Is my reasoning sound, or should I buck-up and do the measuring on the water, the fitting at home? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Honshells" <chonshell@ia4u.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 9:30 PM Subject: Hardware Mounting / Level The boot-stripe method is more appealing, because it's a long drive to the water and I plan do the actual mounting work on my driveway, where I can measure, cut and fit, as well as do a little trial-and-error. I don't need to be dead-on precise, just close enough so the ladder hangs reasonably level while deployed. As you suggest, the loading of the boat, as well as my lard-butt shifted fore or aft depending on where I embark or disembark, will always affect the position of the ladder anyway. ----- Original Message ----- From: <htmills@bright.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 9:21 PM Subject: Hardware Mounting / Level "I don't want the waterline. I want to level the boat on the trailer. I'll explain. I want to add a "moveable" gunwale-mount boarding ladder. I want to be able to hang the ladder aft, not off the transom, but off the gunwale, to starboard. I also want to be able to hang the same ladder forward, again, off the gunwale to starboard. If I install mounting tabs flush with the deck, my ladder will hang askew due to the boat's shear. So I need to install pads that will level the mounting tabs in relation to the way the boat will sit in the water and not in line with the shear. I need to level the boat on the trailer close to the way it will sit in the water, so that I can get the mounting-tabs level to the way the boat will sit in the water." In that case, if I weren't sure what level was close enough to suit me, I'd put the boat in the water. However, if your boat already has a boot stripe, you'll be very close if you just make the ladder square to it. The pitch of the boat will change some depending on loading anyway. Busca has a boot stripe and on the MSOG page there is a photo in my Lake Huron story that shows her at a dock and the whole boot stripe is under water at the bow! That's because of all the water jugs I had stowed under the vee-berth. Tod