FITTING OUT
APPUSKIDU
Boarding Step
Extension
This page
should be read after reading the Boarding Step project since it is a follow on
from that.
With advancing
years I decided that I needed a step that was longer than the original and so I
devised an extension and fitted it to my prototype. This extension could be
incorporated into a home built step but cannot be added to one of the steps
made from my kits because they were designed to place the bottom step as low as
possible within the available length. This means that there is not enough
“meat” below the bottom step to attach the extension hinges.
The most
important thing to say straight away is that I HAVE NOT TESTED this extension.
Nor shall I be testing it because I am selling Appuskidu to get a bigger
Drascombe which this step will not fit. I you make a similar step you must
test it in a situation where you have alternative means of getting out of the
water before you rely upon it.
The
extension is made from
the same 12mm marine ply as the step and is attached by a pair of
hinges. Starting from scratch you could leave room to use the same backflap hinges
used in the kits but you have to arrange the step spacing so that the step
platforms on the extension fit into the step holes of the main step when the
extension is folded.
You
will see that I have used 4mm bolts, backing plates and nyloc nuts to strongly
attach the hinges.
Longitudinal
stiffeners along the extension are arranged so that their ends butt against the
hinge blocks and folding sides of the main step assembly. Careful fitting of
the extension hinges is required so that after varnishing there is no clearance
between the end of the main step and the top of the extension when the
extension is opened and hanging down. Too much clearance here will result in
extra leverage on the extension hinge fixings and the extension will not hang
straight.
When
folded the new assembly is a bit thicker than the original but is no longer
than before and it still stows alongside the bulwarks
