Cape Dory 30 Boarding Ladder

[Ayars Lore]

We are not satisfied with the "hook" type boarding ladder which came with our CD 30, Dory's Dory at purchase. Suggestions please. Type that works best and best location (Stern vs. midships).

Thanks
Ayars

[Cathy Monaghan]

I don't have this ladder, but I like it:

http://www.mysticstainless.com/page2.html

[drysuit2]

Wow that one is so much nicer than my rope ladder! Is it better to install the ladder at the stern? I don't have any lifelines, or a pulpit on my stern. could I install it on my stern quarter?

[Russell]

I have the ladder which Cathy linked to. It is great, TopsInQuality also makes one that is almost identical, either one of them is about the best you can get out there. But you do have to pay for such a nice peice of gear, bout $700 if I recall!! I dont regret what I spent on it, I have gotten every dime out of investment in how much it gets used, but just preparing you for the inevidable sticker shock.

My boarding ladder I use the genoa track mount option, its nice and versitile. Personally I prefer boarding on the side rather then the stern, but since I have a windvane I also do not have much choice either.

[Bill Chapple]

I purchased a Mystic Stainless 3 segment ladder to install on my CD 27. Initially I attached it on the Jenny T-track on the port side of the cockpit, but the tumblehome prevented one of the standoffs from making contact. I have now installed a T-track amidships and I think that will work better. It is very well made and has slip tubes to keep it open. One difficulty is raising it since the slip tubes have to slid off of the bottom of each segment. I will be using the halyard to attach to a line on the bottom of the ladder. I got the three segment ladder because I wanted to use it for a swim ladder, but I now think that the two segment ladder would be easier to manage

[Russell]

I have the 2 segment ladder on my 36 and find it more then adequate for the freeboard for use as a swim ladder. I can certainly see how the 3 segment ladder would be a bit of a pain sometimes.

[Cathy Monaghan]

Wow that one is so much nicer than my rope ladder! Is it better to install the ladder at the stern? I don't have any lifelines, or a pulpit on my stern. could I install it on my stern quarter?

Hi Frank,

I beleive the Foldaway Ladder offered by Mystic Stainless was designed for use at the boarding gate and not at the stern. But you can contact them and find out. And as Russell pointed out, Tops in Quality makes them too.

You need to take the boat's tumblehome into account when you measure. Here's the link to the measurement guide from the Tops in Quality web site:

http://www.topsinquality.com/amidguide.htm

And here are the different mounting options for the Mystic Stainless ladder:

http://www.mysticstainless.com/page3.html




Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Bob Luby]

A few comments:

Test the ladder by having your first mate deploy it and climb it.

If she can't climb it, modify it so she can. Men have far more upper body strength than women. My wife's legs were too short for the original Mystic Stainless ladder we bought for Grendel. The firm was happy to add extra rungs between the ones already on the ladder,
________
Ranchero rio grande
________
Honda RA108

[David van den Burgh]

I don't have this ladder, but I like it:

http://www.mysticstainless.com/page2.html

We have a Mystic Stainless ladder and, while it's beautifully crafted, it isn't perfect.

Our biggest complaint is that a slick retrieval system isn't included in the 700 dollar price (notice on the site that there's no diagram illustrating retrieval). One would think that for such an investment there would be a better way to collapse the ladder than leaning over the side of the boat, posterior in the air, knees jammed against stanchion bases, in an attempt to lift the "joint-locks", which stubbornly drop back into place just as the ladder is raised. If one successfully collapses the first segment without inducing a cerebral aneurysm, the good news is that the second joint is much easier to reach.

The other issue is the mounting system. The fancy-schmancy genoa track mounts move independently of each other, which could result in inadvertantly losing the ladder while changing position. The two track-mounted cars should be joined together somehow, either with a threaded stainless rod or a super-duty shock cord through the whole assembly. At the very least, the ladder needs to be permanently tethered to the boat.

The company does beautiful work, but the product has two significant design flaws that undermine the basis for making such an expensive investment. There's no doubt that the ladder's pretty - it looks great stowed and deployed - but pretty doesn't always mean functional, and that is what one expects when paying so much.

