Swimming around your boat

[Squadron]

So while we were out today, we decided to anchor the boat near a local beach and swim around a bit. The water was beautiful and we managed to get the anchor situated pretty easily (it was my first time setting the anchor and it worked beautifully!), so I hopped in with a buddy.

However... we managed to almost get ourselves stuck in the water since we didn't realize the current was so strong. As a makeshift solution, we tied some line to the aft cleats and just held onto the line to keep us stationary. Getting in was simply a nightmare since we only had an old rope ladder to use, and it was incredibly difficult to get back into the boat with.

My question is: What sort of customizations have you done on your boats for swimming? It's a small boat, so putting a swim platform won't work.. Do you use latch-on hard stairs or did you bolt stairs on?

 

[Patrick Lombard]

So while we were out today, we decided to anchor the boat near a local beach and swim around a bit. The water was beautiful and we managed to get the anchor situated pretty easily (it was my first time setting the anchor and it worked beautifully!), so I hopped in with a buddy.

However... we managed to almost get ourselves stuck in the water since we didn't realize the current was so strong. As a makeshift solution, we tied some line to the aft cleats and just held onto the line to keep us stationary. Getting in was simply a nightmare since we only had an old rope ladder to use, and it was incredibly difficult to get back into the boat with.

My question is: What sort of customizations have you done on your boats for swimming? It's a small boat, so putting a swim platform won't work.. Do you use latch-on hard stairs or did you bolt stairs on?

I have a bolt on swim ladder at the stern of my 87 Hunter 31

 

[kloudie1]

Always fun !! We usually tie a throwable device to a 100 ft line and let it trail when we are swimming.. make it as long as ya feel is necessary..
I have used a bunch of different ladders and find tha the bolt on kind is the best, but also usually the most expensive. Hard to do sometimes on a boat with an outboard and a transom hung rudder.. On my 23, I used one that hung over the side and removed and folded flat when not in use.. Ya want two steps below the water to make it easy to use.

 

[inarathree]

On my H22 I use the 48" ladder from West Marine. I hang it over the stern, cause at 240#, H22 is a bit too light to hang over the side. WM has a shorter ladder (which the po had) but I found too short when I can't touch bottom.

 

[Squadron]

Cool, I was considering the bolt-on ladder but there's too much stuff on my transom anyway, I don't want to poke any more holes into it to bolt anything else on at this point.

I'll check out what West Marine has, and then buy it online to save some money.

 

[srhummer]

My H34 has a ladder built in on the stern so no help there. But for the current I have tried several things at the end of a line and have now settled on a fender. It floats well and unlike a float/cushion it does not "swim" around on the line in the current. The larger ones are very easy to see. Have also tied a small fender on in the middle of the line. We tend to jump in off the bow, surface at about the stern and then grab the line and climb back up to and into the boat. Great FUN on those really HOT days with little wind!!!

 

[Dan Johnson]

Standard procedure...

when swimming off my boat and those of my friends is to tie a float cushion's on the loop end of a dock line through its handles, throw it in and cleat the other end to a stern cleat. As mentioned, a fender would work but a cushion is softer and easier to hug while just "chillin' "... Used to carry an old tire tube but it took up too much space when stored.