boarding ladder / platform for a sloping stern

[pjsmith]

Hi,

I want to put a decent folding boarding ladder or a small folding platform on the back on my springtide so I can get back on board if I fall off (don't laugh). The stern slopes quite significantly and I've a tiller.

Anyone any suggestions? Most ladders I've seen seem to be designed for fairly vertical surfaces. I was looking at the folding stainless ones. Despite a wander around our local marinas, I could need see anything mounted on similar sterns.

There's an image of a springtide stern here (not mine)

 

[pvb]

You'll probably have to either get one custom-made, or buy an off-the-shelf ladder and get the fixings extended to suit.

 

[vyv_cox]

Could you mount folding mast steps on your rudder? Maybe aesthetically not the best solution but would work. You can buy stainless or plastic steps that would be OK underwater.

 

[Tranona]

You can buy ready made ladders with adjustable feet to take care of the slope of the transom. See page 122 of the Force 4 catalogue for examples - there are more designs available from other chandlers as well.

 

[pjsmith]

You can buy ready made ladders with adjustable feet to take care of the slope of the transom. See page 122 of the Force 4 catalogue for examples - there are more designs available from other chandlers as well.

Thanks for that. I had looked, including at force 4 online. The only ones I could see had the plastic foot standoff's that are not fixed. Due to significant rake I didn't think these would be suitable. I don't want the thing flapping around in rough water. Just ordered their catalogue though, so will take a better look once it arrives.

 

[snowleopard]

This type:

Could cope with your transom rake. I have one similar with fixed mounts rather than the rubber caps/ You could extend the stand-offs to get the correct angle. Mine has another 3 rungs that fold down from the bottom so the bottom rung is 18" below water - essential for getting aboard after swimming.

An alternative is the portable type shown, hung from the gunwale as required.

Here's mine...

 

[pjsmith]

Why do you need a ladder with those great moulded in steps!

 

[snowleopard]

Why do you need a ladder with those great moulded in steps!

.

the bottom rung is 18" below water - essential for getting aboard after swimming.

 

[Caer Urfa]

Hi,
I want to put a decent folding boarding ladder or a small folding platform on the back on my springtide so I can get back on board if I fall off (don't laugh).

Always amuses me why some people fit boarding ladders.

Why bother? If you are sailing single handed and you fall overboard when the boats doing 5 knots, in 1 minute you will be nearly 100' away from it,
in the opposite direction , and no you will not swim after it and catch it!

I sail almost 98% alone and the clever bit is to try and not fall off in the first place, so I take as many sensible precations as possible, subject to the weather, but still wear a good lifejacket 100% of the time, which will keep me afloat longer 'before' I drown, if I do fall in!

However I do have a good rope portable recovery ladder if someone else falls in and a sling to lift them out if necassary!

Just face up to it, if you sail alone and you 'fall in' under sail, you will most probably become just another statistic
Mike

 

[pjsmith]

Hi,
I want to put a decent folding boarding ladder or a small folding platform on the back on my springtide so I can get back on board if I fall off (don't laugh).

Always amuses me why some people fit boarding ladders.

Why bother? If you are sailing single handed and you fall overboard when the boats doing 5 knots, in 1 minute you will be nearly 100' away from it,
in the opposite direction , and no you will not swim after it and catch it!

I sail almost 98% alone and the clever bit is to try and not fall off in the first place, so I take as many sensible precations as possible, subject to the weather, but still wear a good lifejacket 100% of the time, which will keep me afloat longer 'before' I drown, if I do fall in!

However I do have a good rope portable recovery ladder if someone else falls in and a sling to lift them out if necassary!

Just face up to it, if you sail alone and you 'fall in' under sail, you will most probably become just another statistic
Mike

Actually, I think I will become a towed object I wear a safety harness attached to my life jacket... Pretty sure I could pull myself back to the boat, even under way at slow speed. However I think I'm most likely to fall in when messing about in bays anchoring etc, so I think a boarding ladder is a must safety item for me, alone on the boat.

 

[pvb]

I sail almost 98% alone and the clever bit is to try and not fall off in the first place, so I take as many sensible precations as possible, subject to the weather, but still wear a good lifejacket 100% of the time, which will keep me afloat longer 'before' I drown, if I do fall in!

However I do have a good rope portable recovery ladder if someone else falls in and a sling to lift them out if necassary!

I too do a fair bit of singlehanded sailing. I hardly ever wear a lifejacket, but I religiously wear a harness - clipped on - when conditions demand extra caution. When on your own, the secret is to stay firmly fixed to the boat.

I hope you've tried the rope ladder; in my experience they are almost impossible to use to get out of the water alongside a yacht.

 

[pjsmith]

I had enough problems with a rope ladder on land! BTW - I've tried pulling myself up on the harness. No go...

 

[vyv_cox]

Why bother? If you are sailing single handed and you fall overboard when the boats doing 5 knots, in 1 minute you will be nearly 100' away from it,
in the opposite direction , and no you will not swim after it and catch it!

It is perfectly possible to fall off a boat that isn't moving. There was an article recently in one of the mags written by a well-known sailor who fell off the pontoon in Shotley marina. He was unable to climb back aboard and was only saved because his crew looked out for him.

The harbourmaster at Hellevoetsluis drowned one winter's night while we were on board no more than five metres away. He fell off the pontoon or a boat and could not climb back.

 

[pvb]

It is perfectly possible to fall off a boat that isn't moving. There was an article recently in one of the mags written by a well-known sailor who fell off the pontoon in Shotley marina. He was unable to climb back aboard and was only saved because his crew looked out for him.

The harbourmaster at Hellevoetsluis drowned one winter's night while we were on board no more than five metres away. He fell off the pontoon or a boat and could not climb back.

Most marinas (including Shotley, I imagine) have emergency ladders at frequent intervals on the pontoons. I think falling in at a marina must be one of the safer accidents - apart from the emergency ladders, there's usually a fair choice of boats with boarding ladders.

 

[SailBobSquarePants]

I've noticed that the staff at my marina are required to wear lifejackets anytime they come anywhere near the water, ALL of the time.

As for not falling in, we bought some Kru Sport Pro lifejackes that are a waistcoat design and have a an in-built harness - they are so comfortable that I tend to wear mine nearly all the time as an outerlayer. I clip on when it is anywhere near rough.

I think I read about some people that had tested pulling themselves back up a safety tether to the boat when underway. At 4 knots, it was all they could do to keep their head above water, even with a vest on. They had no chance of climbing back aboard.

Agree with the above poster about falling in when alone and becoming a statistic...and if you have a crew or sailing partner that cannot do a MOB (as I usually do), you might as well be alone.

 

[pvb]

...and if you have a crew or sailing partner that cannot do a MOB (as I usually do), you might as well be alone.

I suppose you haven't thought of training your crew??