Emergency self recovery idea

[chortle]

I have some photos of my plan for solo M.O.B. self recovery while at anchor. As long as the boat is not underway and the seas are relatively calm it is easy to swim up to the transom scupper and reach inside. I have thought it will be easy to get back on board if I can just get my foot inside that scupper so...

based on my noodling this summer while swimming around the boat this rope ladder approach seems like it will work. I tested it last week while in the shop and it worked just fine. Certainly not a good way to board on a regular basis, or while underway, but I was looking for a backup plan, a way to get back on board for the times that the swim ladder was not deployed and I was alone and something unplanned happened. Can't really climb up the anchor rode anymore like I used to be able to do.

 

[plowin]

Better than nothing if you must have something but your legs are going to go under the boat as soon as you try and climb that while its in the water. Cut a door in and leave it open, then you could crawl in like a seal Seriously though, I do not think that system set up like that will work.JMO

Imagine what your fingers are going to feel like, ouchhhh!!!!

 

[chortle]

Yea, those rope ladders do roll up under ya, I will post some action pics later in the year with a Mermaid of the Day playing my role.

 

[steveinak]

i think some kind of rail/handle 1/2 way up the transom would be needed ?? Once your foot is in the rung how do ya get yourself up to the gunnel cap ??

 

[chortle]

i think some kind of rail/handle 1/2 way up the transom would be needed ?? Once your foot is in the rung how do ya get yourself up to the gunnel cap ??

I thought a handle would be needed until I tried it, its only two feet from the scupper to the wash deck so easy to get my leg up on it and roll onto the deck. However, the fish door might come in handy if we had sharks down here in the Chesapeake.

 

[cb34]

ladder

I think if it had to work it would. I have used a single rope with two loops to climb in. The ladder will certainly give you a chance

 

[Toolate]

If the transom doesnt have a handhold on top I think you will need to at least hang a line with some loops from the stern cleat.

A couple bronze transom steps are out of the question?

 

[jwalka51]

They make very nice folding step things that I bought to put on my boat just in case. They seem like a much better Idea than that. They are rigid, and they are usable as foot and hand holds. I will try to post some pics tomorrow.

 

[Hallelujah Newman 36]

I think I may have 1 small bronze fold up step from Hallelujah if you are interested. It is either in my garage or at Farrin's. There were 2 but 1 was cracked. It would need to be cleaned up.

 

[chortle]

If the transom doesnt have a handhold on top I think you will need to at least hang a line with some loops from the stern cleat.

A couple bronze transom steps are out of the question?

I had planned to put one or two bronze steps above the scupper and took them down to the boat last week. After testing the concept on dry land and using my buddy Mike for a sanity check I decided that I did not need them. It really was pretty easy to get onto the wash deck without them, especially considering how often I plan to use this system (hopefully never!)

I am going to hang on to the steps until I try this whole process out this spring, in the water before I make a final decision. Not too difficult to install while the boat is in the water if I need to and cleaner looking without them.

As a side note, I found it very easy to board this boat from an inflatable by standing on the tube and stepping onto the side deck or wash deck but it might be nice to have a step if boarding from a hard dink, which I plan to build next year. A swim platform would be even nicer but the way my dock is configured I have to board the boat by stepping from the pier across the water and onto the wash deck so a swim platform would just place the transom that much farther away. I suppose I could make a boarding plank and deal with the associated complication and details where it would rub and wear and where to stow it so too much to deal with at this time. I am more concerned about the hopefully never self recovery. My previous boats all had swim platforms or fixed ladders that solved this issue.

Maybe I should just cut the transom off? $$$$ That would fix a lot of these issues!

Besides, I look forward to the option of having scotch delivered via the rope ladder

 

[Badlatitude]

Down south. While diving, spearfishing, swimming etc. We always deployed our "dive line" which eas a 20ish ft line with A float and snap clips to clip off your inflated BC. So u could ditch your gear and board easier. Then pull the shit in after. It was also a good safety/resting line.