Hi all
We had a interesting day today in the race around the bay
The wind was blowing fairly hard with squalls coming through ever so often and at one point we had a 30 second gust that showed 50 knots and caused a fair bit of havoc to the race fleet with 2 of the 5 boats competing deciding to call it a day
After the race we tied a up at the marina and had a warm drink and as I was getting of the boat I slipped and ended up in the water
There were no fixed ladders close by so I swam to a boat a couple of berths away that had a swing down swim ladder and with some difficulty I climbed up and out of the water
I was wearing my wet weather trousers and stormy jacket and with all my clothing soaking wet it was not as easy to get out of the water as I thought it would be
Everyone else other than the skipper had left so I was not too embarrassed but he could not lift a soggy 110 kg out of the water and the only casualty is a dead mobile phone,a swollen side of my left foot and a few aches where I hit stuff on the way into the water
This got me thinking that if I fell overboard on my boat I would struggle to get aboard again even with the fixed ladder on the transom
I am thing about having a rope ladder attached to my fixed ladder tied up to the top rail with Velcro or similar and if I fell in I could pull it down into the water so I could climb up to the fixed ladder
Any thoughts would be appreciated
Regards Don
That's actually an interesting evolution Don and I think it may not be a bad idea to bring it to the attention of the club safety officer if you have one and see if a day can be organised where everyone has to fall off their boat ad see what difficulties they experience getting back on board.
Select to expand quoteDonk107 said..
Does anyone know the best way to make this go away
Regards Don
Nothing but time will make it go away, meantime, cold packs and strapping, along with pain killers will help.
Hi Select to expand quoteLooseChange said..
That's actually an interesting evolution Don and I think it may not be a bad idea to bring it to the attention of the club safety officer if you have one and see if a day can be organised where everyone has to fall off their boat ad see what difficulties they experience getting back on board.
Hi Loosechange
That is a good suggestion and I doubt that many could make it on unassisted unless the had a swing down ladder to climb up out of the water on
The worrying thing about down here is that you have not got all that long before hypothermia sets in and you have bugger all strength left to do anything yourself
The funny thing about today is we had a new guy on the boat and I told him to be careful getting off as the stainless rail you normally put you foot on to jump off is slippery when wet and then I went and slipped on it myself
I normally have grippy sailing shoes on but I took them off on the boat and put on a set of crocs with worn soles so I have no one else to blame but myself
The boat I fell off has a swing down ladder but it was tied up stern to in its berth and when the skipper tried to swing it down it fouled on the pontoon
Also you would need to untie it to swing it down and it would be impossible to do this from in the water
Regards Don
The hypothermia thing should in itself be a good inducement to not fall over in the first place. But as we all know eventually the fertiliser will hit the ventilator and that is not the time for things to go pear shaped because you are ill prepared to deal with it. So rather than being red with a bit embarrassment tell as many people as you possibly can about what you experienced and let them learn from it.
The biggest danger is slipping/tripping/falling into the water and being knocked unconcious on the way in.
Add hypothermia to that situation.................well you know what I am talking about. 
Donk
A lot of Walker H28 are using plastic steps and screwing one on the rubber either side above the water line and a couple on the stern
These two are not the ones Im thinking of but you know what I mean. I cant remeber the exact location they had them fitted on the walker I saw but you would have to fit as required on your boats stern
Ill email you a photo
I can climb aboard using my windvane steering gear. The tricky part to climbing up the stern is the first foot hold. As HGO2 indicated a permanent step on the rudder blade is one way. Some boats have cutaways in the rudder as foot holds about 6 inches below the waterline. I could probably use the top of my rudder blade but have not tried it. With a first foothold below the waterline and permanent hand holds up the stern you have a chance if reasonably fit. At sea in a bit of slop its very difficult, even when I was a fit young bloke, now I would have great difficulty.
Hi to all
Thanks for the input so far
What I am thinking is a rope ladder similar to this http://www.force4.co.uk/force-4-hanging-5-step-rope-ladder.html#.VFVUoCcayK0 tied onto and rolled up and tucked in behind the bottom rung of my existing transom ladder and held there by a Velcro strap around the existing ladder
If I or someone else fell in you could undo the Velcro let it drop in the water and use it to climb onto the existing ladder
Regards Don
Hi HG
Yesterday the issue I had was I had lots of we clothes on on found it impossible to climb up on to the pontoon or the rear of any of the boats in the marina without something underwater to put my foot on to climb out
On mine as the photo shoes the bottom rung of the fixed ladder is about 12 inches above the water and there is no way I would be able to pull myself up that high from in the water
Yesterday was more of a inconvenience than anything else but it got me thinking about what I would do if I was out on mine and the same thing happened
On mine I could probably get a foot on top of the rudder and possibly push myself up off it but it might still be to high to get a foot on while holding the ladder
I honestly think I need something that will go about 3 foot under the water to be useful for me to get a foot onto it to allow me to climb the existing fixed ladder
Regards Don
Maybe get a second section of ladder fabricated that attaches and is hinged at the bottom of your existing ladder it would fold down and plop into the water another three feet. Maybe a soft closing clip that would allow the person in the water to let it down but enough of a clip so it doesn't fall down all the time.
I have a fold down ladder which has a rung on a central spine 60cm below the water line.
Next step is at 30cm below the water line and the next just above the water.
With a higher side than a Top Hat more rungs are necessary above water as required.
I have no trouble getting on board with this ladder. [PS Mk 1's have a lift out at the stern which makes planned entries easier]
As a solo sailor I ALWAYS use a harness so my real problem is if I go overboard ahead of the stays!
