Stowable boat ladder

Abstract

A ladder used for recreational water activities is pivotally attached at one end to be swung by a user between a stowed position resting on a supporting platform such as boat deck or dock to a deployed use position extending downward at an edge of the platform with potential finger pinching hazards eliminated and at a convenient angle for use.

1 . An extendable stowable boat ladder, comprising:
 a) a boat ladder having a pair of laterally spaced rigid elongated ladder support members with at least one rung attached therebetween;   b) a pair of laterally spaced rigid gudgeons fixedly mounted on a boat deck;   c) each of said gudgeons having a bottom wall for resting on the boat deck and a pair of sidewalls extending upward from each side of said bottom wall;   d) each of said ladder support members having a cap fixedly attached at one end;   e) each of said ladder support members pivotally attached to a respective one of said gudgeons by a pivot pin extending between said gudgeon sidewalls at about the capped end of said support members, for swinging the ladder between a stowed position resting on a support platform and a deployed position over an edge of the support platform;   f) said cap filling the space between the gudgeon side walls and the support member and providing a glide surface between the gudgeon side walls and the ladder support member.   
   
   
       2 . The extendable stowable boat ladder as described in  claim 1  wherein each of said gudgeons has an extended finger relief cutout area in its bottom wall at about the pivot end. 
   
   
       3 . The extendable stowable boat ladder as described in  claim 1 . wherein said gudgeons and said ladder support members are made of metal and said caps are made of plastic material to provide a glide surface between the metal parts. 
   
   
       4 . The extendable stowable boat ladder as described in  claim 1 . further including: a transverse rigid band attached to said cap and rigid stop members attached to the interior of said gudgeon side walls, said band resting against said stop members when said ladder is in the deployed position.