Swim ladder

Good Grief

Good Grief

New Member
Mar 26, 2008
314
Lusby, MD
Boat Info
290 Sundancer 1998
Engines
4.3L V-6's w/ Alpha 1 Gen 2 drives
I'm looking for a replacement ladder for the boat. Really hard, almost impossible to extend. Not useable. Looking for an option that will fit in same location on swim platform under the existing lid.

Extended
PIC-0069.jpg


Collapsed
PIC-0074-1.jpg


Platform Mount
PIC-0072.jpg
 
The ladder is made by GG Schmitt. Great company - it'd be worth a call to see what they would do for you on a replacement. But, it might be worth your time to take the ladder apart as maybe it is just dirty. Clean it out real good and spray it with a dry lubricant like Jigaloo Silicone. However, my guess is that what probably happened is that the black "sliders" broke. Unfortunately, they have redesigned the ladder hardware since your year and you can't just get a hardware kit. However, you can just get a replacement from the top handle down.
 
Last edited:
From the manufacturer's web site:

G.G. Schmitt & Sons, Inc. warrants against any defects in material and workmanship within our control. Along with proper installation, we fully guarantee all stainless steel products for the life of the original consumer. This warranty applies only to the mechanical intergrity and bright finish of stainless steel. A two year limited warranty applies to all aluminum and plastic products. A one year limited warrany applies to finishes such as paint, anodizing, powdercoatings or plating. Labor charges incurred for replacement or repair must be pre-approved by G.G. Schmitt & Sons.
 
Just e-mailed them, maybe they can point me in the right direction.
 
yep, as well as tried every lubricant known to man, wet and dry...
 
Good Grief said:
yep, as well as tried every lubricant known to man, wet and dry...
Click to expand...

Gotcha. The rails look pretty straight in the pictures (not bent). Did you notice if those black, u-shaped pieces were cracked?
 
I believe what has happened is the slides have a anti corrosion cover on them, over time it has cracked or leaked, allowing SW to get in and corrode them, which made them larger and thus no longer allow the rungs to slide apart...
 
I have the same set up on my boat. My problem is that one of the side cleats is broken. My thought was that maybe I can use your bottom rung. What would like to sell the 3 rungs for?
 
I have the same boat and my ladder is aggravating to try to fold up or down, at least till it gets going - then you better keep your fingers outta the way. Never crossed my mind to take it apart to clean the thing although I do keep that area sprayed & washed but not specifically the ladder itself. I will take that advice on cleaning and see if mine will perform better. Thanks
 
Also check for loose hardware.

Inspect those U-shaped hardware pieces - if they are cracked, lubing won't help. You'll need to buy a new lower assembly to fix the problem, in that case.
 
I emailed GG Schmitt about getting some replacement parts and they never responded. I called today to just order a whole new ladder and when I gave the part # to the gentleman (Brian) he said that the ladder with that part number comes in different versions. He wasn't sure which one the 1997 Sea Ray 330 had and he was concerned my explanation of the ladder wasn't giving him the info he needed to tell me which ladder I needed. So he told me to email him a picture of the ladder. I called a guy at the marina to take a picture for me and email it to me and then I forwarded the picture like he asked. He never called me back. I tried to call again around 3:30 (CST which I guess is 4:20 in PA, and they stopped answering the phone for the day. It's the day before a holiday weekend so I guess I should cut him some slack. However, me experience with everyone in the field of boat repair has been just awful this year. the guys at the marina were supposed to have my boat fixed up, bottom painted and in the water 3 weeks ago. Looks like it will be another week or two before that happens. Parts for my 1997 seem hard to get and discontinued everywhere I turn, lol.
 
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