[Lew Gresham]

Nice ladder, but I am not sure about the handrail. It looks as if your weight were shifted to the left for some reason while holding on the handrail it would cause more pressure on the handrails base. Could bend at it's fitting. I think a second stanchion in place would be best. Just a thought!

[Jack Carr]

I do a lot of single-handed sailing and I wanted a ladder that I could lower if I ever went over and was too exhausted to pull myself up the freeboard. I used three 3"x16" boards for rungs rounded on the edges with holes drilled on each end to allow a 3/4" roped to pass through. The rope was knoted to hold 10" spacing between rungs. At the end of each rope a fastner is used to lash to a suitable location on the stern of the boat. The ladder is secured at all times on deck by velcro or other means to easily release when hanging from the side. The trick is the selection of wood as you don't want the rungs to float. They must sink. There are some very dense tropical wood species used for decking at your local hardwood or lumber yard that will sink. Or you could use a dense plastic. Needless to say, the ladder can be used for less dire needs.

[Lew Gresham]

On my 30 Catalina the ladder was permanently attached and when lowered the ladder was set perpendicular to the water. It was always hard to climb especially if you had on any diving gear. What was done to make it easier to climb, was to lengthen the ladder stands offs which gave the ladder a little angle to the stern.

[Boyd]

Hi David:

I have the stern type boarding ladder on Tern which presented the retrieval challenge similar to your very colorful description. For my situation just add the backstay in the middle of it all. Its sort of like a cheese cutter on your collar bone or pelvis.

One of my female guests suggested that I add a light line from the bottom of the ladder to the rail leaving some slack in the line so that the ladder can be brought to the vertical position first and then folded up. The retrieval operation can now be done done while standing. Genius.

This way I avoid the awkward, uncomfortable, unflattering, and potentially illegal inverted position that I previously had to assume to get the thing folded back up. It also removes an opportunity for me to use fowl language.

Nothing like having a woman on board to bring a bit of civilization.

Boyd
s/v Tern
CD30 MkII
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

[Cathy Monaghan]

A few comments:

Test the ladder by having your first mate deploy it and climb it.

If she can't climb it, modify it so she can. Men have far more upper body strength than women. My wife's legs were too short for the original Mystic Stainless ladder we bought for Grendel. The firm was happy to add extra rungs between the ones already on the ladder,

I agree with Bob. I cannot use our stern ladder at all (mostly because of the angle), which is why a gate boarding ladder is much more appealing to me.

I don't have this ladder, but I like it:

http://www.mysticstainless.com/page2.html

We have a Mystic Stainless ladder and, while it's beautifully crafted, it isn't perfect.

Our biggest complaint is that a slick retrieval system isn't included in the 700 dollar price (notice on the site that there's no diagram illustrating retrieval). One would think that for such an investment there would be a better way to collapse the ladder than leaning over the side of the boat, posterior in the air, knees jammed against stanchion bases, in an attempt to lift the "joint-locks", which stubbornly drop back into place just as the ladder is raised. If one successfully collapses the first segment without inducing a cerebral aneurysm, the good news is that the second joint is much easier to reach.

The other issue is the mounting system. The fancy-schmancy genoa track mounts move independently of each other, which could result in inadvertantly losing the ladder while changing position. The two track-mounted cars should be joined together somehow, either with a threaded stainless rod or a super-duty shock cord through the whole assembly. At the very least, the ladder needs to be permanently tethered to the boat.

The company does beautiful work, but the product has two significant design flaws that undermine the basis for making such an expensive investment. There's no doubt that the ladder's pretty - it looks great stowed and deployed - but pretty doesn't always mean functional, and that is what one expects when paying so much.

Dave,

Have you forwarded any of your suggestions to Mystic Stainless? You never know, they just may not have thought of this stuff and may use some of your suggestions.

Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Neil Gordon]

With any sort of sea running, or just some chop left over from the usual weekend wake traffic, the stern is a lethal weapon. If I was in the water, I'd much prefer boarding alongside.

By the way (or weigh), it's easy enough to make a wood boarding ladder sink just by tying sufficient weight to the bottom. No need for exotic (expensive!) lumber.