New Safety Equipment

F

FootballFan

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2012
3,584
Florida
Boat Info
Marquis 59
Engines
MTU Series 60
Have been contemplating an issue: If I fall off the boat, how do I get back on?

Simple answer is to go to the swim platform, use the ladder and climb aboard. Couple of problems come to mind. First, the dinghy on the swim platform covers the entire platform and hangs over a bit off the stern. Second, I am not nearly as “agile” as I was. For you younger folks - read that as I am no longer a "spring chicken".

In theory I should be able to climb back on, leaning forward as I come up, working my way underneath the bow of the dinghy. Somehow scoot my butt around the bow of the tender… But after climbing around on the swim platform while the dinghy is loaded – thinking this would be very difficult for me.

Could always have my wife lower the swim platform into the water, climb up that way. At this point though she is upset and in panic stage because I fell in the water – how long does that take? What happens if the platform fails to lower due to any number of issues that could happen.

I have a very precarious activity that is a regular occurrence, putting the cover on the tender. I wind up having to crawl over the outboard, balance myself, hang on, to get the cover over the end of the outer tube.

I already have a pfd on, and have a line strung across the stern to hang on to. My approach to date has been the best plan is “not to fall in”.

So here is my solution...

ladder extended.jpg


Folded for storage

folded Ladder.jpg



$27. Easy to store in a stern cockpit locker. Quick easy access, loop the line over one of the stern cleats and drop in the water. Climbing a rope ladder has challenges, tends to push under the boat, but it’s a pathway. For the dollars invested – I feel better. I now have an additional option for getting back on the boat.

Will test next week another concept -- does this work for getting back on the dinghy in deeper water? We go out to sand bars a lot. Get the wife loaded - sometimes I need to push out a ways before I get back on. Put me in waist deep water - I look like Shamu at sea world getting back in the tender. Thinking I can rig a line that the loop goes on, gives me a step before face planting on the tender.

For the amount of money I spent - I feel better.

mark
 
TJ, Ladder is blocked by the dinghy if I read correctly. Mark, Appears you are in Florida, so the water is not typically (ever?) cold enough, so when things like this happen to me, I just rest and wait, then get out of the water. The rope ladder is a good idea, but I might just opt to hold onto the swim platform, rest up, assure the wife I’m okay, wait for everything to calm down, then either try the rope ladder or get the platform lowered. I had a life jacket on and was swimming out to the boat from an island, but miscalculated, and the current took me away. I just sat and waited, the current was taking me to an area where I could swim perpendicular and get back to the island (northern tip). Then I would walk back and try again, but his time calculate better! The most important thing is the PFD, and you already have that.
 
I was contemplating the same thing the other day when I needed to dive under the boat to check out the prop. Water was 51deg and I had a wetsuit in but it still took my breath away. It would have been hard to stay in the water for a few minutes while my wife cleared the swim platform. My dingy is right on top of my ladder with no way to use it with it on the swim platform.
In order to get ready to get in the water I had to unhook the dingy, lower it in the water , slide it off the platform and at that point I would have been able to get on the swim platform without the ladder and hop up on the main platform.
I need a quicker and easier way to get back on the boat. The ladder you bought I have used on my 26ft overnighter to get on the bow of the boat from the beach and frankly it is very hard to use. Once you put your weight on the rungs with nothing to push against your feet go out from under you and it makes it very hard to climb up. I was contemplating adding a mount and a dive ladder that you find on center consoles with outboard brackets. Storage of the ladder is harder but it would be easy to use in an emergency and if the kids just want to swim without taking the dingy off the boat.

Something like this

A57E6D1A-71F3-4DAF-8416-A870660B9C8C.png
 
Buddy of mine fell in a few years ago at the end of the season. He thought he was going to die. winter clothes on. Winter coat. No ladders in the Marina. NOBODY AROUND , HE hung on to another boats swim platform , took off his coat and pulled himself up....
NOT A GOOD SCENARIRO .

Rob
 
Please, give that ladder a good, realistic tryout. I had one, and it is not as easy to use as it looks. Just to make sure you like it!

FootballFan said:
Have been contemplating an issue: If I fall off the boat, how do I get back on?

Simple answer is to go to the swim platform, use the ladder and climb aboard. Couple of problems come to mind. First, the dinghy on the swim platform covers the entire platform and hangs over a bit off the stern. Second, I am not nearly as “agile” as I was. For you younger folks - read that as I am no longer a "spring chicken".

In theory I should be able to climb back on, leaning forward as I come up, working my way underneath the bow of the dinghy. Somehow scoot my butt around the bow of the tender… But after climbing around on the swim platform while the dinghy is loaded – thinking this would be very difficult for me.

Could always have my wife lower the swim platform into the water, climb up that way. At this point though she is upset and in panic stage because I fell in the water – how long does that take? What happens if the platform fails to lower due to any number of issues that could happen.

I have a very precarious activity that is a regular occurrence, putting the cover on the tender. I wind up having to crawl over the outboard, balance myself, hang on, to get the cover over the end of the outer tube.

