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Has anyone had experience with transom handles/steps? Adding a couple to the transom seems like a possible substitute for a ladder. Not sure it would work without a foothold below the waterline though.
Yes, on my Martzcraft 35 I have a set of three on the stern. Very worthwhile but not good as a ladder.
For us they are an emergency backup way of getting back onto the boat should anyone go overboard alone and should be virtually mandatory for boats with high free board and no other way of getting back on board.
I have tested them, getting back on deck from swimming, and its really hard to do but possible. You need physical strength to pull yourself up high enough to get you foot onto the lowest one. Murder on bare feet too. I imagine if a shark was behind you you could climb up them a bit quicker though.
Good idea about keeping a ladder/rope there, will have to look in the Whitworths catalog.
I have both on my stern. I think the 'ladder in the tube' comes standard on many European production boats but I've not seen it sold locally.
It can be quite tricky to stuff back inside so I tend to not use it and save it for an emergency.
The black plastic steps from Whitworths are very sturdy and show no sign of deterioration after nearly five years of exposure and use. They are good for climbing out of a dinghy but if I need to get aboard from the water, I use the telescoping ladder which hinges off the back of the swim platform. Not much help if the platform is raised though!
You don't need to get your foot into a step if you can get the "notch" under your kneecap into the edge of the step.
I've got short legs but if I bring my knee up, it's at chest height. The "notch" under your patella will hold you very well, if you've got it on top of a step or gunwale, and then you've got lots of leg power available to pull your knee down and lift your body up.
You can get up from the water straight onto something like an S&S 40 or J/35 by just reaching up, grabbing the pushpit, lifting yourself until your patella "hooks" onto the gunwale, and then straightening the leg. A step at the bottom of the transom makes it dead simple.
