Bored, waiting for spring

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Tom Hoffman

Tom Hoffman

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Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
I have ever since getting my boat, been running a thousand things through my head about changes and modifications I want to make to my boat.

The one that I am fixated on right now is a good folding boarding ladder to board from the water after swimming and diving. My transom is 38" high and from experience I know that in order to get out of the water even with just a swim suit on, the ladder needs to extend down into the water at least 2 preferably 3 steps. I have been looking at a folding ladder and telescoping ladders and have found nothing over 43" total, you would barely have the bottom step in the water.

I don't know about you, but I have never learned how to porpoise my 300+ lbs out of the water and up to the first step just at the surface or 6" below.

The ideal ladder would be 36" long to the folding hinge and 36" below that so approximately 30" or so under water.

When my wife and I go on live aboard scuba trips, those boat ladders extend down into the water 5'-6', so you can get on them safely underwater and get your balance before trying to climb them.

What do you guys use?

I can make one out of wood, but would prefere SS or Alum.

Thanks,

Tom...
 
JoeWhite

JoeWhite

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Mar 6, 2008
1,323
Catalina 1999 C36 MKII #1787 Coyote Point Marina, CA.
I would make it my self from several planks of marine wood and rope on both ends. Marine wood will sink into the water as deep as you would like it. And it will fold away and become very small.
 
Manny

Manny

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Oct 5, 2006
983
Hunter 82? 37 Cutter Wherever the wind takes me
Tom, there are options out there and with a little ingenuity I bet you could make something work. Maybe even building a small platform to the transom? You could then use something like this:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|10391|109363|824297&id=730915
Or this:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|10391|109363|824297&id=1349249
Or maybe one of these:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|10391|109363|824297&id=1348780

All of those ladders are pretty compact when stowed.

Manny
 
kenn

kenn

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Apr 18, 2009
1,271
CL Sandpiper 565 Toronto
On our little boat I put a 5-step SS folding ladder fastened to the transom. It extends about 2 steps into the water, and is also at a good height for climbing into the boat when it's on the trailer.

It's a great safety item, and it adds alot to our enjoyment that we can swim from our boat.

I'm sure you can find a stock SS ladder that would serve, or you could look at ways to extend stock ladders by one rung to make boarding easier.
 
Tom Hoffman

Tom Hoffman

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Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
Thanks Manny, That is very helpful.

Tom...
 
cephius (Dave)

cephius (Dave)

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May 25, 2004
958
Hunter 260 Pepin, WI
Most boarding ladders are mounted on hinges just above the water line. You measure down from the mounts. When deployed, all steps are under the surface. You may need to add steps or handles above to ensure a safe entry.
 
Tom Hoffman

Tom Hoffman

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Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
Dave, I haven't seen any mounted that way. All I have seen pictured by posters or on the web by mfg. show them mounted up on the upper edge or just down from it a couple of inches of the top of the transom. That is where I was running into problems, I will look for mounts like you are talking about. Is yours mounted that way?

Thanks,

Tom...
 
cephius (Dave)

cephius (Dave)

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May 25, 2004
958
Hunter 260 Pepin, WI
The H260 has a sugar scoop transom. The hinges are right on the edge. The ladder telescopes and sits flat on top of the boarding area when not in use. It's a very ease boat to board from the water. You can see it on the port side, lowest step.




The Catalina 22 (previous boat) had a high, flat, transom. The mounts were extensions above the water. The ladder strapped to the life lines when up. When down it had extensions at the first step that butted up against the transom. The extensions kept the ladder about 6" from the side for easy climbing.



That type is the most common I've seen.
 
Tom Hoffman

Tom Hoffman

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Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
Thanks, I see what you mean. The second pic looks almost just like my transom. No slant fore or aft and probably a little less freeboard than mine, but I can definitely see how it would work.

Thanks Dave.

Tom....

Meant to ask you is there any vehicle/trailer parking by the marina that you use?

I would like to bring my boat up and leave it trailered for the summer and then just drive up and launch when we can get away.

Thanks,
 
cephius (Dave)

cephius (Dave)

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May 25, 2004
958
Hunter 260 Pepin, WI
There are always a couple of boats on the hard. Don't know if it is used the way you are thinking, "Dry" storage with mast up with ramp usage rights. They tend to get tucked away into the corners to free up the parking lot. That would make regular access an issue.

