Thanks, Rich. Garelick #18017 it is! The windline TT-3X telescoping model appears less obtrusive, and extends deeper, but the single point of attachment is a concern. The Garelick seems to be the MSOG standard, so I'll go with it. I know what you mean about the ladder being a necessity. I'm fairly fit, for an old fart, but while rafted up at the rendezvous I tried climbing aboard - with no success. I tried cleating the mainsheet and tying a foot loop, but that doesn't help. You need something to keep your foot from swinging under the boat. I was just fooling around, and not particularly determined. The water was warm, jellyfish were sparse, and I'm sure I could have figured something out, if necessary, but it demonstrated the value of a ladder. Bill Riker M-15 #184 Storm Petrel -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-admin@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-admin@mailman.xmission.com]On Behalf Of Richard Cottrell Sent: January 28, 2003 8:18 PM To: Montgomery Boats Subject: M_Boats: boarding ladder Bill: Garelick # 18017, page 720 of West Marine Catalog. If that's not it, mine is very similar. I installed it in '97. Be sure to leave room for rudder to swing all the way. Although only the bottom step is in water when deployed, it does the job. I think a boarding ladder should be standard equipment on the Montgomerys. There were two articles in the old newsletter of situations where there was real danger because of not having a boarding ladder-one on the Great Salt Lake and one on Lake Mendocino. In both instances the ones overboard were so exhausted and the freeboard was so high they could barely get on board. In the Lake Mendocino incident, a lady was sailing her M15 when she saw another lady yelling for help in the middle of the lake because her skeedo wouldn't start. It took for ever to haul her aboard. In the Salt Lake incident a man in his 70's was single handling when he fell overboard and barely could make it back aboard. He reported that he never sails alone without towing a long line off the stern. Rich Cottrell, "Really", M15, Menlo Park, Ca 63 degrees and sunny today