan on taking my boat out for the first time in 2 years next week.  My PT asked what are my concerns.  I said getting into and out of the boat because this so called handicapped pier has no posts to hold on to while getting into a boat.  So get this, I have to practice getting down into the floor and then getting up again without grabbing onto anything. This way I will be confident doing this on a dock.

Who ever designed these so called handicapped piers just totally missed the boat on assisting people getting into boats!

Pimply Swede, 

Have had some success with the DNR getting rails installed at specific launches. Grey Beard had the same issue at Wind Lake and a bunch of us contacted the DNR and a year later the handrail was installed. Would be happy to see if we can get this done at your launch if interested. No promises but certainly worth a try. 

Didn’t read all the posts here so if someone else already suggested it , sorry. My good buddy is nearly unable to get in boats, with or without a pier. So we put him in off a steady ladder while boat still on trailer. One of us is in boat to guide him in, one is holding ladder. He’s fat (hell we r too).  Then launch as usual with him already onboard. When we come back, same deal.  He gets out i parking lot on ladder again. We usually have at least two trucks at launch, we are also thinking about backing one up to boat, so he can climb out onto tailgate instead of ladder- have not tried it yet. With today’s back up cameras, shouldn’t be too tuff. Will advise here when we try it!

pontoon. Im 65 and my dad is 90. I run a 195 alumacraft and kept my old pontoon for this very reason. very easy on and off. did many trips out of governor nelson state park with fishing has no boundaries, mostly wheel chair bound. we still fish together to this day on the pontoon.

was thinking about attaching something like this to broom handle or whatever...

slide between the dock's boards and twist to provide a portable "handle" for most docks

portable dock cleat

another type

Being disabled myself I.m going to explore a piece of pvc to go over posts on dock or glue a cap on and use a bolt through the cap to go inside the dock post. One lake i fish has foating dock so no problem ,high posts to grab. The other 2 are conventhional docks with posts ending at d0ck level.After falling of said dock onto boat and trailer decided I better do somthing to help myself.May as well work on somthing as Im still to sore to fish!

...or, could use seat pedestal and seat frame to make some sort of "grabbing post" to help with balance getting in/out

Can also use some Lumber to make a small step with velcro or non-slip stair tread to stabilize and make step into boat not so deep I know someone that did this or similar for their dad

This would be for entering the boat casting deck from Pier could also be used to make step from casting deck 2 boat deck less steep

I thought of fashioning something out of PVC pipe that would fit in the seatpost of my removable seats could be used as a handrail for balance and more it's just in the thinking stage now but I think it's a viable idea something to lean on getting into the boat and stepping down

The idea is to have something made of PVC and part of it fits over the hole for your seatpost and then you put the seat back in