Boat ladders - How far do yours reach?

new product then.....

Ok here it is:

Pouch with rip cord, attached to boat, contains rope ladder with wooden steps. bottom step with lead weight.

Rip cord undoes kit and weighted ladder falls into water with bottom step at least 3 feet under water.


I of course pick up ten per cent royalties!
 
ianabc said:
Ok here it is:

Pouch with rip cord, attached to boat, contains rope ladder with wooden steps. bottom step with lead weight.

Rip cord undoes kit and weighted ladder falls into water with bottom step at least 3 feet under water.


I of course pick up ten per cent royalties!
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Already been done. Of course the best idea is just press a button and the side of your boat drops into the water. The begining of this film is reminiscent of my attempts to get back on board only in broad daylight on a sunny calm day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kGc5-ZDm4I&feature=player_detailpage
 
Realising my freeboard is around 4 feet and knowing the problems of even reboarding a dinghy with only a one foot freeboard (with a sea cadet crew!) I have addressed the problem in depth. Potentially, the situation is a killer.

Please visit our stand at SBS and criticise our solution. Not until you try to design something that seems simple do you realise the implications.

The name is Ladderelle (it is multi function).
 
As promised a picture of my now extended boat ladders.
6377326075_c9bb5aaf8b_z.jpg


6377320593_b8f2cc902a_z.jpg
 
salinia said:
I thought I would have no problem using my drop down steps (about 6 inches below the water level) when trying to get back on board after a swim during the recent spell of warm weather.
However it came as a surprise that these steps (pictured) are not long enough for me to get a bottom foothold and will have to be adapted for future use. BTW I do consider myself reasonably fit and had to get aboard using the dinghy. I am going to add another 14 inches or so to make things a little easier and safer. I think 20 inches below the water level should be ok how do others fare?
6018992916_cd376b4f53_z.jpg

6018494943_28712e142e_m.jpg
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I know its a simple solution but have you considered re-mounting the whole ladder below the blue line? This should drop it enough to allow you to reach the lower rungs while in the water and by standing on the top rung access to the cockpit should still be possible. Our own ladder was tucked behind a wire strop when not deployed for use when we got the boat. No chance of dropping it from the water. It now has two plastic clips holding it in its folded position and a red line which deploys it when given a good tug. Not the ideal solution as it might give your head a crack as it drops,but its the best solution so far.
 
Hi I came across this very problem last summer when my boat spent a season out of water.
I realised just as others here that my ladder was far too short and as with other egs I welded up an extra section plus a means of reaching it as my boat has a high freeboard.
My bottom rung is free to swing so as your legs tend to float towards the surface you put your feet on bottom rung which as you weight it moves into a vertical mode.
 
Vara said:
Good thread something I've been thinking about.

On Thursday I'll be implementing an extension a la VicS tho the splices won't be as neat!
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Neat splices are no problem.

the challenge really was getting both ropes exactly the same length so that the extra rung is horizontal. ( the splices on the ladder also had to be made around the tube)

BTW the spliced eyes are located on the rung and the bottom of the ladder by strap eyes pop riveted on. Thought is necessary on their positions on the ladder so that the eye can slide round the tube as the ladder is raised . If the exposure had been better you'd see them in the pic of the raised ladder

Note how the extra rung stows between the top and bottom sections when not in use.
 
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Stemar said:
Whatever you do, please make sure you can undo whatever secures the folding/retacting bit easily from in the water with cold hands and no tools - so no knots to undo - and while wearing full oilies.

I couldn't one day. If the water had been colder or I'd been on my own, it might easily have been the last lesson I learned.
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You are right this is a safety concern. In my opinion every boat should have a boarding ladder that is able to be lowered from in the water, through you rarely see this.....

I think there is a film about this problem, maybe called 'adrift'? Obviously an extreme situation but still the message is there....
 
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