Could you get back in the boat after falling overboard?

[DougSea]

Hi all,

When we bought Sonny IV, which does not have a swim platform, one of my first safety oriented questions was - "How the h*ll will I ever get back aboard if I fall in?" While she has a transom door it is normally securely latched shut. And that transom is like a giant wall if you're looking at it from the water!

For the first season I jury-rigged a plastic rope emergency ladder like this:

Ladder.jpg

Not optimal, and it didn't look very good, but it gave me peace of mind.

I later added a dive ladder that can swing up and lock in an upright position. Great ladder, but kinda ugly sticking up back there, and it gets in the way of opening the transom door, especially if you dock stern to.

ArmstrongLadder.jpg

Besides not being the most attractive - the two options above also share a potentially fatal flaw of - if you don't rig them ahead of time they won't be there when you need them.

I was wandering a boat show a number of years ago and spotted an odd looking thing on the back of a new sailboat. This little round fitting labeled "Emergency Ladder". I remember thinking "What a great idea! ALWAYS there when you need it!" Naturally - I forget to get the brand off of it. But, I turned my google powers loose and figured it out. It was a Recessed Emergency Ladder from Osculati in Italy.

OsculatiLadder.jpg

So, let's order one! But no. While I found it on Amazon it was not available. I put it in my shopping cart anyway, and that entry sat there for a couple of years. I'd check on it now and then, but it remained unavailable.

Then, a couple of weeks ago I got one of those "An item in your cart" messages from Amazon. Sure enough there was my mythical ladder! It's sitting in it's little box here next to me and I hope to install it this weekend! Woohoo! So excited for safety!! (And it was only $58! Cheap!)

I'll post an update once it's installed - but I wanted to take this opportunity to remind my fellow AOGers - "Be careful out there!"

Have a great summer!!

[RobS]

Mount it on the side or the transom? Either way you will smash it against the dock !

[Jay Knoll]

looks to me like you drill a hole in the transom and recess the unit

[DougSea]

Mount it on the side or the transom? Either way you will smash it against the dock !

Did you notice how compact it is? If I'm mashing it against the dock I've got other problems!!

I plan on mounting it on the transom next to my dive ladder bracket, which is pretty robust. So if you're backing my boat in it will be safe!

And of course the larger message of the post remains - have a way to get back aboard if there's no one there to help you!

[DougSea]

looks to me like you drill a hole in the transom and recess the unit

That's correct. The bulk of the unit sits inside the hull. That's why I like it so much. Unobtrusive but always there.

Edit - Here's a photo I just took. The black nut is removed, you insert it through a hole in the transom and then reattach the nut and tighten. There's also a version with screws for applications where you can't get to the back side.

OsculatiLadder-Side.jpg

They do make a ladder designed for sailboats that mounts to the stern rails.

[WillieC]

We had a rope ladder similar to the first one shown. What a dog to climb! It sent you under the boat when you first put a foot on it. I did some horsetrading for a telescoping three stepper I mounted on top of our swim step. IF you can make it to the step, you MIGHT be able to flip it over and smartly save your own sorry backside. I look much more seriously at not falling overboard.

[DougSea]

Our 28 had a swim platform and the fold down ladder. So at least I had something where I had a chance of climbing out. Not so on the 35.

Regardless of your set up you should still ask yourself the question I used as the start of this post. You may not plan on hitting the water, but all kinds of weird things happen out there!

[Pitou]

Nice find Doug and no one can ever have too much safety gear!

Another option are these toe steps by Sea Dog. There are other similar types available, but without a grab rail on the transom they're virtually no good,

CIMG1900.JPG

CIMG1902.JPG

[WillieC]

"Regardless of your set up you should still ask yourself the question I used as the start of this post. You may not plan on hitting the water, but all kinds of weird things happen out there!"

