Boat Accessories

Boarding Ladders

A boarding ladder is one of the few accessories that is as much about safety as convenience, because climbing back aboard from open water without one is difficult for most people, particularly in cold water or wearing a lifejacket. Our range includes telescopic stainless steel boarding ladders with two and three steps, a four step foldable rope ladder with hooks, and VEVOR aluminium dock ladders in flip-up, retractable and adjustable styles. The flip-up four step model is rated to 159kg, the retractable five step to 350lb and the six step adjustable model to 227kg. A transom boarding ladder and a jetty or pontoon ladder are designed for different jobs, so check which one a product is built for before you buy. The lowest step should sit well below the waterline, since it is the one you rely on when you are tired, and the load rating should comfortably cover the heaviest person who will use it.

Fenders, Cleats and Docking

Fenders protect the hull when you tie up, and the right size depends on the boat and where you moor. As a rough guide, larger and heavier boats need larger fenders, and a fender that is too small will compress and let the hull touch. We stock VEVOR 10 by 28 inch ribbed vinyl fenders in packs of four with ropes, and stainless steel fender baskets in small, medium and large that clamp onto a rail, so the fenders have somewhere to live once you are underway. Stainless quick release fender clips make them easier to hang and take down. For tying off, we have a cast stainless steel cleat at 150mm, a stainless cast split bollard and ball bearing cam cleats, which suit lines that need quick adjustment. Match the cleat to the line diameter and the loads you expect, and fix it through solid structure with backing plates where you can.

Stainless Steel Hardware

Stainless steel fittings do a lot of quiet work on a boat. Our Bell Marine range includes 316 stainless grab rails from 200mm to 500mm, longer hand rails at 800mm and 1455mm for hardtops and windscreens, polished hinges in several sizes, mounting brackets with eyes and bolts, and a lockable flush mount storage hatch. The 316 grade is generally chosen for marine use because it resists salt water better than the more common 304 grade, although no stainless steel is completely immune to corrosion, and it still looks and lasts better with a fresh water rinse after a salt water trip. Where stainless steel meets aluminium in salt water, galvanic corrosion can become a problem, so ask the manufacturer or a marine fitter about isolating the two with the right washers or sealant.

Marine Electrical

Salt water gets into everything, and electrical faults on a boat usually start at a connection rather than at the appliance itself. Glue-lined heatshrink terminals seal the joint as they shrink, which helps keep moisture out of the crimp, and our cable lugs and terminals range includes red, blue and yellow marine ring terminals, tinned copper lugs and joiners in a range of sizes, and a 620 piece glue-lined terminal kit. Tinned copper resists corrosion better than bare copper, which is why it is the usual choice around salt water.

Protection matters just as much as the connections. Our circuit protection range includes manual reset circuit breakers from 3 to 30 amp, waterproof breakers at 80, 100 and 135 amp for high current feeds such as winches, and pre-wired four and six gang switch panels with built-in breakers. A breaker or fuse protects the cable, so it should be rated for what the cable can safely carry rather than for the appliance alone. If you are adding a winch, a trolling motor or electronics, follow the manufacturer’s advice on cable size and protection, and if you are unsure, a marine electrician is worth the call.

Fishing Gear for the Boat

If you fish offshore or chase pelagics, this collection also carries Viper outrigger bases and telescopic poles, stainless steel rocket launchers, fibreglass and stainless steel removable bait boards, berley buckets and stainless steel berley pots, and a mini rail-mounted Genesis downrigger. Rod holders range from single multi-directional holders to side mount four, six and eight way units, and our rod holders and storage collection has the full range. Check that any holder or bracket suits your rail or tube size before you buy, because a loose fit is a rod overboard waiting to happen.

The Most Common Mistake

The mistake we see most often is buying a fitting without checking it against the actual boat. A ladder that does not reach far enough into the water, fenders that are too small for the hull, a rod holder that does not fit the rail or a breaker rated for the appliance rather than the cable can all end up being replaced within a season. A close second is mixing metals without thinking about corrosion, particularly stainless fittings on aluminium hulls in salt water. Measure the boat, check the ratings and sizes on the product page, then buy the fitting to suit.