Swim Ladder Modfication to allow easy stern entry

[smokey73]

1994 Hunter 40.5

Has anyone modified (shortened) the swim ladder on a Hunter 40.5 to allow it to be folded up but still allow entry from the dingy onto the swim platform then onto the boat without climbing over the ladder? We are on a mooring and that is the best way to access the boat but the ladder blocks the way.

When I bought the boat, the PO had removed the swim ladder that folds up on the stern scoop, I assume to access the boat from the stern from a dingy. I have the ladder and from my measurements it looks like when deployed it sticks down into the water a good deal. This makes very easy access from the water but when the ladder is up it makes getting into the cockpit very difficult. If anyone has a picture with the ladder deployed, or knows how many ladder rungs it takes to reach the water on the last long segment could you please post?

I was thinking about cutting off the ladder so that you could still board the boat from the stern.

Thanks in advance
Smokey73

 

[Rick D]

Well, Not Exactly, But...

...a friend with a Catalina 42 Mk 1 which has a similar arrangement did a clever deal involving a sleeve and fast pin. He had his done by Garhauer and it's a common modification among Catalina owners. Mind you, it does not fold, it just removes and is tied along the lifeline when stored.

However, why not just leave the ladder down and put it up at night? When down, it is a help more than a hindrance getting from the dink on and off the boat in my experience. I keep a line tied to one of the rungs to lift the ladder up and tie it off partially down sometimes when we're going to be somewhere for a few weeks and I don't want to leave the ladder down so much. When we enter and leave the boat, we do so from the aft quarter. We leave the dink tied along side with bow and stern lines and a few fenders instead of just a bow line. When the tide changes, I don't like it banging on the hull at night.

Hope that's pretty clear.

 

[Bill Roosa]

The ladder is almost completely submerged when deployed. Only the top step is out of the water by about an inch or 2. We tied a cord to the "bottom" step, which is the top of the ladder when in the stored position, and the stern rail so you can pull the ladder down from the water/dingy. Just make sure you are not directly behind the ladder when deploying it from the water. Also makes it possible to store the ladder from the cockpit with the walk through seat in place.

 

[charris]

We usually have ours down in the day but bring it up at night to prevent barnacles and banging in waves. We have little trouble arriving by dinghy to the stern and getting past the ladder by simply opening it a few feet, enough to get a leg up onto the removable seat (assuming we haven't removed it) and then letting the ladder swing closed behind us. Be a shame to shorten it because it completes the pushpit when under way and compared to a lot of swim ladders, is so easy to use from the water as it descends so nice and deep you don't have to be half out of the water to get your foot on the bottom rung

 

[smokey73]

Agree

We usually have ours down in the day but bring it up at night to prevent barnacles and banging in waves. We have little trouble arriving by dinghy to the stern and getting past the ladder by simply opening it a few feet, enough to get a leg up onto the removable seat (assuming we haven't removed it) and then letting the ladder swing closed behind us. Be a shame to shorten it because it completes the pushpit when under way and compared to a lot of swim ladders, is so easy to use from the water as it descends so nice and deep you don't have to be half out of the water to get your foot on the bottom rung

I agree, I don't want to loose the length. I am just trying to figure a way to make the access from the stern more convenient. We keep the boat on a mooring and normally access with a skiff from the stern. We don't even have the ladder installed right now (the previous owner removed it but we have it in the attic). I'd like to be able to access the scoop stern without having to deploy or partially deploy the ladder from the skiff and then take it up. I am thinking of a sleeve that can be used to connect a portion that is removed for normal "up position." Then the lower portion would be put on when we want to go for a swim. I could use pins to attach the two pieces together (with the ladder tubing inside the sleeve) when we need it but still have access normally without having to climb over or reposition the ladder. Just mulling over the options right now.

I have a folding ladder for access from the port side but it is a long way up and it doesn't go very far down into the water (like you said, you have to pull yourself up to get on the first rung.) Thanks for the input and I want to keep the comfort of the deep penetration into the water but make the stern access easier. Just looking for ideas and I do appreciate the input.

 

[neilleparkerjr]

My experience with my 37.5 (which has the same scoop/platform/ladder/pushpit design as the 40.5) is the same as Charris'. It just simply is no problem to get past the ladder when it is up and you are moving from cockpit to swim platform or vice versa. Push or pull the ladder aft a foot or so and go around from either side. No need to ruin a really good design unless someone on your boat has a serious disability.

 

[smokey73]

I'll try it out for awhile and see how the Admiral likes it

My experience with my 37.5 (which has the same scoop/platform/ladder/pushpit design as the 40.5) is the same as Charris'. It just simply is no problem to get past the ladder when it is up and you are moving from cockpit to swim platform or vice versa. Push or pull the ladder aft a foot or so and go around from either side. No need to ruin a really good design unless someone on your boat has a serious disability.

