Cool emergency boarding ladder

[rbh1515]

Rescue steps, $59.95.  Available at Cabelas.
I'm going to order one for my HDC.
ROB

[rbh1515]

Another pic:

[Bob23]

Very cool....and could save your life.

[Potcake boy]

In my opinion, these type of ladders look a lot better than they perform. Problem is that being flexible and not having standoffs allows the lower rungs to move under the bottom of the boat making it very difficult to support your weight by your legs and if you don't have a lot of upper body strength it could be a real struggle to get up one of these. With out standoffs your toes get pressed hard against the hull which is painful, but better than drowning. I am familiar with the concerns of  using the stern ladder on something like a Sun Cat because it is angled backward and doesn't have much to grab onto to pull yourself up, but I would prefer it to one of these ladders. I'd probably try it out before it was needed for an emergency. I do believe a boarding ladder of some type available to be deployed from within the water should be mandatory. It's funny but not funny the number of people who have jumped off a boat to enjoy a refreshing swim, only to discover to their horror that they have no way to get back on board, sadly many have perished.

Other than the standard stern ladder, I have had great success with what is called a dive ladder which comes in two or three step models. They are easy to climb and can be inverted in their transom mount when not in use. They can be easily dismounted and inverted for use from within the water, and they float. They are especially useful when you have minimal space to mount a ladder on the transom, but should be used with a backing plate as the mount has a small surface area.

[rbh1515]

Yep, I'll have to try it once I get it.  The YouTube videos on the web site look very promising....check them out.  With this ladder you should have it attached when sailing.  If you go in the water, you just reach up and pull on the loop, which deploys the ladder.  Looks like it is easy to repack.  I like that it is very compact and reasonably priced.

https://youtu.be/oxirMptHWpk


Rob

[Tom L.]

Basically a rope ladder. Been around i guess since rope. Try it before you need it. For me there is no way in God's green earth that i could board with one of these especially since the sides of the boat roll under and are not slab side vertical. If you have really good upper body strength its doable but so is a rope with knots.
Good luck
Tom L.

[rbh1515]

Fortunately I'm in good shape, good upper body strength, and not overweight.  To me, looks to be a lot better than rope, but the proof will be in the pudding.  Any ladder can be tough if you are heavy and out of shape.
Rob

[Bilge Rat]

It will give you something to put your foot in to boost your body up to the point you can grab on something in the boat to haul yourself over. Certainly better than nothing at all.

[rbh1515]

Check out this vid on how it works.  There are underwater views to show the details.  You step on the bottom step, and pull on the adjustment to bend your knee up.  Then you can step up into the boat without the ladder getting pushed under the boat.  Looks like it works well.   Rob

https://youtu.be/crBc65Pk-3A

[deisher6]

Looks as if the man in the video is standing on the bottom of the pool!
regards charlie

[Craig]

Pool demo is not same as on the water. Can't imagine trying to get my foot into the ladder with a lot of turbulence flapping that fabric ladder around. Nice as a backup but a rigid ladder is better imho. As always my opinion is worth what you pay for it!

[Tom L.]

I use to use a rope ladder like that on my RIB inflatable. It's not bad for that type of boat. If you notice as soon as the swimmer puts a little weight on his leg he does a belly flop on to the soft and comfortable inflatable hull. Works for that.
It is really a wise skipper who has a permanently mounted ladder that can be pulled down while in the water. The ladder on my Sun Cat is hard to use but still do able by a 70 year old overweight and out of shape sailor. Ouch!!

Tom L.

[DanM]

Rope ladders do have the intrinsic problem of swinging under the boat as you step on them. I made one that worked great on my Sea Pearl because it hung over the leeboard. If you want to experiment with a rope ladder in your application, with minimal investment, check out the book "The Marlinspike Sailor", it has very clear instructions for making a rope ladder. I added a weighted rung (a piece of pipe) to the bottom of mine. And it was fun to make.