Double ender boarding ladders

[Laminar Flow]

Not what the OP is looking for, I think, but another example of a canoe stern boarding ladder. The bottom part folds up and clips to the upper part, and could be deployed from the water. (I can't find a photo of it folded up, but when so it looks rather neat and unobtrusive to my eyes, and not some lump of utilitarian engineering tacked on to the boat.)

The bottom rung is not as low was I would like (and I'll be adding a additional rope hung step or two), but it could have been designed from the start with a second fold down section (difficult to add at this stage, at least on my budget ).


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That seems like a sensible solution on a Scandinavian stern. Another step might have been perfect. I am also looking to extend our down-folding ladder, but I want to make it solid. We tried it with a rope step; however, it requires a considerable degree of athleticism to climb up out of the water as the step disappears under the boat.
By the way, may I ask what kind of prop you have, what you think the gain is over a rotating fixed wheel and whether you are satisfied with your model?

 

[BabaYaga]

Several years ago I saw an arrangement where a long boarding ladder was stowed horizontal on the quarter and had a cleaver arrangement where the upper side when stowed was longer than the lower one so that as it hinged out and down it became vertical. It was also on a boat that was singlehanded and designed for self recovery. The best thing was that this arrangement allowed for a long ladder that was solid and easy to climb. Not sure about the hinge geometry but must be possible to work out.

On my ladder I have a rope with a monkey fist on the end that allows me to pull the ladder out of it's storage clip and fall down to the deployed position.

Sorry for the poor descriptions but best I can manage!

Yoda

For an illustration of this concept, google for photos of Overseas 35, some of these boats will have such a ladder on the SB quarter.

 

[LittleSister]

By the way, may I ask what kind of prop you have, what you think the gain is over a rotating fixed wheel and whether you are satisfied with your model?

It's a feathering (and pitch adjustable) prop, a Variprop (German manufactured).

I'm not certain what you mean by 'rotating fixed wheel', but the advantage over a fixed prop is better speed and rudder control when under sail. (My prop is a big lump when the blades are in the drive position, and perhaps especially so because I've got a much bigger engine than standard.)

 

[Laminar Flow]

It's a feathering (and pitch adjustable) prop, a Variprop (German manufactured).

I'm not certain what you mean by 'rotating fixed wheel', but the advantage over a fixed prop is better speed and rudder control when under sail. (My prop is a big lump when the blades are in the drive position, and perhaps especially so because I've got a much bigger engine than standard.)

Thank you for that, Little Sister. I meant a non-feathering, standard prop left to spin freely while sailing. Generally it reduces resistance of a prop by half, providing the gearbox can take it, which is not a given. Have you been able to quantify the gain in speed under sail?
I'm trying to find out if investing some of my organs might be worth the switch to a feathering prop.

 

[LittleSister]

Thank you for that, Little Sister. I meant a non-feathering, standard prop left to spin freely while sailing. Generally it reduces resistance of a prop by half, providing the gearbox can take it, which is not a given. Have you been able to quantify the gain in speed under sail?

No, that prop was on the boat when I bought it.

 

[LittleSister]

Have you been able to quantify the gain in speed under sail?

No, that prop was on the boat when I bought it.

It belatedly occurs to me that that wouldn't prevent me from noting the difference in speed under sail between prop feathered or not, if I had steady wind etc., but I've never done it. I feel it makes a positive difference. (Perhaps that's all that counts!?)

 

[Laminar Flow]

It belatedly occurs to me that that wouldn't prevent me from noting the difference in speed under sail between prop feathered or not, if I had steady wind etc., but I've never done it. I feel it makes a positive difference. (Perhaps that's all that counts!?)

Thank you. As there are some similarities between our boats, I was hoping for something a bit more substantial than a just a feeling before I rush off and invest a kidney and a half. I do appreciate your input, however.

 

[LittleSister]

I was hoping for something a bit more substantial than a just a feeling

What more could you possibly want than a good feeling? (Perhaps I should have included a smiley in my last post.) Isn't that what we spend all this time, effort and money trying to achieve?

Perhaps I could make my first million marketing an amazing piece of rather expensive kit, based on a secret technology that only I understand, that increases the speed displayed on the log by 1.4 knots.

 

[Laminar Flow]

What more could you possibly want than a good feeling? (Perhaps I should have included a smiley in my last post.) Isn't that what we spend all this time, effort and money trying to achieve?

Perhaps I could make my first million marketing an amazing piece of rather expensive kit, based on a secret technology that only I understand, that increases the speed displayed on the log by 1.4 knots.

I'm really not looking for a quarrel, Little Sister.
I'd quite happily settle for simple whiplash as my tub accelerates. 1.4 kts would be brilliant of course.

 

[LittleSister]

I'm really not looking for a quarrel, Little Sister.

It hadn't crossed my mind we were quarrelling!

 

[BluewaterBound]

So new boat comes with a fixed boarding ladder, which I'm not particularly happy about medium - long term as I will be mostly one up. Have seen (mostly American) double enders with deployable ladders as the lifeline gate. Does anyone have anything similar here or could recommend a fabricator? Want something that's a permanent fixture, can be deployed from the water and preferably drops down long enough to get my foot on it underwater or when on legs.

I have the same problem on my Nimble 30. I've done a bit of looking around on the web and found quite a nice set-up on a Valiant 40 ... see attached ... a swing down ladder, which in this case has a strut to stop it swinging under the boat

 

[Stemar]

A small, but important addition to the design requirements would be the ability to extend the ladder from its folded, fixed up position from in the water.

I didn't have that - only a bit of string preventing me doing it, but a Tom & Jerry moment between tender and boat could have had serious consequences had I been alone.

 

[Crowblack]

Several years ago I saw an arrangement where a long boarding ladder was stowed horizontal on the quarter and had a cleaver arrangement where the upper side when stowed was longer than the lower one so that as it hinged out and down it became vertical. It was also on a boat that was singlehanded and designed for self recovery. The best thing was that this arrangement allowed for a long ladder that was solid and easy to climb. Not sure about the hinge geometry but must be possible to work out.

On my ladder I have a rope with a monkey fist on the end that allows me to pull the ladder out of it's storage clip and fall down to the deployed position.

Sorry for the poor descriptions but best I can manage!

Yoda

This one perhaps ?

Novel emergency boarding ladder - Yachting Monthly

 

[thinwater]

FYI, ISO and ABY now require that all boats (certain exceptions for very small boats) to have a ladder that can be redlopied by a swimmer from the water, without assistance, and that it extends about 22 inches below the water (ABYC advises that 34 inches is better). I have been upgrading my boats to this standard for 35 years (long before it existed) because it makes both safety and user comfort sense. All were inconspicuous and all were custom.

 

[Arcady]

Hi ryanroberts

I like your boat as well. That's at Herm?

Er - no, it was actually taken at Old Grimsby Harbour, Tresco, 2019 ;-)