Journal · Gear Review
A custom stainless and teak boarding ladder, fitted on the port side and built from scratch by a trusted local metalworker — not an off-the-shelf fitting, but something designed specifically for Gran Blau.
Getting aboard safely and comfortably, whether from a pontoon, a dinghy, or straight out of the water, is one of those everyday jobs that's easy to take for granted right up until the fitting doing it is the wrong size, badly positioned, or simply not up to the job. Rather than fit an off-the-shelf boarding ladder, Gran Blau now has a genuinely bespoke one on the port side, designed and built specifically for how the boat is actually used.
What's Fitted
A bespoke stainless steel frame with teak treads, purpose-built for the port side rather than adapted from a stock part. Being designed from scratch means it folds, stows, and deploys exactly to suit Gran Blau's freeboard and deck layout, rather than being a compromise fit.
The whole thing was designed in collaboration with a trusted metalworker, rather than picked from a catalogue — working through exactly what the boat needed before anything was fabricated, so the finished ladder solves a real problem rather than approximating a generic one.
Why It Matters
A boarding ladder gets used constantly — every trip ashore, every swim, every dinghy transfer — far more often than most of the equipment that gets more attention on a boat. Something bespoke, sized and positioned specifically for Gran Blau rather than bought off a shelf, makes that everyday job genuinely easy and safe for guests and crew alike, rather than something to be careful with every single time.
Installation Notes
The ladder was designed and built with the help of Jaume Comas, a local metalworker who has done a lot of work for us over the years — more of which will get its own write-up in time. Another of the trusted tradespeople this boat relies on: work like this only happens well when it's a genuine collaboration between what's needed and what's actually possible to fabricate, rather than either side guessing at the other. It was installed over the winter of 2024, in good time to make easy boarding at anchor a standard part of every season since.
Living With It
Fitted and stowed on the port side, ready to deploy.
Fitting this ladder has made a genuine difference to daily life at anchor. Getting on and off Gran Blau is now simple and secure for every guest aboard, whether stepping down to the dinghy, climbing back up after a swim, or coming ashore — exactly the everyday improvement a bespoke fitting is meant to deliver.
More From the Refit
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