Can You Deploy your swim ladder from the water ?

FastOlson

FastOlson

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Apr 8, 2010
1,950
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
A well-regarded surveyor advises me that ABYC now requires that the first step be a certain distance under the water surface, AND that the folded or hinged ladder has a release method operable by a MOB.
We have a pretty good hinged ladder, but are still trying to figure out a way to both secure it in a seaway and yet have it easy to lower by a (dazed...) swimmer.
A consultation with Rube Goldberg -- with vital input from Mr. Occam --may be involved.
 
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Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
FastOlson said:
A well-regarded surveyor advises me that ABYC now requires that the first step be a certain distance under the water surface, AND that the folded or hinged ladder has a release method operable by a MOB.
We have a pretty good hinged ladder, but are still trying to figure out a way to both secure it in a seaway and yet have it easy to lower by a (dazed...) swimmer.
A consultation with Rube Goldberg -- with vital input from Mr. Occam --may be involved.
Click to expand
Indeed, the worst-case setups are when the ladder was designed to be part of the stern pulpit safety setup. That's makes a water-side release very difficult.
 
Apex

Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
Parsons said:
....

Can you guys make some suggestions for how I can rig an emergency ladder release, or should I just rig an emergency ladder like JackDaw described. .....
Click to expand
why not rig a length of line to the outside end of each latch. Pulling on the middle of that line should pull each latch up. The trick is then routing the loop so that as the MOB pulls down and away from the boat, it also pulls the ladder out far enough for gravity to finish deployment.
 
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pateco

pateco

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Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
Apex said:
The trick is then routing the loop so that as the MOB pulls down and away from the boat, it also pulls the ladder out far enough for gravity to finish deployment.
Click to expand
Unless the rope was dragging in the water well behind the boat, getting close enough to pull the ladder down and let gravity do its work would probably get me smacked in the head with a heavy stainless ladder.
 
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Mark Maulden

Mark Maulden

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Jan 25, 2011
2,399
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Our stern pulpit goes all the way around. The ladder is hinged on the transom and swings up to the pulpit where it is tied. I’ve been thinking one turn of double sided velcro to hold ladder in place and trail a line from ladder to the water. Just enough that it wont get jammed between hull and rudder..A pull on the line should “break” the velcro.
 
M

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,020
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
we also have an old fashioned ladder made of teak rungs and rope. it used to stay inboard of the toerail , with a pull line down near the water . it was held by a slip knot that could be released from the water. its main purpose became to hang off the bowsprit so eager youngsters could climb up it. in our old marina there were NO ladders at any dock and we needed to supply some means of climbing back on board or swimming 350 feeæt to shore if we fell in... which our dog once did, then i went in after her, then we both swam too long a way to wade on shore..
 
SG

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
Smaller Ladyhawk Stern.jpg
When folded, ours is balanced in the stern "scoop". You can reach up and pull it down (hopefully without your head being in the way :^))).

I wouldn't want to have to chase the boat in an emergency, even when I was a much better swimmer as a kid.

 
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SwitchintoglideIII

SwitchintoglideIII

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Feb 11, 2012
271
C&C Mega 30 Long Point, Lake Erie
Yes, I can deploy the ladder from the water by simply pulling the spring loaded platform down, resulting in two and a half rungs below the water line.
IMG_0684.JPG IMG_0685.JPG IMG_0096.JPG IMG_0155.JPG
MOB situation? Dunno, many variables....
Gunkholing, favorite swimhole etc.... the ease of boarding is a blessing.
 
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C

captbob47

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Oct 6, 2015
8
Compac 27 Anderson, SC
I tie a "mooring hitch" connecting the ladder to the stainless corner stanchion next to it above the closest rung to the deck. The release line hanging over the stern is just above the water. The top of the ladder needs to stay outboard of the lifeline. You can go to www.netknots.com to see how to tie the mooring hitch. The other end of the line is tied to the ladder itself to assist in pulling it down once it is released.
 
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S

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,070
Currently Boatless Okinawa
captbob47 said:
I tie a "mooring hitch" connecting the ladder to the stainless corner stanchion next to it....
Click to expand
This is exactly the solution I've been looking for. Simple, needs no parts except line already on the boat, and won't corrode. Thanks for posting.
 
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Kings Gambit

Kings Gambit

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Jul 27, 2011
5,002
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Probably the only time it it ("deployable swim ladder") would count for much is if you ended up in the water while the boat is lying at anchor or in its slip, or otherwise not underway by power or sail---as others have noted above. Believe it or not, people have been known to jump into the water with the boat at anchor or drifting, and then not be able to get back aboard b/c they forgot to drop the swim ladder. I think there was a relatively recent story about this happening off Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. I admit to the thoughtlessness of having gotten into the water at the slip to scrub the bottom, and then ??? How do I get out of the water--ladder not down?:doh: Fortunately, that day, the admiral was aboard to rescue me.:yeah:

Yes, though, with some effort and the extra push of dive fins I can get high enough for a second to reach and barely pull the ladder down if I get a good hold on it. Poor mechanical advantage, however, pulling from near the hinge at the bottom. Sometimes I tie a line to it that pulls it from the "top"; see in my Avtar the ladder in the "up" position.
 
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P

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
This last March my wife was stepping on to the boat from the slip finger and slipped and fell in the water.. the water temp. that day was 37 degrees ...she had a very heavy quilted winter coat on which immediately filled with water.....I did not realize at first that she had slipped and fallen into the water from the slip finger until she started screaming....She was crying and scared to death but I did hear her screams and she smartly had swam to the back of the boat....screaming ' put the ladder in'...she was frantic and I did immediately lower the ladder from the stern of the boat into the water....she was frantic and freezing...she
immediately grabbed the ladder and I grabbed her arms and somehow managed to pull her out of the water...she was crying and scared to death but thankfully she is strong and a good swimmer and was okay in the end..but her heavy winter coat was full of water......It was a lesson that when ever someone is swimming, playing in the water, or whatever, for them to have a ladder in the water...since then our club has installed ladders at the end of the slip finger, but had I not been in the boat, I could not have lowered the ladder...and I believe Heather would have drowned...and she is a former swim team member from her high school....accidents can and do happen and I'm fortunate to have been on the boat and could react to her screams of help.....we started thinking what would happen if someone drove up....entered the water to cool off and no one was around and could not get out...or some sort of accident occured?....could they sue our club for not providing ladders to aid in an emergency.? I thank our BOG for their quick response by providing a ladder for use in an emergency.....just a thought, Patrick......
 
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C

Calif. Ted

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Jun 8, 2004
2,855
Catalina 320 Dana Point
For the 355 and 375 I believe Catalina put the ladder IN the transom for that purpose, in this picture note the square opening below the swim step.
 

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Bob S

Bob S

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Sep 27, 2007
1,771
Beneteau 393 New Bedford, MA
Not an easy task when your dinghy is swinging on davits.
 
Gene Neill

Gene Neill

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Sep 30, 2013
3,541
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
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