To counter that problem I have a rope with two loops in [measured as above] tacked, with light cotton,
to the deck gear where I can get at them from the water.
That works on a Top Hat, but for higher sides ????????
The bottom part of the ladder is shown below folded up.
Mind you I will have to rethink all this as I am constructing a wind vane per Ramona's design
That's a nice looking set up there. Perhaps extend the sides where the tubing goes to the pivot joints and fix it to the rear gunwale on either side of the stern. Have it so it folds up against the pushpit when stowed.
The rope ladder is a good alternative but I would suggest you try it in nice calm water first. Very difficult to use if your young and fit. The fixed ladder with the first step well down is really the only way an old bloke will get out.
On my fishing vessel I had a SS handle about 18 inches above the waterline, underwater there was a ledge about 12 inches below the waterline. By using the rise and fall of the boat in a bit of a seaway I could get the first step easily and pull myself up. The firm first foot hold is critical.
I make a step from rope. The rope step sits about 2 feet below the deck in the water. I can step on this and pull myself up using a number of things. I use the gib lines and come up the side.
the fact that the boats ladder you were on wouldnt work is a worry. People have gotten stuck in the water before not being able to get back on. Need a plan b.
Select to expand quoteRamona said..
That's a nice looking set up there. Perhaps extend the sides where the tubing goes to the pivot joints and fix it to the rear gunwale on either side of the stern. Have it so it folds up against the pushpit when stowed.
The rope ladder is a good alternative but I would suggest you try it in nice calm water first. Very difficult to use if your young and fit. The fixed ladder with the first step well down is really the only way an old bloke will get out.
On my fishing vessel I had a SS handle about 18 inches above the waterline, underwater there was a ledge about 12 inches below the waterline. By using the rise and fall of the boat in a bit of a seaway I could get the first step easily and pull myself up. The firm first foot hold is critical.
Hi Ramona
I understand that the rope ladder would want to go back under stern if I was holding on to the bottom rung of the fixed ladder but I was hoping it would at least give me something t push against with my legs as I pull myself up the fixed ladder
Regards Don
Donk, i have used a rope ladder similar to the one you posted the link to . Except the one I have has timber steps with knots under each step .
Works well .
The plastic one in the link looked not to have knots under the steps . don't know how that would work !
Select to expand quoteSandS said..
Donk, i have used a rope ladder similar to the one you posted the link to . Except the one I have has timber steps with knots under each step .
Works well .
The plastic one in the link looked not to have knots under the steps . don't know how that would work !
Hi Sands
Thanks for the info
The link I posted was just a example of the type of ladder I am thinking about but if I do it it will be whatever is available locally or I might even make something instead
Do you think what I have suggested will work ok for next time I fall in 
Regards Don
Not sure that the rope ladder will work, to be effective means that it needs to be deployed at all times. So unless you have it attached with a method of deploying it from the water you are still in for a long swim.
Don on our previous boat we had a folding stainless steel ladder and the bottom rung was just below the waterline. This was difficult to use when swimming so we used to attach a rope ladder to it. The problem was that it used to swing under the boat when climbing up onto the metal ladder. Not too bad if you are young and fit, but not good if you are older. I would imagine this would also be the case if you are cold, tired and in heavy wet clothes. The timber step idea may make it a bit easier to use, or perhaps the suggestion of a stainless steel extension could work?
This type of boarding ladder is very common and at $149 is quite economical.
www.whitworths.com.au/oceansouth-4-step-boarding-ladder-2-2-step-folding
This is what was fitted to Second Wind. If the folding part is secured up with a slip knot it will be quite easily deployed from the water if you happen to be in it.
Select to expand quote a set of crocs with worn soles
Regards Don
they would make anyone fall in,
l wear crocs all day...every day... including at work ( with socks in winter lol )
4-5 months is about the most l can get out of a pair, l wait for the $5 rivers specials and buy 4 pairs at a time,
Hi Select to expand quoteLooseChange said..
Not sure that the rope ladder will work, to be effective means that it needs to be deployed at all times. So unless you have it attached with a method of deploying it from the water you are still in for a long swim.
Hi Loosechange
What I was thinking of doing was attaching it to the bottom of the existing ladder and storing it behind the bottom of the ladder between the ladder and the transom and holding it there with a couple of Velcro straps
If I fell in I could swim to the ladder undo the Velcro, pull out the rope ladder from behind the existing ladder and then use it as something to put my feet on to climb up to the existing ladder and get on the boat
Regards Don
Better shot of Seaka's ladder.
The flat swings around to come into contact with the lower step making a ridged ladder to climb.
The lower tread is what divers use and is the best idea for the bottom rung.
The bottom rung rests on the stern deck when fully raised.
The lower part of this was retro fitted to the ladder by welding two halves of the tube together. You can see one of the welds.
Select to expand quotenswsailor said..
Better shot of Seaka's ladder.
The flat swings around to come into contact with the lower step making a ridged ladder to climb.
The lower tread is what divers use and is the best idea for the bottom rung.
The bottom rung rests on the stern deck when fully raised.
The lower part of this was retro fitted to the ladder by welding two halves of the tube together. You can see one of the welds.
Nice! I like it, simple and effective
How would this go with the rope knotted around the bottom of the existing ladder www.whitworths.com.au/
so I would not need to use the supplied mounting bracket
A interesting article here that mainly deals with small boats but has some interesting points www.boatus.org/findings/44/
Regards Don
