I am re-mounting a swim ladder on my Oday 23. There was a rubber gasket between the mounting brackets and the hull. I am wondering if I can just use bedding compound (polysulfide)to mount the ladder?
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Swim ladder
I don't see why not. I don't have any rubber gaskets on my swim ladder. I have them under my lifeline stanchions, but not my ladder. Just apply the caulking and get the bolts snug without letting the bolts turn as you tighten. Wait a day or two for the caulking to set up and tighten the nuts down good. Try not to let the bolts turn. Don Casey mentions counter sinking the holes just a little bit, so that the caulking can squeeze into it better around the bolt. I've never tried that but it makes pretty good sense to me. As long as you have some good back-up plates behind the ladder it should be OK.
I don't see why not. I don't have any rubber gaskets on my swim ladder. I have them under my lifeline stanchions, but not my ladder. Just apply the caulking and get the bolts snug without letting the bolts turn as you tighten. Wait a day or two for the caulking to set up and tighten the nuts down good. Try not to let the bolts turn. Don Casey mentions counter sinking the holes just a little bit, so that the caulking can squeeze into it better around the bolt. I've never tried that but it makes pretty good sense to me. As long as you have some good back-up plates behind the ladder it should be OK.
ladder
if you don't have a ladder, look for one with atleast 2 steps below the surface of the water to allow easy climbing back onboard.
if you don't have a ladder, look for one with atleast 2 steps below the surface of the water to allow easy climbing back onboard.
thanks Joe
Hi Joe, Thanks for the feedback. I've got plywood blocks inside the hull to back the washers and nuts. Not sure why the previous owner mounted the swim ladder with rubber gaskets instead of bedding compound. Perhaps he thought he might have to remove it for some reason in the future. I think I'll go with the bedding compound, which should provide a better seal. My advice to those looking for a swim ladder is to get one with flat steps. Mine are round, and they are a little hard on my old feet.
Hi Joe, Thanks for the feedback. I've got plywood blocks inside the hull to back the washers and nuts. Not sure why the previous owner mounted the swim ladder with rubber gaskets instead of bedding compound. Perhaps he thought he might have to remove it for some reason in the future. I think I'll go with the bedding compound, which should provide a better seal. My advice to those looking for a swim ladder is to get one with flat steps. Mine are round, and they are a little hard on my old feet.
Ladder
Kevin, My ladder has round rungs too. I have to admit, they are hard on the feet even with wet shoes. I would go ahead and mount the swim ladder with the plywood backing. I helped a friend mount one on his O'Day 192 a few years ago and he had gone out and bought an 8" Beckson Deck plate for the center of the inside of the transom. He had borrowed an 8" hole saw from his son in-law, and the job went pretty fast. We used 3-M Polysulfide caulking on the swim ladder and just got the bolts snug and left it to set up for a couple of days. Then we came back and tightened it down good. I used to use Boat-life polysulfide until I tried 3-M 4000. The 3-M has a longer shelf life, I think, and you can buy it at Wal-Mart cheaper than the large boat stores sell it for. As for the rungs on the ladder; You may be able to fit some 3" wide boards on top of each wrung of the ladder and make them long enough so that they sort of fit half way around the inside edge of vertical pipes of the ladder. You could round off both end of each step and use pipe straps under each board to hold them in place. You'd probably need strong wood like white oak. The steps wouldn't turn on the rungs because they would fit nice and snug into the vertical 1" pipes on both sides. I've thought of doing this to my ladder. Good luck with your project. Joe
Kevin, My ladder has round rungs too. I have to admit, they are hard on the feet even with wet shoes. I would go ahead and mount the swim ladder with the plywood backing. I helped a friend mount one on his O'Day 192 a few years ago and he had gone out and bought an 8" Beckson Deck plate for the center of the inside of the transom. He had borrowed an 8" hole saw from his son in-law, and the job went pretty fast. We used 3-M Polysulfide caulking on the swim ladder and just got the bolts snug and left it to set up for a couple of days. Then we came back and tightened it down good. I used to use Boat-life polysulfide until I tried 3-M 4000. The 3-M has a longer shelf life, I think, and you can buy it at Wal-Mart cheaper than the large boat stores sell it for. As for the rungs on the ladder; You may be able to fit some 3" wide boards on top of each wrung of the ladder and make them long enough so that they sort of fit half way around the inside edge of vertical pipes of the ladder. You could round off both end of each step and use pipe straps under each board to hold them in place. You'd probably need strong wood like white oak. The steps wouldn't turn on the rungs because they would fit nice and snug into the vertical 1" pipes on both sides. I've thought of doing this to my ladder. Good luck with your project. Joe
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