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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Back to the ladder

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sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/03/2006 : 01:22:56

I installed a line (red) to my boarding ladder which loops to the lower end and someone like me could pull it from the water and lower the ladder. I copied the idea from a Canadian boat I tied up near in the Gulf Islands this last summer. Since I do a lot of single handling and have all the safety gear I wondered if anyone else has seen this ladder pull line and has anyone had to use it.

Edited by - on

Brian King
1st Mate

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USA
73 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2006 : 08:01:15

Great idea. Can you give a littel more detailed description or a picture? I was alone on my boat last fall, tied to my mooring and I noticed the dingy was floating away. It was real windy and the dingy was moving fairly fast, so I jumped in after it. When I got back to the boat with the dingy I had one heck of a time getting myself up on to the ladder which was in the up position secured with a velcro strap.

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sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2006 : 08:23:02

Have to work on getting pictures yet but I also have the velcro to which I attached the red line with a loop of SS wire. When you pull the line it releases the velcro without interfering with the ladder swinging down. The red line is looped down and the other end is attached to the ladder fitting where it attaches to the stern. I also have installed an extension to my ladder which makes it so I can more easily make the climb.

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Brian King
1st Mate

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USA
73 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2006 : 13:58:13

Great idea Jim. If you ever get a pic please send me a copy via email (see my profile). I'll definately rig that up in the spring.

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Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2006 : 15:32:21

No pics, but last year I drilled a hole in the top rail of my stern pulpit and bolted a plastic c-clip to hold the bottom rung of the ladder when raised. The clip holds the ladder securely, but gives way easily enough that a tug on the ladder from below releases it from the clip.

Brooke

Edited by - Brooke Willson on 01/04/2006 15:33:13

dblitz
Navigator

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240 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2006 : 22:29:31

Probably one of the most important safety precautions to take, especially for those times when we're on our boats by ourselves. Last year someone at our club went overboard on a tin boat used to get out to our moorings. He said he had a great deal of difficulty getting back in the TINBOAT which must have no more than 12" of freeboard.
Being able to pull the ladder down from the water should be right up there with having PFD's on. Even if you go over with a PFD on, if no one's around or you can't call or be heard and the water is cold. It doesn't take a lot for things to get very serious real fast.

By the way, would there be a way to separate/flag threads that concern safety out from all the others on the forum so that we could filter for
them or they could be readily indentified?

Edited by - on

jmoritz
Deckhand

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21 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2006 : 12:52:45

Funny story related to the string. My father owned a C25 in the early 80s. Once in Pensacola he fell overboard at the dock with his full Navy uniform on. He could not pull the ladder down because it was tied to the stern rail. His only choice was to swim over to the boat ramp and walk out of the water in full uniform. One of the ladies watching this occur inquired, "nice morning for a swim Commander?"

My ladder stays untied to this day. It would be nearly impossible to board the boat if it is tied in the up position.

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Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2006 : 14:42:33

SAFETY Issues

dblitz,

It seems to me that an auful lot of the issues discussed on this forum are really about safety, and segregating them would be meaningless. Electrical, sailing, rigging, ladders, engine - I consider them all safety issues. OK, OK, cetol isn't! :)

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2006 : 14:56:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stu Jackson C34
 ...I consider them all safety issues. OK, OK, cetol isn't! :)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Well, Cetol might be a safety issue too...If teak handrails aren't properly maintained with some sort of protectant/preservative (Cetol, oil, varnish...etc), they may deteriorate to the point of breaking at an unopportune moment.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2006 : 15:31:22

It wasn't obvious when I bought the boat, but it turns out that my ladder stays up very nicely with no strap, clip, or anything. The few times I've dragged it a little, I felt did not justify fastening it up--for exactly the reasons cited here.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2006 : 16:15:43

My ladder has just enough friction that it will stay up on its own. It actually has enough friction to hold it at pretty much any angle between fully up and down.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2006 : 19:24:23

When I do hang a ladder on the back of my boat, I will have the line for pulldown for in the water, but I think I will also add a loop to the end of the pulldown line so I can also use it as a first step. When your knees are as bad as mine, you need all the help you can get. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2006 : 21:22:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by djn
 When I do hang a ladder on the back of my boat, I will have the line for pulldown for in the water, but I think I will also add a loop to the end of the pulldown line so I can also use it as a first step. When your knees are as bad as mine, you need all the help you can get. Cheers.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
You'd be better off getting a longer ladder. Rope ladders just swing under the boat when you step on them and try to pull yourself up. (Trust me--been there.)

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2006 : 22:48:26

What is a good long ladder for an older C25? Cheers.

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