It could work Don, but possibly more suited to a recreational situation rather than a panicked falling off with the boat drifting away. I would like to see something where the bit of the ladder that is in the water extends back at an angle so that when you climb you limit the vertical lift because there is likely to be panic which will tire you very quickly.

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Donk107 said..
A interesting article here that mainly deals with small boats but has some interesting points www.boatus.org/findings/44/

Regards Don

Good article Don thanks. I think I will make one of those single stirrups up and give them a try. Friend of mine used a similar item on his Finn. After a capsize he found he was just a bit too old to get back in. The stirrup worked but the problem then was his lifejacket. Sailing vest really required while racing would catch on the gunwale. Once he had the boat upright he would put a foot in the stirrup and naturally it would go under the boat. This placed him at an awkward angle and his vest made it very difficult to get back on. He found one capsize was his limit, after that he had to retire. There was one occasion where the rescue boat drivers offsider had to climb into his Finn and manually haul him in!

Donk107,

Great little video but for a yacht you will need a second loop at water level to get high enough to get back onboard.

dont want to be a smart arse but on a seawind cat you climb up the moulded in transom steps
no probs at all, sorry guys cheers ray

I find even with swimming and a ladder that extends into the water I still need a loop of rope/ sail tie hanging lower to step into to get up.Thats a bit of an effort as it swings away from you.
Have to do some man overboard in summer and start to wear harness's when we are powered up sailing.

Hi to all

I went up to Hobart and had a look at what is available

I have given up on the rope ladder idea because the general concensus is that it is too difficult to climb

I had a look at one of these http://www.marinedirect.com.au/catalogue/c3892/p670300/newOrder and if i have enough width between the legs of the existing ladder i could bolt it through the transom with bottom of the telescopic section of the ladder level with the bottom of my existing ladder end put a velcro strap around it and the existing lower rung to hold it up

When i needed to use it i could undo the velcro and let it drop in the water with the bottom rung ending up around 475 below the bottom of the existing ladder

I need to go out to the boat and check some measurments to see if it would work and to make sure that when it was closed up it will still allow me to use the existing ladder to board from the dinghy

If this one is still to short a 3 step of the same design might be a better choice but i am a bit concerned that i wont have the width between the existing ladder mounting to make it work

The other option is to do something similar to what Cisco has and make the new rungs match up with the existing ones when it is folded up but this would require welding mounting brackets to the existing ladder to swing the new one off whereas the other would just bolt on through the transom and would be easier to do on the mooring

Regards Don

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cisco said..
This type of boarding ladder is very common and at $149 is quite economical.

www.whitworths.com.au/oceansouth-4-step-boarding-ladder-2-2-step-folding

This is what was fitted to Second Wind. If the folding part is secured up with a slip knot it will be quite easily deployed from the water if you happen to be in it.

The other thing i could do is clamp a couple of brakets similar the thesewww.cassellmarine.com.au/p/959078/canopy-clamp---hinged.html (as long as they are strong enough) around the verticals above the lower rung of the existing ladder and swing a new ladder like Cisco's shown on the picture off them

Regards Don

After looking at my options I have decided that when I slip her after Christmas I will get 2 mounting lugs welded on each side of the existing ladder and swing a full height matching ladder about 900mm long oft them and this should give me a bottom step about 500 mm below the water when it is swung down

Regards Don

That is a really good option Donk
This ladder came with my boat when I bought her, have not tried it out maybe I could fit it permanently alter the ends if it fits well




But I do like that walkers set up near you