I need a boarding ladder for my "winter boat" a 23 ft Coronado. To save space, I'm going to make a rope ladder with wooden treads. I don't know if, for stability, I need to have two ropes supporting each side of the treads, or is a single rope through each side OK? Has anybody ever used a ladder like this? I don't want to permanently attach anything to the stern.
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Just imagining
this in my mind. If the treads were say 4" wide you would want to have a min of 3/4" in between the edge and each rope hole. 1/2" for each hole maybe...that leaves 1.5" in between the ropes. If the treads were fixed in place by knots on top and bottom of the tread it would be ok. As soon as weight was put on a tread the others would become more secure but none would be very stable at first.
this in my mind. If the treads were say 4" wide you would want to have a min of 3/4" in between the edge and each rope hole. 1/2" for each hole maybe...that leaves 1.5" in between the ropes. If the treads were fixed in place by knots on top and bottom of the tread it would be ok. As soon as weight was put on a tread the others would become more secure but none would be very stable at first.
Ladders
Ah- a current Christams project of mine! My plan is this- I will make the steps out of wood- probably a teak substitute. I will use probably 55/8 or 1/2 inch line, one piece knoted at each end ( after being fed thru the holes in the steps. I was going to make the steps about 3" wide, hole ( same size as the rope will be centered. The line will be long enough to make a loop just big enough to slip over the primary winch on my son in laws SJ24 and have the steps hang the right amount into the water I plan to use plastic pipe as spacers between the steps, in an ID just a bit bigger than the line. One of the things I want to do is weight the lower step so it sinks when in the water. Probably will use a piece of SS screwed to the bottom of the lowest step
Ah- a current Christams project of mine! My plan is this- I will make the steps out of wood- probably a teak substitute. I will use probably 55/8 or 1/2 inch line, one piece knoted at each end ( after being fed thru the holes in the steps. I was going to make the steps about 3" wide, hole ( same size as the rope will be centered. The line will be long enough to make a loop just big enough to slip over the primary winch on my son in laws SJ24 and have the steps hang the right amount into the water I plan to use plastic pipe as spacers between the steps, in an ID just a bit bigger than the line. One of the things I want to do is weight the lower step so it sinks when in the water. Probably will use a piece of SS screwed to the bottom of the lowest step
Hard to board
Rope ladders are ok in a emergency but they are hard to use because your feet tend to go under the boat. That is why aluminum ladders have standoffs so the ladder stays vertical.
Rope ladders are ok in a emergency but they are hard to use because your feet tend to go under the boat. That is why aluminum ladders have standoffs so the ladder stays vertical.
Ladders
Considering how important a ladder on the stern is during an emergency, why not by a real one that has been tested and known to work. They're really not that expensive. Be safe.
Considering how important a ladder on the stern is during an emergency, why not by a real one that has been tested and known to work. They're really not that expensive. Be safe.
Stern ladder
Sean: Money is not an issue. As far as safety is concerned, since 95% of my sailing (H34 on lake Erie and C23 in the Gulf) is singlehanded, much of the time under autohelm, if I go overboard, there is nobody on board to get the boat to me and drop a ladder. I wear a harness when leaving the cockpit to hopefully keep me onboard. I just want something that does not take up space in the locker that I can use when I want to scrub the waterline or some such thing in shallow water. The Coronado draws only two feet so I can stand on the bottom to do those things, but I need a way to get back on board infrequently.
Sean: Money is not an issue. As far as safety is concerned, since 95% of my sailing (H34 on lake Erie and C23 in the Gulf) is singlehanded, much of the time under autohelm, if I go overboard, there is nobody on board to get the boat to me and drop a ladder. I wear a harness when leaving the cockpit to hopefully keep me onboard. I just want something that does not take up space in the locker that I can use when I want to scrub the waterline or some such thing in shallow water. The Coronado draws only two feet so I can stand on the bottom to do those things, but I need a way to get back on board infrequently.
