If you boarded over the side, would you have a high step over the gunnel and then almost have to step on some seats?

We have a short step over the gunnel, onto the reversed seat, like this:



(photo credit to the Four Winns Website )

Works quite well, makes for easy entry.

That's real nice! ! ! for a jump seat solution.

It is really hard to enter on the side as it is a bit too high and the bimini is a bit too low; so entry through the bow or stern is really the only way to go. It is real easy to enter from a slip or fuel dock, etc from the stern via the platform.

Same here. Entry points are only from bow or stern.

Of course, our boat is the size and shape to make this work, but one of the features we really liked was the two-level entry.

In our ventures around Lake Michigan, there are a mix of floating and fixed docks. When you transient, you don't know which you will get.

Our home marina has a floating dock, so the swim platform, which is big (but not quite as big as since we put our davit system in), allows step on boarding, then up a flight of stairs to the rear deck.

If we are on a fixed dock, there are side entryways at about the 4ft high level.

However, the admiral prefers to have a step-stool on the dock, then monkey-bar herself up the side of the boat rather than take the swim platform route. I have no idea why she prefers this, as usually she is not that "gymnastic", if you know what I mean. But hey, whatever it takes, I guess.

One issue I hope won't limit our boating years is that with an aft cabin, we have 3 steps up the swim platform to the rear deck, 4 steps up to the bridge, or three steps down to the main salon, then three steps down to either the aft cabin to the rear, or the galley area to the front. So we actually have 4 occupant levels on the boat, 5 levels if you count the swim platform.

In our old boat, if we were on a fixed dock, we would usually step on board at the bow, as that would usually be at dock height, then enter through the windshield into the boat.

The same for me, one with the bowrider, two with the express cruiser. They designed-in access and steps-handholds for the side, high boarding as well as a transom door from the swim platform.

Stern via the swim platform. It's possible to boad via the side but it's inconvenient.

That's how most of the trailer boaters do it around here. Fun to watch though. I watched a guy jump from his boat's bow to the wet floating metal dock the other day. Slipped, fell, and nearly slid off the other side.

Ouch!