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Hello all,
I am considering alternatives to the original equipment stern ladder on our ketch. Our previous vessel had a slight reverse transom and an excellent stern ladder that made boarding from the dinghy a relatively low drama event. The 424 has a more traditionally sloping transom, and of course the pushpit on the ketch doesn’t help matters either. We have a side boarding ladder on our 424, but I don’t really like that option, particularly in high winds with a sea running. I’m probably in the minority here, judging from the reading I’ve done on the forum. My current idea is to lengthen the offsets on the top step, the ladder pivot point, and the swiveling ladder offsets. This would make the climb up and down more vertical and less like climbing up an outward leaning angle. My dinghy might need a minor push out when pulling it up into the davits, but no big deal. However…my wife I am sure would like a swim platform sort of arrangement. I’m not sure that would be as helpful as it first appears since you would still have to climb down to it, and up from it, and unless it sticks out pretty darn far you would still have a disadvantageous angle to negotiate. And of course I would still need a ladder from the platform into the water. But I’m open to any experience in this area that others may have had, with a swim platform or otherwise. Any advice is of course much appreciated!
David Tye
Blue Moon, #189 -
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Hi David
We had the same dilemna and was solved by building two access points.
The first was a folding ladder on the side.
The second was a swim platform. The is also a small ladder from the platform for cockpit access. I would have made it deeper but plan to add a wind vane in the near future.
Overall I am very pleased with the results.
I wiĺl post some pics soonRegards
Dennis
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Two years ago we were out on the race course when another boat lost her mast. One of the crew fell overboard. We came to assist. The crew of the other boat was unable to retrieve the swimmer. The water was cold and we needed to get the swimmer out of the water before hypothermia set in. Having a swim platform and ladder allowed us to deploy the ladder in seconds and retrieve the swimmer within a minute or two. The guy was cold and wet but otherwise unhurt.
Rich
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The only issue I found is that in order to prevent obscuring the boat name when folded, I had to make the platform fairly narrow. With the reverse pitch of the transom, this makes it a bit uncomfortable to sit on. If I had it to do over again I’d make it a bit wider and raise the boat name more. It’s also a bit short because the transom isn’t all that wide down low on the transom but there is little that can be done with that.
I have a couple of short wooden steps on the transom that can be used as a step and hold the latches that secure the platform when folded.
I don’t know how the thing would hold up offshore if I got caught in a bad following sea. I tried to make the thing robust enough to stand up to wave action but I’ve had no opportunity to test it. I’d be very reluctant to have a platform that didn’t fold up. I think that would be asking for trouble.
Rich
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David,
I never got around to building a fold-up swim platform on the transom, but the advantages are obvious. I did, however, move and modify the original ladder back there. Because it was installed dead center and I wanted to mount a windvane there, I offset it to port where the pushpit railing was already cut for easy passage through it. But I didn’t like the way the Pearson ladder folded. It fit even worse now than when it was center-mounted. So I cut it and welded on a 2nd pair of hinges, allowing it to fold in 3 sections (instead of the original 2) and thus fit the space better. The net result is a functional swim ladder that has served well for 7 years of liveaboard cruising. The pair of stand-off’s keep it at least vertical so climbers aren’t fighting extra gravity.
When folded up, my ladder is held in place by a long, light line with a slip knot. The other end of that line is led across the aft cockpit combing and then draped overboard so that it dangles a little above the waterline (near the engine exhaust pipe). Without this simple but effective “quick release,” if I ever dive (or fall) overboard without first putting the swim ladder down, I would have a hard time regaining the deck. As it is I simply pull on the dangling cord, which releases the folded ladder. I can then reach up and pull the ladder down to get back aboard.
Tor
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Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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Attached some pics of the new platform.
The white base is temporary and will be replaced with a teak grid.
The tension supports work well in “helping” the dinghy into the water.
The small ladder works well, and is vertical.
I did not want to go out further as a windvane is yet to be fitted.
For the next time – a little wider, and could even be higher
Platform is 500mm above water levelNot sure how to add multiple pics
Attachments:
Swim-Platform.jpg
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David,
Also added a new folding ladder which conveniently works well as a step from the jetty.
Removed the wire safety line above the winches and replaced it with a stainless tube. This works really well especially as a handhold. This makes it much better for winching as the safety lines always snagged the top of the winch handle. This also provided better support for the folding steps. The winch wqas moved when the hard dodger was added, and is a major improvement in boat handling.
Then, since the folding steps used up some of the space – moved the gate further forward.I still need to add a better method for securing the steps.
The addition of the swim platform has taken off the pressure of all the comments about those modern boats with walk-on access from the stern!
Cheers
Dennis
Attachments:
Step-1.jpg
Handrail.jpg
Gate.jpg
Swim-Platform-1.jpg
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Hello all,
I’m having difficulty obtaining internet access here on the South coast of Australia by the Bass Straits, so if you don’t hear from me, sorry…I just can’t get out with any regularity.
Thanks to all for all the great feedback on the stern ladder issue. Clearly, many of you have thought this out pretty thoroughly and come up with some imaginative solutions. The pics, by the way, are wonderful…and have stirred my own imagination. The major LIMFAC is of course the pocketbook and the myriad of other changes/improvements I have in mind. Tor and others hit on an area that has concerned me: how to get on board in an emergency. The swim platform is good, but what if the dinghy is in the davits? Etc… I do have a side ladder and I should probably at a minimum rig a line to water level I can pull to deploy the ladder from the water.
I have saved all the photos and they will be very helpful when I initiate the project. Another related project is extending my pushpit, as I noted Dennis has done. Pearson scrimped a bit (I think) on the overall size of the pushpit so there is not enough space from which to hang things from, like throwable lifesaving devices, etc.. I can show these photos to my SS fabricator and simplify the explanation process.
Thank you all…and I hope this makes it out
David
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Hello all,
Every time that I see similar type of boats like the 424's, I check out the swim ladders. I receinty seen a boat in Martinique that a very similar transom to ours. He had a fibreglass form made to replicate the stern with cut outs for the ladder steps. It was hinged to swing down and was secured in place with cables and had a folding swim ladder on it. When it was in the up position it had the boat name on it. I didn't get a chance to get any pictures. This is the best that I have seen so far for a swim platform. For boarding our boat, we use a step hungnat the gates on either side.
Jack
Xanadu IV
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