I already have a pfd on, and have a line strung across the stern to hang on to. My approach to date has been the best plan is “not to fall in”.

So here is my solution...

View attachment 69805

Folded for storage

View attachment 69806


$27. Easy to store in a stern cockpit locker. Quick easy access, loop the line over one of the stern cleats and drop in the water. Climbing a rope ladder has challenges, tends to push under the boat, but it’s a pathway. For the dollars invested – I feel better. I now have an additional option for getting back on the boat.

Will test next week another concept -- does this work for getting back on the dinghy in deeper water? We go out to sand bars a lot. Get the wife loaded - sometimes I need to push out a ways before I get back on. Put me in waist deep water - I look like Shamu at sea world getting back in the tender. Thinking I can rig a line that the loop goes on, gives me a step before face planting on the tender.

For the amount of money I spent - I feel better.

mark
Click to expand...
 
Boatingnut said:
Please, give that ladder a good, realistic tryout. I had one, and it is not as easy to use as it looks. Just to make sure you like it!
Click to expand...

Will do. Not expecting it to be easy and not something to be used for swimming. Purely an emergency situation.

For the price ($27) thought it was worth a try.
 
The one and only nice thing about having a swim platform so low that I can easily beach myself on it even with the dinghy there. Karen has a little trouble. We anchor a lot and like to go in the water on hot days to cool off but if it’s just an overnighter, we usually don’t launch the dinghy. I made my dinghy Davit system high enough to open up and use the swim ladder. Also gets the dinghy up high enough that big following seas don’t bother it when going slow.
Let us know how it works for getting in the dink in deep water, we need a quick easy and easily storable system for that.
 
Mark,

Tie a knot in the end you loop around a cleat so the weight on the ladder won't cause the loop to slip and slide around the cleat. If you don't, will eventually end up causing the steps to be at something kin to a 45˚ angle which will substantially increase the difficulty of climbing.

Ask me how I discovered. that .....!
 
Rope ladders like that are easier to climb if you climb up them with the edge facing you, instead of trying to use them like an actual ladder. You have your hands on either side, and your feet on alternate sides, working your way up the ladder. You might have seen this done if you ever watched a helicopter evac where the chopper never touches down. The ladders drop and people climb up alternating hand over hand, one rung at a time, using their feet the same way, on alternate sides of the ladder. It's more like climbing a rope that climbing a stationary ladder.
 
AND- when climbing back into a dingy that is in deeper water, it makes it much easier to pull yourself up and out of water if you have a thick line tied to the opposite side of the dink (oarlock or side handle) and drape it over to the side you are climbing in. The rope coming from the opposite side gives you a little more pull angle once your body is as high as the tubes and your trying to sling your leg over.
 
EE191C94-184A-44B3-9BBA-89006C9E2D23.jpeg
9F948354-4D3C-4B7A-98CD-AE6059160647.jpeg
I ended up going with this from Garelick. Doesn’t go super deep being only 3 steps but will be easy to store, quick to deploy and useful when needed.
 
Boatingnut said:
Please, give that ladder a good, realistic tryout. I had one, and it is not as easy to use as it looks. Just to make sure you like it!
Click to expand...
Boatingnut is correct, I used to have one and my fat butt kept pushing the ladder out vertical. I got it to work but it was a PITA. Emergency action plan in cold water may not be an option.
 
I also have that plastic & rope ladder. Testing it a few times will let you get your technique down. That, or realize it wont work for you.
 
I am able to get a foot in my 12" exhaust - which is just underwater - and grab the lower cleat and pull myself up - but you are right - not easy at 72!!
 
Jeremygavin said:
I was contemplating the same thing the other day when I needed to dive under the boat to check out the prop. Water was 51deg and I had a wetsuit in but it still took my breath away. It would have been hard to stay in the water for a few minutes while my wife cleared the swim platform. My dingy is right on top of my ladder with no way to use it with it on the swim platform.
In order to get ready to get in the water I had to unhook the dingy, lower it in the water , slide it off the platform and at that point I would have been able to get on the swim platform without the ladder and hop up on the main platform.
I need a quicker and easier way to get back on the boat. The ladder you bought I have used on my 26ft overnighter to get on the bow of the boat from the beach and frankly it is very hard to use. Once you put your weight on the rungs with nothing to push against your feet go out from under you and it makes it very hard to climb up. I was contemplating adding a mount and a dive ladder that you find on center consoles with outboard brackets. Storage of the ladder is harder but it would be easy to use in an emergency and if the kids just want to swim without taking the dingy off the boat.

Something like this

View attachment 69812
Click to expand...
If you are going in cold water buy a dry-suit with booties,hoodie and gloves.
 
My application is FL - not expecting cold water.

About to head to the boat - testing will happen in the next couple of days. Will try to remember some pics of the "emergency" ladder on the boat...

Will skip pics of my fat @$$ trying to climb a rope ladder... hahaha
 
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