Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
I just bought a '77 Catalina 25. It has a swim ladder but I don't see anything that keeps the swim ladder from falling down and dragging in the water. Is there something more suave than just lashing it down with rope?
There isn't any latch. I use a small velcro strap that is strapped around the ladder and the upright stanchion. Just make sure what ever you use it is low enough that you can get to it from the water. In case you fall in that is. Blue strap in the photo. WM has them for a buck or so.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688 Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound
Similar to Scott, I use a ball bungee. I have it permanently on the pushpit stanchion with a lark’s head hitch, then wraps around the ladder when in the upright position.
I use a piece of 1/8" line that is fixed to the ladder, is wrapped around the stanchion and loops down into the water where I can yank on it if I'm in the water. I'd like to be able to rescue myself if I fall in.
I have a long piece of velcro tied to the stanchion and around the top of the ladder that makes a loop and is released by a cord hanging down to the waterline.
JohnP 1978 C25 SR/FK "Gypsy" Mill Creek off the Magothy River, Chesapeake Bay Port Captain, northern Chesapeake Bay
Mine had just enough friction and tilted just enough toward the rail that it hardly ever (if ever) fell into the water. I figured the easier it was to pull down from water level, the better.
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
I keep a throw-line bag hanging from the pushpit rail and I slide it over to the raised ladder, drooping it over a rung. It flops out of the way easily when the ladder is pulled-down, but it provides enough resistance to retain the ladder upright otherwise. Plus, it's always readily available for emergency use. The one I have hangs from the rail by a strap with a quick-release clip. Similar to:
Generally, I think if I ever needed to deploy the throw-bag I'd want to lower the ladder anyway. But I strongly support allowing the ladder to be easily lowered from in the water - even at the dock: I'm more likely to fall overboard at the dock, when I'm doing maintenance, and if I land on the wet side I'd be hard-pressed to climb onto the dock.
The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.
Lee Panza SR/SK #2134 San Francisco Bay (Brisbane, CA)
Lee, A few years ago my Marina installed multiple aluminum pull down ladders on the docks. Good idea but I'm not sure if insurance or some regulation was behind it.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688 Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound
I wish our City Dock had installed those ladders. This summer I was stepping up onto the dock when my kayak slid underneath the dock and I wound up in the drink! The docks are all about 12" off the water with nothing, not a line, not a board or a rung to get a foothold on to get out of the water. I called for help and a 16 year old kid (bless his heart) who must've weighed 99 pounds ran over and reached down to pull me out. I was afraid we'd have both gone in the water. Luckily a jet skier helped me up onto his stern and got me back onto the dock. In all the confusion I seem to have snapped a lower rib (ouch). I visited the marina office later that day and we discussed what they should do to prevent that happening again. I advised all they need is attach a loop of line to most of the dock cleats and you can readily step into the loop and pull yourself up. The next week the dock hands strung them up as a temporary measure, I hope they'll request funding for half a dozen boarding ladders in 2018.
My marina also installed those swing up aluminum ladders at the end of some of the finger slips.
The PO had a Velcro strap to hold the ladder against the top of the transom rail. I removed it and hooked up a piece of starboard clamped onto the ladder support about 8-12" away from the ladder swing support. I initially installed a wedge cleat onto the piece of starboard and then attached one end of a line to the base of the transom rail support and then thru the wedge cleat. The line would loosen over time utilizing the wedge cleat and so I eventually replaced it with a small cam cleat. The line is held firmly by the cam cleat and then drops down to a point above the waterline and then loops back up and it's end also attached to the base of the transom support rail.
There isn't any latch. I use a small velcro strap that is strapped around the ladder and the upright stanchion. Just make sure what ever you use it is low enough that you can get to it from the water. In case you fall in that is. Blue strap in the photo. WM has them for a buck or so.
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.