MK1 Swim Ladder

[Pete G]

I've got a line caught in my prop, so I went in the water last evening (not enough light) to see if I could remove it.  I learned that I need a better underwater light, and that the swim ladder is really difficult to climb.  Any solutions for this?

[Stu Jackson]

...........and that the swim ladder is really difficult to climb.  Any solutions for this?

I bought a Johnson "Extend-A-Step" that hooks onto the lowest rung of the ladder.  The Mark I ladders had always been known to be difficult because they were not deep enough to use easily.  I don't know if the step extenders are still being made.

[Phil Spicer]

Pete ,search "ladder extension " and check responses 9 & 10. The write up isn't the best, pictures are ok. This added two steps and 2' of depth to the ladder. 32 years later it still works but may have been better to have put 3 steps at 8" than 2 steps at 12". Age changes how we look at things. I realize the fabrication isn't something everyone has easy access to. I taught in a tech college and vocational high school and had access to all the toys. Students helped design and fab a lot of things for sailboats. Hope this will help you find a solution.

[Ed Shankle]

Pete,
Is your issue with the depth of the ladder or the foot pain of the bare rungs? My ladder, which I thought was standard, has 5 rungs, including the top hinge one. A handhold is above the hinge and serves as the final step. Is yours like that? Putting steps on the rungs make a huge difference in foot comfort.
Regards,
Ed

[scgunner]

Pete,

The obvious answer is get a better light and get a better ladder. The first one is easy go to a dive shop or on line and get a proper light that is water proof and not merely water resistant, they also produce a lot of light for night dives. A mask and a dive knife with a serrated edge wouldn't be a bad idea either.

The second problem is a bit more involved and since you've just discovered the ladder is difficult to ascend I assume you don't normally swim off of your boat. The C34 was the first Catalina to come with a swim ladder and it was state of the art but the women with their lower CG had difficulty getting up the ladder. First thing we did was get the hard steps that attach to the rungs from Catalina, that made it a bit easier.

The problem as already pointed out is the stock ladder doesn't go into the water deep enough. A simple solution is to take your ladder to your local rail fabricator and have them add one or two steps although when raised it will stick up above the railing. Since we swim off our boat a lot I went for a more involved solution. I built a swim/boarding platform which runs the full width of the transom and about "18 long and about a foot off the water. I took the ladder to the fabricator who cut the top off the ladder and welded on a couple of loops so I could mount it to the platform. Now the ladder has three rungs in the water and the mounting loops also act as grab handles when climbing the ladder.

[KWKloeber ‘84 C-30 #3573]

Pete

The adder on my C30 -- the greatest problem I had with it was that it did not hang vertically -- it actually angled underneath the transom so it was near impossible to "get started" to climb up.

I had a welder buddy add extensions so it hangs at a positive angle (and two L brackets to attach my "swim step", which is irrelevant to climbing up it.)


   

[Phil Spicer]

Ken, very nice solution. Good old KISS principal. I'm adout to offer a solution something like that for several C30 friends at out sail club. These pictures will support my suggestions. Some can't visualize these things without a picture. Did you remove any of the cross bars on the push pit? Thanks for the pictures
  Phil

[KWKloeber ‘84 C-30 #3573]

Thank you Phil.  I have a continuing heated debate with myself over KISS vs overkill.

My 30 has only one crossbar, strategically located at shin-bruise height.  At the top rail opening there was a lifeline with a small snap hook, IIRC.  When my buddy and I(**) mod'd the stern rail into my back porch 25 yeas ago we shuda woulda coulda made that bar swingable.  It's not a killer just a PITA.

Ken

** Full disclosure - I mostly watched in awe as he cut, bent, grinded, and welded - and my assigned responsibility was pizza & a case of Blue.

[Ed Shankle]

For what it's worth, here's mine before steps added to rungs. Long enough for me and my wife manages ok. She's 5'5" and I'm 6'5"
Regards,
Ed

[pablosgirl]

Hi Pete,

I bought the three step version of a telescope if swim latter similar to this One.  Find one that will fit or almost fit between the original ladder vertical rails.  Remove the "hinges" to expose the bolt hole and take a SS metal strap that will rap around the original ladder rail and the new ladder. Drill a whole in each end of the strap so that you can pass a bolt through the hole in the new ladder to clamp it to the old using the SS strap.  Next take two SS hose clamps to attach the top step of the new ladder to the bottom step of the old ladder.  This will have the two ladders overlapping by one step spacing. So a three step ladder will yield two additional steps down into the water.  This allows the new ladder to only extend a few inches above the existing rail height. When you lower the ladder the extra steps extend down and when you pull the ladder up the new steps collapse down again.  The water in the ladder tubes slows down the collapse.  I will try and find a picture and post it.

[Pete G]

Is your issue with the depth of the ladder or the foot pain of the bare rungs?

It has teak steps on the rungs.  Holding on and getting my foot on the bottom rung was very difficult.  I have monkey-length arms, and I'm very flexible.  I ended up grabbing the mooring lines (they are heavy duty and cross at the back of the boat) and chinning myself up to get a foot onto a rung. 

[Pete G]

I built a swim/boarding platform which runs the full width of the transom and about "18 long and about a foot off the water. I took the ladder to the fabricator who cut the top off the ladder and welded on a couple of loops so I could mount it to the platform. Now the ladder has three rungs in the water and the mounting loops also act as grab handles when climbing the ladder.

I followed your thread on this, and your swim platform is really impressive.