Request for advice on installing & using boarding step

[tom ricks]

Hi,
I am planning to put on boarding step or "swim step" on the transom of my Typhoon, to make it easier for anyone overboard (like me, singlehanding) to get back into the boat.

Before I do, I'd welcome any any advice youse have on location. Primarly, how low should it go? It seems to me that it should go as low as possible. But I've never had a boarding step before. (And yes, I also have a ladder tied down next to the tiller, and another ladder in the dinghy.)

Fwiw, here is what I am planning to buy:

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product ... HwodkYoIzQ

Thanks,
Tom Ricks

[tjr818]

Rick I had two of those on the transom of a previous boat. They only work if you can get your foot up that high while swimming (possibly with clothes on) and have a good place to get a hand hold. My old boat had a huge wooden rudder so after the original two steps didn't work, I was able to cut two cutouts in the rudder for my feet to help me get up high enough to reach the two steps on the transom. I was young, thin, and athletic at the time and it was still hard to do. Is there a hand hold? With out a good place for both hands to help I doubt you can do it. I know I would not be able to do it with that setup today.

[Astronomertoo]

I will totally agree with Tim on the single fold down step. Not practical. And you do also need something high enough to pull on to get back in.
The smallest sailboat I have had was a Kittywake 23 long ago which was also narrow, had a hull form designed by Alberg, very similar to the CDs, and I can tell you any kind of step/boarding ladder arrangement is useless on the stern of our type of hulls. The problem is you need a ladder 3 ft (or more) in the water for the first step, and something higher on the boat to grasp to pull on that will hold your body weight while trying to get out of the water. One can tend to become pretty well brused and banged up in the process. The only practical arrangement I ever found on the smaller 23 fter was one of the fold up 4 step portable ladders with J-hooks that can be laid over the cockpit in such a way it will stay there while you are floundering around trying to get back on the boat. That maneuver is complicated even if you are in excellent condition, as the ladder will not want to stay in one spot unless you can make it do so. The Typhoon hull form is prone to rolling quite a bit in the direction of a boarding person, which does not help. In the case of a man overboard scenario even in calm waters it can be very difficult alone even for sopmeone in good shape. If you have a secure, tight stanchion on the side that you can brace the ladder too, and will support using your hands to pull on, it will be a help. That type of ladder is best if you can find a way to secure it into the cockpit to keep the ladder in place. For solo sailing, you need to have a safe system and practice it. My later sailboats with higher transoms and fixed/hinged 2 part pull down ladders have really spoiled me, and being a larger than average person, getting up a moving, loose, ladder was difficult, and could be dangerous. Likewise the emergency rope ladder I had set up in place to grab from the water in an emergency was very painful to bare feet. I singlehanded often and always had it and a long trailing polypro rope with a loop at the end to grab from the water in case I ever got knocked off the boat alone.
I am sure some of the Typhoon owners will respond with something very workable for you.
Best wishes
Bob C

[Sea Hunt Video]

Tom:

You may want to review the posts (and referenced websites) on this thread about boarding ladders for a Ty Weekender.

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... er+Typhoon

At least for me (old, fat, out of shape) there were no good options, only "less bad" options for a boarding ladder.

Randy (S/V Twig), along with others, had some thoughtful posts on the above thread about boarding ladders for Ty Weekenders.

Hope this helps a little

Right now, in my location, it is 93 degrees with a heat index at a even 100 degrees F. Yea

[Jim Walsh]

Right now, in my location, it is 93 degrees with a heat index at a even 100 degrees F. Yea

Cold snap, eh

[Neil Gordon]

Right now, in my location, it is 93 degrees with a heat index at a even 100 degrees F. Yea

Where does the Wind Chill Factor go in the summer?

[Astronomertoo]

Hi Tom,
and Roberto, I resemble that even with good humor.
The difficult ladder is one of several reasons I always kept a floating tow line out back with a loop, in which case if I ever got knocked off the boat when solo, I would hope someone would eventually find me later with my arm thru the loop, IF I could not get back up the silly ladder. (No I did not have an autopilot back in the 70s, and the boat would round up eventually by itself. But my (same type) ladder was a 4 step fold up, and was always stored portside inside the lifeline where I could reach from the water--if I got back to the boat. It worked ok for nomal swimming with friends, in which the strongest went up first. All my ladders since then have been much better, and with wide teak steps, much easier on the old feet.
By the way, we have had this silly mid 90s (in the shade) for about 5 weeks now, and it got down to a wonderful humid 80 last night. We look forward to better boating weather this fall. Even the Gulf has been in the mid 80s, although the local springs are still 69, just the way the manatees like it in the winter.
Bob C
Citrus Springs FL

[Skeep]

Rick, Roberto, et. al.,

That thread Roberto posted brought this subject back to mind once again. And, I must confess, since that time I have not seen or found any suitable solutions for a handy ladder for the Ty. And, in our club on Lake Murray, the Flying Scots are suitably outfitted with a smart little stern ladder ( just search images for Flying Scot ladder ) which fits their design quite well.