Thanks all for the input. I'll try it out for awhile and see how the Admiral likes it. We have a saying here in the the south. "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"

 

[rfrye1]

There was a post a few yrs ago from someone in Newport CA I think, that explains how he took his existing long one piece ladder to a fabricator and had them turn it into a 3 piece "tri-fold" that laid flat on the swim platform. Clever idea and very practical. The big one piece ladder on my H376 is a pain to deal with.
Bob.

 

[smokey73]

that is what I'm looking force

There was a post a few yrs ago from someone in Newport CA I think, that explains how he took his existing long one piece ladder to a fabricator and had them turn it into a 3 piece "tri-fold" that laid flat on the swim platform. Clever idea and very practical. The big one piece ladder on my H376 is a pain to deal with.
Bob.

Does anyone have that link or information?

 

[Greg Reardon]

I don't have the link, but coincidentally I recently corresponded with the owner from Newport Beach and he shared his modification with me. Here is his description. I'll try to figure out how to send his photos

 

[Greg Reardon]

Swim ladder modification on H-376 from Newport Beach CA owner.

"The key to this mod is the hinge, it's two pieces of the next size up tubing welded together to create the hinge. Someone later put this on the Hunter site as his mod and welded stops to keep the hinge to the outside. I didn't do this, the reason being that I can slide the hinge to polish under it. The fact they can slide has never been a problem. You'll note that you lose one step, that has also never been a problem getting out of the water.

I used the original mounts to the hull, keeping the mod simple. You could bolt it solid to the hull, which to me was a lot of unnecessary added mod. I had the welder tack everything together to be sure it all fit and worked as intended. Then had him do the final welding.

You basically cut out the curve portion of the ladder, and shorten the steps making sure they don't stick out to far. I did not make the cuts with a hacksaw, as it's really hard to get a square cut. I had them cut with a powered saw cutter to be sure they were square. It's a hacksaw that operates like a band saw."

 

[artboas]

Here's the important thing..

Swim ladder modification on H-376 from Newport Beach CA owner.

"The key to this mod is the hinge, it's two pieces of the next size up tubing welded together to create the hinge. Someone later put this on the Hunter site as his mod and welded stops to keep the hinge to the outside. I didn't do this, the reason being that I can slide the hinge to polish under it. The fact they can slide has never been a problem. You'll note that you lose one step, that has also never been a problem getting out of the water.

I used the original mounts to the hull, keeping the mod simple. You could bolt it solid to the hull, which to me was a lot of unnecessary added mod. I had the welder tack everything together to be sure it all fit and worked as intended. Then had him do the final welding.

You basically cut out the curve portion of the ladder, and shorten the steps making sure they don't stick out to far. I did not make the cuts with a hacksaw, as it's really hard to get a square cut. I had them cut with a powered saw cutter to be sure they were square. It's a hacksaw that operates like a band saw."

I'm all for neato modifications . My current and prior boats were full of them.
But remember one thing..,
This stern ladder is the ONLY way you are going to get a MOB back into the boat.
Whatever fancy stuff you do to it, make very sure it will stand up in a line squall with pounding waves, trying to haul someone out of the water.

 

[uncledom]

What ever modification you make, be sure the ladder can be deployed from the water. A friends father threw out his anchor and promptly followed it. He swam to the back of the boat where his ladder was neatly tied to the back life line. He was found clinging to the rudder by a passer by. He would not have made the night.

 

[rgarrison@gmail.com]

Re: I'll try it out for awhile and see how the Admiral likes

We have the same saying out on the "left coast", of course being from Texas, it just rolls off my lips...

 

[smokey73]

Re: I'll try it out for awhile and see how the Admiral likes

I finally got around to "engineering" my solution to keep the Admiral happy. I wanted to keep the original ladder but had to figure out a way to make it a two piece ladder. After some discussion with my welder we came up with this idea and it seems to work very well. He first cut the ladder so that no step would protrude above the deck. Then he welded a solid stainless steel rod inside of the ladder tubing and fitted it together before drilling a hole that would allow the the two pieces to be fitted together and pinned. It seems to work very well and is easy to rig up when we get underway. Here's the picture (I'll have to put the detail picture in the next post)

 

[smokey73]

Re: I'll try it out for awhile and see how the Admiral likes

Here is the detail picture of the welded rod that was put in with the hole.

 

[Mikem]

Smokey, nice work.

'73 USNA as well.

 

[woodster]

Smokey i really like what you did to that ladder a very good innovation.....

 

[Jake and Deb]

Removing the swim ladder

I like what you did Smokey. How did you remove the swim ladder so your welder could work on it?

 

[smokey73]

I like what you did Smokey. How did you remove the swim ladder so your welder could work on it?

The swim ladder is attached to the boat with two bolts on each side in the channel where the ladder fits on the swim platform. (it swings around the the hinge) You can access the nuts from inside the swim ladder lazarettes. It may be bedded in but hopefully not with something like the devil's glue (5200). I rebedded it with butyl rubber tape.