I fell out of my boat (not MOB)

[Squidd]

Stupid ladder.....What do you guys use thats safe and secure and doesn't weigh a ton to access the boat when it's on the hard....

I only need 9'... an 8' folding ladder is too short, a 12' is too bulky and heavy,,,

I cut an old wooden ladder down to size nice fit, nice and light but it has the "round rungs" which are hard on the feet and like yesterday has a tendency to "slip out" from under me...

I had my arms full of gear and only one hand on the rail (which helped control my fall) but worry about the Mrs (and myself) when were loading and down loading "stuff"...

I could probably tie the top off the toe rail for security but is there something light weight and flat stepped (with out building a stairway to Heaven) that you can use or suggest...?

 

[Jackdaw]

Stupid ladder.....What do you guys use thats safe and secure and doesn't weigh a ton to access the boat when it's on the hard....

I only need 9'... an 8' folding ladder is too short, a 12' is too bulky and heavy,,,

I cut an old wooden ladder down to size nice fit, nice and light but it has the "round rungs" which are hard on the feet and like yesterday has a tendency to "slip out" from under me...

I had my arms full of gear and only one hand on the rail (which helped control my fall) but worry about the Mrs (and myself) when were loading and down loading "stuff"...

I could probably tie the top off the toe rail for security but is there something light weight and flat stepped (with out building a stairway to Heaven) that you can use or suggest...?

This.

http://www.toolup.com/telesteps_1600et_125-ft-type-1a-black-telescoping-ladder-300-pounds.aspx

 

[tommays]

10' as falling sucks



You absolutely positively don't ever want to fall down as hard as i have

 

[caguy]

Tommy's I feel your pain. Don't tell me you stepped on the rung with the warning label, "DANGER - DO NOT STAND HERE."
I have a 10' aluminum step ladder at mast-up storage. Pretty light and stores under boat on trailer. At home for the Luger 30 I have a 16' extension ladder that I lean against the rub rail. The double rungs are comfortable on the feet.

Just make sure that when stepping off the ladder that you are on the bottom rung. I stepped off the second rung on a 6' ladder when working on the Mac 25 in my driveway. I landed on the back of my head and blanked out for what I think was a few seconds. When I went to get up I rolled over and tried to stand but the earth kept tilting sideways. About the third time I stayed on my hands and knees until everything stopped moving.
Thanks to the grass I landed on there were no serious injuries to any of my still useful parts.

 

[GeorgiaBII]

My boat has this.

 

[patrickince]

I would suggest to get a canvas bag (Kuny) and put everything you need in the bag. Go up the ladder with both hands and hoist the bag up on a rope. If the items are too big tie the rope to them and hoist them. Securing the ladder at the top if possible is also a good idea. I fell off the coach house into the cockpit last year and my butt looked like tommays arm all the way down to the knee. It does not take much of a fall to end a sailing season before it starts.

Be safe

 

[Warren Milberg]

Folding Ladder

This is one of the most useful products I own and use all the time. I have the 12-ft model and it folds up nicely to fit in the trunk of my car. Cost $100 when I bought it.


http://www.homedepot.com/s/folding%20ladder?NCNI-5

 

[sail_MN]

I use a Gorilla ladder. There are different brands but they all work the same. It can be adjusted as high as you need it and the base widens the higher you go. The nice thing is you can climb up either side or straddle it when working off the top.

Squidd, I'll be looking for your boat up on Superior this summer

 

[tommays]

Go figure a life time of motorcycles and I have ALL THE extremely hard Crashes on bicycles

Worse yet defective part

 

[woodster]

well out of all the post about this i see only one person say anything about tieing off the ladder...that is the first thing you do when setting a ladder up for use...tie it off while someone below holds it and make it a safe thing to use yes i know people get in a hurry but that is always the answer when someone falls...i have a set of rolling stairs to access my boat

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

well out of all the post about this i see only one person say anything about tieing off the ladder...that is the first thing you do when setting a ladder up for use...tie it off while someone below holds it and make it a safe thing to use yes i know people get in a hurry but that is always the answer when someone falls...i have a set of rolling stairs to access my boat

Always, always always tie off the ladder up top.

Did I mention ALWAYS?

 

[jibes138]

Good idea to put on a harness and tie yourself off when working on deck. OSHA requires workers to be tied off above 6 feet. I saw a guy fall from 10 feet on his head and die. Don't take the risk.

 

[Bob J.]

You're lucky you didn't get seriously hurt. Two years ago beginning of June I fell off a 8' step ladder while working on the bow of my boat. Fell flat on my back. Lucky I didn't end up paralyzed. I lost a whole season of working on the boat, didn't fish, sail or hunt that year. Took until November before I could walk tall again.

PS: keep a cell phone with you so when the ladder does blow off because you didn't tie it, you can call your wife of kids

 

[Squidd]

GeorgiaBll....That looks nice, wide steps and permently attached... How does it fold up..?

Woodster...Thats really what I want (wife wants), but a bit unwieldly for where I park my boat...

sail_MN...I'm heading up next weekend and will be up most every weekend cept for my daughters wedding in July....Lazy Lady

I like the wide base on the fold up Gorrilla type ladders...wish they had wider flat steps like a bi fold ladder...Maybe I'll see if I can find a nice 10' bifold and cut the back legs off to lighten it up...

(and tie off on top)

 

[Bob S]

I use the same latter Warren posted. Got mine a Lowes. The nice part pf this ladder is it comes apart. I run a plank across the two sections when I buff and wax.

Squidd
i took a header of mine but I was only a few rungs up. Fell on my backside and almost hit my head. I was able to stop the fall but my neck was sore for months. Scared the hell out of me. You look terrible, hope for a quick recovery.

Tommy, ouch!

 

[31seahorse]

For climbing aboard we use an aluminum work platform that is just high enough to let us climb onto the lowered stern ladder. For working along the hull as we clean, wax, etc we use an 8 foot ladder. Fortunately, no one fell, and the work is done for this year. I'll admit I never gave a thought to tieing the 8 foot ladder, but I'll keep that in mind. The step onto and off of the platform was always a concern. Especially due to the angle of the stern ladder and the uneven ground the platform was on.

Thanks for the reminders that none of us is immune to falls and injuries.

 

[garyg]

I always lash my ladder to a stanchion ( my boat a 33' sloop with a 5' draft ) as soon as I set up. For two reasons, stabilizes the ladder and prevents it from falling away.

I have witnessed an unattached ladder falling away from boat on the hard with the owner up onboard.

 

[Stargazer3]

I fell off the back of my boat (my feet were four feet up) and down onto an asphault boat-yard. I was out of commission for three weeks. Now I "know better" and don't "take chances" like I used to! I'm 65. Capt Bill on STARGAZER

 

[jtm]

I too have a folding/telescoping Werner ladder like warren. It's great light and fits easily into the trunk of my Saab 900 It's only about 13ft fully extended. I have an 82 year old marina pal they bought the 23ft model so he'd have it to hold onto as he on/offs the boat

 

[py26129]

I buily myself a ladder from 2x3s to fi tthe boat pefectly. It's cheap and solid but a bit on the heavy side. It lives on the cradle year round so the weight is not a big deal. The next one will be wider at the bottom than the top making it extra stable.

Cheers

Matt