Alas, I have thought about a ladder in-between times. And I should chronicle this on my "Adventure," well, I did actually, but it was rather awkwardly done as you might imagine with the GoPro floppily squirting its views around near the toe rail as I wrestled myself aboard one hot afternoon at the dock. I quickly deleted that video as images of my wet belly-button did not properly convey any useful information for how the ladder worked or not.

I had messed around with some heavier non-stretch nylon one day, figuring I could certainly figure making use of this old rope that used to secure Baggy Wrinkles to its trailer until I terminated its use for other things, like a "man overboard ladder?" So, while there was no audience, and the Ty was secure, and there seemed to be no water creatures nearby, I affixed the the line first to the mast step bringing the two lines together, looping and a couple of half hitches ( well it had to be something quick like you'd do if you were under pressure and at sea right? ) and feeding the "ladder" between the shrouds and into the water.



The ladder was able to descend about a foot beyond my boot stripe, thus making the distance from rub-rail to first step about 30 inches at best.

Based on the stability of the Typhoon, I figured to use the shrouds as my first hiking upward assistance point in order to form a triangle then with the ladder foot-hold as second, and the rubrail pivot point as the third point. Theoretically, me the 62 year old somewhat physically fit yet mentally 15 year old kid, could use this triangle as a launch upward.

Well, it worked. It wasn't pretty I'm sure, but it worked. The Ty eased over a bit as I pulled on the shrouds and gained movement with my first step. There wasn't a second step you see, because in reality, there's no need for it. By the time I was in the ladder step and holding the shrouds, I was then chest high with the rub-rail. I reached for the jib cleat on the cuddy cabin top, and transferred my assault from shrouds to deck, my chest now on the Ty! I was nearly aboard!

Jubilation suspended, I now calculated the uneasiness of the position but figured any climb aboard is going to be uncomfortable. Having my upper torso thus on the starboard deck, I then wrestled a leg upward and gained safety in mere moments. Success! No scars, no jammed fingers, all my toes were still attached. I had boarded my Ty with a length of old line and proved that getting aboard could be achieved with determination even if it lacked elan.

However, the jumble of line wrapped around the mast base, trailing along the deck, was not smart looking nor very seaman like a sight. Nor was my assault aboard!

So, I'm left still wondering about this method and the probability of an alternative such as a deck stowable aluminum ladder which could be "easily" detached, lobbed over the rubrail near the shrouds and provide a bit more ease of boarding. In retrospect, using the shrouds makes sense, and so does economy of deck space for a ladder.

I deleted the GoPro video of my climb aboard assault just in case you're wondering...

[tom ricks]

So, no one has had a good experience with a boarding step, I take it?
Thanks,
Tom

[Neil Gordon]

So, no one has had a good experience with a boarding step, I take it?
Thanks,
Tom

It's the part where every sort of flexible ladder that's deep enough to step onto wants to go under the boat. That leaves you needing to heave yourself aboard with considerable upper body strength... easy enough to do if you're (i) young, and (ii) light.

[RLW]

I am active on another forum, and a recent post reads as follows:

Quote:

We have been using this dinghy ladder to make it easier to get back into the dinghy when snorkeling and when you are not standing on the botton. This is USA made, and really is a great design.

Up N Out Dinghy Ladder

See this link.
www.up-n-out.com/dinghy-ladders/

End Quote.

I have no first hand knowledge, experience of interests in the product. Just thought I'd share one man's opinion!

[Sea Hunt Video]

So, no one has had a good experience with a boarding step, I take it?
Thanks,
Tom

If you open the CDSOA discussion thread I referenced in my earlier email and then scroll down to August 2014 you will see a post by Randy (S/V Twig). Randy provides a website address to a boarding ladder that he says works for him.

I know Randy. He is a member of our local sailing club. If Randy says it works, then it works. He is very knowledgeable, very smart about sailboats and very honest in his assessment of all things nautical.

[gates_cliff]

A little off topic but I ran across this photo about a CD 27 for sale. Notice that it's been shaped to conform to the curvature of th hull. Guessing it would be stowed in a cockpit locker.

[tjr818]

That is a beautiful ladder, but what are you supposed to do when you get to the top? I likes the idea of a stanchion nearby to hold on to, but the lifeline and the genoa sheet are going to be in the way. Further aft and the dodger frame will interfere

[Paul D.]

I have one of these and it works very well. I have often thought of tying a rope ladder portion to fall below the water it as an idea to extend it's use. It may be just way enough form the hull to work. While we do use the transom ladder or "Beach Club" as it should now be called, I prefer boarding from the side. Much safer in any kind of a swell.

http://johndanicic.com/page9/page9.html