We run up & down the Mississippi River and frequently pull up to an island and spend the night. The problem is getting on / off the bow of the boat, does anyone have an creative suggestions on what to use without having to haul a step stool along? It is alright swiming off the swim deck during the day, but after too many cocktails it isn't easy to swim back at night.

It's nothing fancy but I hang the first detachable handle section of a ski rope off the bow cleat and use that as a one step ladder onto the bow when we visit a particular lake without a dock. Works in a pinch, but it sounds like your looking for something a bit better... www.slideanchor.com has a fancy one..

http://www.slideanchor.com/step.asp We are going to use this one.

If I want to help young ladies get on the boat fast, I usually just throw a net. Usually good for snagging 2 or three at a time as we go by. Takes two of us to lift them on board, though.

I need one too.... Newborn and the wifey need to get on the boat... before she was prego I would just put the cooler on the beach for her to step on....now I need to be a little be more hospitable..

http://www.foreandaftmarine.com/LADDERS.htm

Perfect, this is exactly what I was looking for. Something like this will sure make it easier to get back on board at dark-thirty.

Great! I know a boater that has the Wesbar ladder and he says it works great. You're in Greenville? I live over by the airport in Greenville. (Appleton address though). Did you have your 29 for sale on Hwy 15 a year or two ago?

That wasn't my 290 for sale, it was a guy from Hortonville but it was only about a 1/2 mile from my place. I'm in the subdivision on the North side of 15 near the schools. I got that question a lot from people I work with.