This is SO true. I have a rickety old aluminum ladder I use to climb up on my A25 in the yard and everybody that sees it comments on it. I'm the guy I would have fired for using such a piece of....(rhymes with "fleece of spit")! Then I trip around the 6 inch wide walkway with hands full of tools and material and am so used to it, I don't even think about it. This is asking for trouble. I need to change my ways. But I am almost done!

Thanks for the reminder, Doug.

[DesertAlbin736]

There's this video showing a technique of how to get back aboard a RIB dinghy without a ladder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd8kTSm7QbI

Now would this work on a swim platform or hard shell dinghy? Good question. If we had a MOB situation & there was someone left on the boat to handle a rescue and the boat was equipped with lift davits like ours is, theoretically the dinghy could be launched off the davits & tied off alongside (or rowed over to help the MOB victim), make a rope sling by tying a simple "Fireman's Chair" knot in a fairly long piece of rope. Then get the loops of a fireman's chair knot slung under the person's arms and/or legs, make a figure 8 loop in the other end a couple feet from the chair knot. Then get the MOB victim over by the swim ladder, lower one of the davit falls & clip onto the sling, & hoist the person aboard using the 4:1 and advantage of the davit tackle. The MOB might get a little rope burn, but would be safely rescued.

firemans chair knot.jpg

firemans chair knotlift.jpg

How to tie a "Fireman's Chair" knot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKvdH7VicD8

Or a simple bowline or bowline-on-a-bight for an armpit sling.

Of course if you were the only one on the boat you'd be screwed unless you could do like the dinghy boarding technique above.

[Capt Brad]

I removed the stock swim ladder and mounted a new ladder on top of my swim platform. It’s easy flip up and over to deploy. Six steps so easy to board. Mounted grab rail on transom. Very easy to get aboard. When I was training for my Fast rescue Rhib certification years ago , learned real quick to use jet or stern drive to climb back unassisted aboard the ship’s 26ft Rhib. (A requirement to pass) Couldn’t do it now at my age. Not an easy task. Hence I would never own a boat without a swim platform with deplorable ladder from water. I remember a movie about a group of cruisers who all jump over board without deploying a ladder. One by one they die as they try to get one person aboard. Hollywood....yes, but not impossible.

Brad

[Norseman]

“I removed the stock swim ladder and mounted a new ladder on top of my swim platform. It’s easy flip up and over to deploy. Six steps so easy to board. Mounted grab rail on transom.”

Been thinking along the same lines: Need a beefier ladder on the platform, but had planned to use the space for a rubber dink with a flip up bracket. (How to have your cake and eat it too?)
Pls post a picture of the new swim ladder Capt. Brad.

[Paddy]

I spend most the warmer months in the water every day and even with a swim platform and ladder, getting up is tough without a grab handle. Trying to picture your situation...are the trim tabs in the way? Have to be careful there. Either way, with the ladders you are looking at, a solid grab handle above will help you get up. I actually have a suction cup handle that holds my 220 pound body, works great.

Couldn't imagine getting on the boat without the swim platform but kudos to you for thinking ahead.

Good luck.

[Capt Brad]

Norseman,
Here are a couple of pics. The ladder is from garelick I think, six step, and rated for 400 lbs. I am a big guy with shot knees from 32years at sea, most on ocean going salvage/ tug which ride like a mechanical bull! It wasn’t cheap, around $300 or so. It is really solid, and cants out just bit(2in) or so...... so you are not climbing vertical. Boat yard guys loved it at yard since it reaches the ground when Boat is on stands. It has starboard backers under platform. I rig a tag line with carabiner quick clip to make it easy to retrieve from platform. Yes you lose clean swim platform, but that is minor inconvenience from point of view . You can grab rail mounted on second pic. Regret I don’t have one shot of it extended, but trust me, you don’t have to even bend knees to step on bottom, or even second from bottom rung!

32DE1491-E346-44D7-89F3-5B46DCA36E4B.jpeg

BE7711B7-277A-42DA-9E9A-462874F8C602.jpeg

[kerrye]

Got a similar ladder with three steps on our A25 swim platform