Swim boarding

[PabloPicasso]

I took the wife and kids out this week on a sunny day, flat sea, benign conditions. We anchored off a beach and went ashore in the dinghy and a kayak.

Once I was back aboard with the kids My wife swam back to the boat (she often sea swims). Getting her on board was not easy. Our stern ladder does not quite reach the water, probably more for climbing up from a tender than from a swim.

To get her up I rigged a line from the bow cleat outside the rail into the water and up to our main jib winch.

It took a few goes to get the length and speed of pull right while she had to learn how to "balance" with a foot on the line as I winched her up. I still had to go forward to pull her up so she could climb onto the toe rail and aboard.

The thought of trying to do this with a MOB in lumpy weather doesn't bear thinking about.

Would a temporary ladder with a sinkable bottom step that could be easily rigged amidships, be a useful solution. Other suggestions welcome.

I guess there are two scenarios here, one for a swimmer, and another for a MOB. The MOB would have to be uninjured and fit I suppose, any degree of MOB incapacitating through shock injury or being unconscious would present a whole different nightmare.

Comments advice, preferably from experience, welcome.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Here is a pic of our stern with the fold down ladder that doesn't reach the water

 

[neil_s]

Keen from the boat swimmer, here. I extended the fold - down section of our ladder so that it goes about 24 inches under water level. You could explore a similar mod to your ladder with a cranked extension that would fit in with the guard rails. You might find that starting with a longer ladder in the first place is a good idea, though.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Perhaps I could relocate my existing ladder lower? It bolts into the deck above the transom currently, I could just move it so it bolts through the transom instead? I'll have to mesue it and see if that'd be long enough. I doubt it would go 24inches under water though

 

[Hermit]

I had a similar problem that I couldn't reach the catch to drop my ladder down into the water whilst in the water. I found one of these on ebay (considerably cheaper than this site - Outils Océans MAGIC-REBOARD 11 solid Steps - £157 - Muziker) which I have fitted. Something like this (there are other similar types around) may be a good solution for occasional use.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Perhaps this would be an easier solution? €21.99

 

[Hermit]

Yes, but with a single top attachment it might swivel and will the steps sink? (BTW, that is about what I paid for mine on ebay!)

 

[Graham_Wright]

View attachment 133828
Perhaps this would be an easier solution? €21.99

Don't bother. A most frustrating and exhausting experience trying to climb one of those.
You need at least two rungs under the water.

 

[fredrussell]

As Graham says, don’t bother with any non-rigid ladders like the one linked to. The best solution by far is a decent ladder that extends at least two foot, or ideally three feet, under water. Forget fender steps, those weird plastic folding ‘emergency’ ladders, and anything else that isn’t a decent stainless LONG ladder. I reckon it’s second only to a life jacket/buoyancy aid as the piece of safety equipment you’re likely to use.

 

[dunedin]

View attachment 133828
Perhaps this would be an easier solution? €21.99

Have you actually tried to climb one of these ? Extremely difficult.

in the situation you described, I would have used the dinghy - swimmer can easily get into an inflatable dinghy, then on board from that.

Coincidentally, a lady fell of the pontoon in our marina last week. Two men were unable to lift her up and out, as the pontoons are surprisingly high. I grabbed a tender nearby and we rescued her into the tender, then rested there to recover from shock, before then getting her up onto the pontoon. If in doubt, think dinghy

 

[neil_s]

What about a short length of alloy fixed ladder lashed to the gunnel - I managed with that on a previous boat! The retroussé transom will tend to keep it stable for climbing up.

 

[thinwater]

I took the wife and kids out this week on a sunny day, flat sea, benign conditions. We anchored off a beach and went ashore in the dinghy and a kayak.

Once I was back aboard with the kids My wife swam back to the boat (she often sea swims). Getting her on board was not easy. Our stern ladder does not quite reach the water, probably more for climbing up from a tender than from a swim.

To get her up I rigged a line from the bow cleat outside the rail into the water and up to our main jib winch.

It took a few goes to get the length and speed of pull right while she had to learn how to "balance" with a foot on the line as I winched her up. I still had to go forward to pull her up so she could climb onto the toe rail and aboard.

