getting back onto boat from water on boat with high transom

[norcalgal]

Hello. I have only had our first sailboat for less than two weeks - a 1977 25' O'Day sailboat. We went out on it yesterday, and although we have a five step fold out ladder, the transom is very high and so the final step is above the waterline by a few inches. It made it really difficult to get back into the boat. I have been searching for ladders even longer than this online, but haven't found any. I would like to find an easier way to get in and out of the boat for swimming, and especially if we want to bring the parents out - in their 60's and 70's, it has to be a little easier to get into the boat. Another issue is that if we let the ladder out from the transom, there is a handrail all along the back, so it would actually be easier to get out from either side of the boat, so we can just unlatch the lifeline instead of duck under the handrail. Do you have any suggestions for ladders, platforms, or anything else that makes it easier? And if possible, some affordable options, as I know new ladders can cost hundreds of dollars.

Thanks so much!

[PaulfromNWOnt]

I'm having a hard time picturing it.... If your 5 step ladder is hanging from your transom edge, it should have at least 1.5 rungs in the water... or are you hanging it from the stern rail?

[norcalgal]

I'll take a picture of it next time I"m at the boat later this week. The stairs hang from the edge of the transom, not from the rail, and the last step is a few inches above the water line. I had to get my foot on it, and then my husband who was on the boat had to grab my live preserver and pull me up so I could get leverage to get myself onto the ladder.

[pdqaltair]

For older guests (my parents are 80+) you should have 4 rungs in the water. It may be tough to find a hook-on ladder that is long enough. Unless you can build your own, these aren't very cheap.

Often it is not too difficult to take a stock ladder and add some rungs.

[norcalgal]

I didn't think about adding rungs to our existing ladder. Maybe that's the best way to go. Thank you for the advice.

[TQA]

I have wooden steps on the back of my boat with a telescopic ladder which extends down from the bottom step. I have about two steps in the water. It swings up when on passage. I can reach up when swimming pull the ladder over and and extend it. I regard this a an essential safety feature as ther is no way I could get back on board without it if I fell in.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by TQA

I have wooden steps on the back of my boat with a telescopic ladder which extends down from the bottom step. I have about two steps in the water. It swings up when on passage. I can reach up when swimming pull the ladder over and and extend it. I regard this a an essential safety feature as ther is no way I could get back on board without it if I fell in.

TQA,
As we've recently gone from swim platform stern to transom this is an issue i need to address. Currently ladder goes over the side not the stern. Probably will end up going with a fold up swim platform of some type but I'd like to see your solution. Do you have any pics ?

[pdqaltair]

Originally Posted by norcalgal

I didn't think about adding rungs to our existing ladder. Maybe that's the best way to go. Thank you for the advice.

That is what I did on my first boat (Stiletto 27). The steps ended at the waterline too, my wife struggles, and I worried about how hard my knee would smack the hull if the step snapped.

I recall I cut the tubing, slid a larger aluminum tube over it, and made 2 more steps from 3/4" x 3" clear fir (with doubling where the tubes pass through). I epoxied it, stored it in the cabin, and it lasted for 15 years (and then I sold the boat). Put some nonskid on the treads.

Also, a lot of Stiletto owners did something like this:
http://stiletto.wildjibe.com/portfol...6/photo_26.jpg
I did too, and this is what we liked best; no storage required. I highly recommend this, if you are handy.

Good luck.

[TQA]

Originally Posted by tdw

TQA,
As we've recently gone from swim platform stern to transom this is an issue i need to address. Currently ladder goes over the side not the stern. Probably will end up going with a fold up swim platform of some type but I'd like to see your solution. Do you have any pics ?

I will post some tomorrow

[tdw]

Originally Posted by TQA

I will post some tomorrow

Appreciate it, thanks.