The owner, Dan, is very friendly. Give him a call and see. (715) 442-4900
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
cephius (Dave) said:
Most boarding ladders are mounted on hinges just above the water line. You measure down from the mounts. When deployed, all steps are under the surface. You may need to add steps or handles above to ensure a safe entry.
Click to expand


Ours was like that. Here it is when we bought the boat. The pushpit...



railing made it hard to board though. I'm 6-1 and could step over it, but Ruth is 5-2 and had to crawl under it.



I cut it out in the area above the ladder and extended the.....



......ladder up there. Now it is very easy to board for either of us. Steps and a hand hold all the way up. It might not look as nice, but it is very functional. Since we are in our latter 60's and getting older every day :cry: anything we can do to the boat to make it more functional will extend the years that we can sail it.

One thing I still have to do is add flat steps to the ladder. Those round rungs are not good on old bare feet :cry:.

Have fun with the new boat Tom,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links
 
timebandit

timebandit

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Jun 3, 2004
1,863
Macgregor 25 So. Cal.
Unless you swim with combat boots on you might want to add wide woden steps to make it easy on the feet.

 
Tom Hoffman

Tom Hoffman

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Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
Sum, I hear you about old bare feet. I scuba dive and I have a pair of Hard Soled dive moccosins. Neoprene rubber, I don't go in the water with out them. For that matter, I wear my fins when I swim. Mine are Henderson Low Cut 3mm hard sole, evidently not available any more. Very comfortable to wear and slip on and off.

http://www.joediveramerica.com/scubagear/prods/S38-BK-.html

Sum, on you rail modifications. Did you make all the corner parts and "T"s your self or did you have a source?

Tom...
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Tom Hoffman

Tom Hoffman

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Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
Sum, I just spent the last two hours looking at all your other improvments to your boat.

I am in awe. You take DIY to a whole new level.

All I can say is WOW. Now I wish I hadn't bought my boat. I would just wait around till you get bored and need more challenges and sell your boat and get another to play with. Just kidding....

Those modifications are really nice. Is all the metal you use SS and Alum? I wish I had all the neat metal working tools that you have. EVen if I had them, I'd still have to learn how to use them.

Have a good one...

Tom...
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Tom Hoffman said:
........... Is all the metal you use SS and Alum? I wish I had all the neat metal working tools that you have. Even if I had them, I'd still have to learn how to use them...........Have a good one...Tom...
Click to expand
Thanks :). So far everything I've done is in Aluminum, but I have a little stainless and will maybe be making two anchor bow rollers out of it if I have enough. I can find scrap aluminum every once in a while, but it is hard for me to find stainless and I haven't welded any yet, but just started welding the aluminum a year or so ago when I got the TIG welder.

The aluminum has held up great in fresh water so far, but I worry about corrosion with it when we head to salt water this next year. If I was a full time salt water sailor I would for sure do all of it in SS. The aluminum sure is easy and fun to machine though. I got some stuff to coat the aluminum that is suppose to help with the corrosion deal. We'll see how well it works.

I've got the tools partly because I've been pretty frugal in other areas. Only owned two new vehicles in my life and one was a VW and the other a Mazda pickup with no frills. I've also built 3 of my homes and the store building, so I've saved a lot there. Learning how to use this stuff is actually pretty easy once you set your mind to it, especially now with the Internet. I used a TIG welder in the 70's for a couple hours with disastrous results and put off getting one until a couple years ago since I thought I would never master it. The new TIG's are really easy to weld with. Well easy to stick some aluminum together with. I'm still learning how to make prettier welds.

I really enjoy the design and build part of the boat, but also the exploring new places with it is at the top also, just in a different way. The actual sailing is great, but about third on the list with the building/exploring ahead of it.

You will have a lot of fun with that boat I'm sure,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links
 
Tom Hoffman

Tom Hoffman

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Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
Very Cool!!!

That is cool. It is also the reason for buying my little boat. To learn on, so I can do just that and try out a bigger boat in salt water in the caribbean.

I have been looking at Conch Charters, I have read good reviews in the Cruisers Forum on them.

Tom...
 
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