Another idea of forehead smacking simplicity, here’s a boarding rail designed to get the young and old alike to enter and exit a dinghy with grace, or at least ease. 



At the Miami show, the rest of the NMMA Innovation Awards judges and I were introduced to Ding-ez, a stainless steel rail for inflatable boats that will undoubtedly reduce the entertainment at the dinghy dock, but probably will make it easier for most folks to make the transition from dink to dock with style.  It was designed by a retired surgeon who suddenly found himself in the marine industry because he developed a solution for himself that quickly turned into a product when friends started asking for a version too. 




Ding-ez will fit inflatables up to 15 in length and attach kits make it possible to add this rail to tenders with flat or v-shaped fiberglass hulls.  There is even a harness attachment that glues to the inside of the pontoons for boats with inflatable or soft floors. 



The rail is 38” tall, weighs 8 lbs. and can be folded flat or removed entirely when the dink is stored or raised on davits.  When folded, the rail stays within the width of the boat so it won’t scratch your hull as the dinghy bumps up against your hull for the night. 



It’s not cheap though.  The rail itself is $389 and the attach kits range from $69-$159.  But then, what price dignity?



Check out their video at www.ding-ez.com. 

Written by: Zuzana Prochazka
Zuzana Prochazka is a writer and photographer who freelances for a dozen boating magazines and websites. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana has cruised, chartered and skippered flotillas in many parts of the world and serves as a presenter on charter destinations and topics. She is the Chair of the New Product Awards committee, judging innovative boats and gear at NMMA and NMEA shows, and currently serves as immediate past president of Boating Writers International. She contributes to Boats.com and YachtWorld.com, and also blogs regularly on her boat review site, TalkoftheDock.com.