The thought of trying to do this with a MOB in lumpy weather doesn't bear thinking about.

Would a temporary ladder with a sinkable bottom step that could be easily rigged amidships, be a useful solution. Other suggestions welcome.

I guess there are two scenarios here, one for a swimmer, and another for a MOB. The MOB would have to be uninjured and fit I suppose, any degree of MOB incapacitating through shock injury or being unconscious would present a whole different nightmare.

Comments advice, preferably from experience, welcome.

ISO and ABYC standards require the ladder to extend 2 full rungs (about 22 inches) below the water, with the advice that 3 rungs is better. You need a proper, installed ladder, Basic safety equipment, not a place for half measures.

Yes, I have climbed rope, ladders, hinged ladders, and every other kind. I would not ask a non-climber to do so if tired or in lumpy conditions. You need a real ladder.

 

[LadyInBed]

I bought a NiceDD 3 Step Stainless Ladder Telescoping Boat Ladder with Non-Slip Step & Mounting Screws(7331S) : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors to extend my ladder below the water. They also do a Five Rung. A well made bit of kit.
I had to make two P brackets to attach it to the rung on the existing ladder as it's made to screw into a flat surface.

 

[jdc]

... You need a real ladder...

I couldn't agree more. I'd add a point about the location of the ladder. Where it is currently mounted is probably the most dangerous and inappropriate place for a swimming ladder. The reasons are two-fold:
(a) it's where there is an overhang with quite flat section just under or at about the same level as the water. That means that when pitching the hull may come down and smack the swimmer, possibly on the head or the shoulder, both of which could prove fatal to a tired swimmer, and
(b) the face it's on - the transom - in this case slopes quite a bit in the wrong direction to grab anything above the ladder for additional stability. A transom which is vertical or slightly sloping so that the aft-most point is the rail is better in this regard since one can hold the gunwale or push-pit before climbing up.

So I'd put a swim ladder mid-ships. It doesn't have to be permanent, but would be much safer there I believe. Leave the existing one for exiting from the dinghy.

 

[Concerto]

My solution to this problem was to fit an emergency rescue ladder that can be reached from the water. It reaches deep in the water, but you need to climb it sideways to stop it swinging to far under the boat.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

My solution to this problem was to fit an emergency rescue ladder that can be reached from the water. It reaches deep in the water, but you need to climb it sideways to stop it swinging to far under the boat.

View attachment 133861

I think I've read that cavers climb ladders "sideways on", presumably for the same reason. But I'm sure a speleologist will be along in a minute to correct me!

 

[mikefleetwood]

I think I've read that cavers climb ladders "sideways on", presumably for the same reason. But I'm sure a speleologist will be along in a minute to correct me!

I'm pretty sure we were taught that in the Scouts too - but it was a long time ago!

 

[PabloPicasso]

My solution to this problem was to fit an emergency rescue ladder that can be reached from the water. It reaches deep in the water, but you need to climb it sideways to stop it swinging to far under the boat.

View attachment 133861

Hmmmm, that looks like it's long enough to wrap around the rudder, maybe even the prop.

 

[Concerto]

Hmmmm, that looks like it's long enough to wrap around the rudder, maybe even the prop.

The big advantage is the bottom step is weighted to keep it down. Also a swimmer can open it from the water, so does not need someone to set up a ladder. Once used, it can easily be repacked ready for another day. My boarding (not a swim) ladder was lowered and the top step goes about 10" into the water, so the repacking is easy to do, but if it is too rought then just lift it out of the water using a boathook.

 

[William_H]

OP obviously needs a deeper ladder. That one in the link looks good. An alternative I have done is to fabricate a rung or better 2 to swing below the existing ladder. 2x Clamps of thin ss plate go around the existing bottom rung. They attach to ss rod or tubing that swing down to next step. Then same again to next step. All a bit crude but does fold up against existing ladder. The other thing that is vital is hand holds up high and in steps so swimmer can pull herself up as much as push with legs.
Absolutely essential is to use boarding ladder often to confirm its usefulness.
The argument re dangers of stern ladder in a seaway compared to midships side ladder is correct. However I think the virtue of having a stern ladder always arttached and deployable from the water outweighs dangers. ol'will