Alum ladder
Buy a aluminum ladder that hangs over the side of the boat, actually if you drive around on garbage nite you'll probably see hundreds of ole pool ladders being thrown out. take your rope ladder and hand it from some thing and then try climbing it.opps Hanging boat ladders are at flea markets and are more stable than rope.
Buy a aluminum ladder that hangs over the side of the boat, actually if you drive around on garbage nite you'll probably see hundreds of ole pool ladders being thrown out. take your rope ladder and hand it from some thing and then try climbing it.opps Hanging boat ladders are at flea markets and are more stable than rope.
Aluminum Ladder Capacity
Before you buy that over the side aluminum ladder check the weight capacity. Most of them top out at 175 lbs. I got a stainless one from West Marine that has a 300 lb capacity.
Before you buy that over the side aluminum ladder check the weight capacity. Most of them top out at 175 lbs. I got a stainless one from West Marine that has a 300 lb capacity.
Good point, Don K!
I bought a stainless steel ladder too, after realizing that if I went over the side fully clothed my weight soaking wet would exceeed the capacity of an aluminum ladder. The ladder should also be long enough for the bottom rung to be at least a foot below the water when hung from the boat. Otherwise you might not be able to get a foothold on it. I'd suggest at least four rungs and preferably five. Mine folds and fits easily in the cockpit locker. On a small boat, it's probably better to hang the ladder off the transom than off the side. Someone climbing onto a ladder on the side can heel the boat noticeably and cause all kinds of unexpected problems. A transom-hung ladder won't affect the boat as severely, Don't ask me how I know this... Peter H23 "Raven"
I bought a stainless steel ladder too, after realizing that if I went over the side fully clothed my weight soaking wet would exceeed the capacity of an aluminum ladder. The ladder should also be long enough for the bottom rung to be at least a foot below the water when hung from the boat. Otherwise you might not be able to get a foothold on it. I'd suggest at least four rungs and preferably five. Mine folds and fits easily in the cockpit locker. On a small boat, it's probably better to hang the ladder off the transom than off the side. Someone climbing onto a ladder on the side can heel the boat noticeably and cause all kinds of unexpected problems. A transom-hung ladder won't affect the boat as severely, Don't ask me how I know this... Peter H23 "Raven"
Me too on weight capacity
After I discovered that you actually DO need a ladder (if Peter isn't talking about how he learned, neither am I), I bought one of those aluminum ones. I weight 200 lbs, have some friends that are up in the 250 range. The standoffs collapsed in two weeks (replaced by a piece of 2x4), and the arms were going in a couple months. Since I KNOW you can't climb into an O'Day 22 very easily, you don't want to be caught with a collapsed ladder. Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
After I discovered that you actually DO need a ladder (if Peter isn't talking about how he learned, neither am I), I bought one of those aluminum ones. I weight 200 lbs, have some friends that are up in the 250 range. The standoffs collapsed in two weeks (replaced by a piece of 2x4), and the arms were going in a couple months. Since I KNOW you can't climb into an O'Day 22 very easily, you don't want to be caught with a collapsed ladder. Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
Just finished my DIY
I found out how expensive a custom ladders can be when pricing a replacement for the one stolen from my stern....was quoted as much as $200 per step...i.e. $1000. for my five step unit. I have found and ordered a custom unit from source with 6-week delivery for $350. for 316L SS and can report on quality if anyones interested... should be here by X-mas. In the interim I fashioned a rope ladder using P.T. landscape timber sections, thru-drilled with a knotted line and wrapped in carpet. The larger cross section resists the tendency to roll under your feet when loaded down better than 2-by-material. It works for the time.
I found out how expensive a custom ladders can be when pricing a replacement for the one stolen from my stern....was quoted as much as $200 per step...i.e. $1000. for my five step unit. I have found and ordered a custom unit from source with 6-week delivery for $350. for 316L SS and can report on quality if anyones interested... should be here by X-mas. In the interim I fashioned a rope ladder using P.T. landscape timber sections, thru-drilled with a knotted line and wrapped in carpet. The larger cross section resists the tendency to roll under your feet when loaded down better than 2-by-material. It works for the time.
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