Usually when one has a difficult time climbing the Mast Mate it is do to improper body position, but occasionally a customer will have a short inseam or an injury and find it hard to step the necessary 16-17 inches. For these sailors we offer a short step model that has a step separation of 14 inches. Because of the considerable extra cost and the fact that the Mast Mate has a money back guarantee, I recommend that one try the standard size first and if this proves unsuitable return it for full credit toward the short step. The standard Mast Mate costs approximately $8.00 a foot whereas the short step, do to the extra labor, costs $13.00 a foot.