The six-step Dixon latch ladder from ûNew Zealand is high-quality, and high- ûpriced at $179.

One of the brightest design features on many of today's production boats is the boarding transom, which not only helps people step aboard easily from dock or dinghy, but often provides space for terminating backstays, storing man-overboard gear, shower and wash-down facilities, and, of particular interest here, boarding ladders. These are usually permanently mounted fold-down ladders that make swimming off the boat easy and convenient, and serve as vital safety features in a man-overboard situation.

Boats that don't have these handy transom arrangements still have a variety of ladder options available. They can range from dockline with a couple of loops tied in it for foot-holds, draped over the side,…