I have a C-34 Mk 1. My swim ladder, when lowered, only has one rung in the water. It is way too difficult to get on it while in the water. I belive it is the original aldder that came with the boat. Does anyone have any ideas on how to improve the situation?
Move the ladder down or buy an add-a-step (made by Johnson) which hooks onto the lowest rung. If that doesn't work, try a side ladder of the right dimensions (works fine unless you raft up a lot :D).
West Marine has an inexpensive rope ladder with 3 to 5 plastic steps that might do the job for you.
Bill
We've added something similar to that; but, when you put weight on the step, it moves the whole flexible ladder to the horizontal position. Stu, I looked at Johnson Marine and also Googled Add-a-step. Do you have a link or suggestions?
Thought you'd ask. Try calling them, I don't see it in their on line catalog, they may have discontinued it, but may still have some around. http://www.csjohnson.com/
Thanks Stu, they don't have it according to the lady I spoke with. Are all Mk 1 swim ladders the same? When standing on the bottom rung, the water only comes up to your lower calf.
One of the "better" what-I-did-to-improve-my-boat features is on the Projects page from Captain Al Watson, former owner of hull #55. Browse through his work here, some of which discusses and photos the swim ladder. http://www.c34.org/projects/kindred-spirit/upgrades_pics2.html
Warning: reading Capt. Al's stuff could involve you in more boat projects than you can shake a stick at and you'd never go sailing again - boat projects tend to do that! :D :D :D
Stu, I spent too much time on that site before and caused all sorts of projects to break out on Kity's Cat!!!! I did find the solution I was looking for here:
http://www.clrmarine.com/466.html?sm=30078 .
I saw this product at the Miami Boat Show and almost bought it then. Wish I had as I would have gotten it not only 15% cheaper but saved the postage I paid to order it today..
Lance, well done. That looks like ours, although we only got a single step extender which works just fine. Could be I misspoke when I attributed it to Johnson, although my inventory calls it Add-a-Step; maybe they bought it from Johnson, I got ours through BoatUS in 2000. You'll enjoy it, it really makes all the difference and is about as low tech as we can get! Good find!
[refs: Add-a-Step; Extend Your Step]
Thanks! It'll be here Thursday :thumb: I'll write a review when I install it and use it a few times.
Bent & welded some ss plate to the ladder. Made 2 step extension with "T" & elbow fittings. Pin the ladder in place& flip it into the water. This is the step.
Bent plates welded in place, pins are tied on to ladder.
Holy cow Phil, that's beautiful!!!!
Very well done, Phil. Do you have any pictures of it in the full UP position?
Thank you Lance. Stu, full upright position is just like yours, parallel with the top of the stern rail. The extra steps only get put on when we need the ladder. The step stores in the back locker to port at an angle with the bottom step resting on the propane locker. The legs point down. Steps are plastic lumber, same as the handrails on the deck......No more teak cleaner.
Now I get it, very nifty design. Thanks so much for the idea.
Here's another one I stumbled across while looking for something else!
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4456.15.html
Phil, Would you post a pic of your plastic lumber handrails please. Did you make them? Thanks, Susan
Phil,
Which of the several "plastic wood" products did you use on your boat?
John
1988 C34 hull 728
Otra Vez
Susan & john:
I made the handrails from "plastic lumber." It can be found at plastic lumber.com. Factory location (Akron,Oh.) was a major reason for using this product. Saw the product at the Cleveland boat show. Another company was making swim platforms,Handrails etc. from this product so I gave it a try. Why pay for labor I can do myself.......I'm a teacher, & will allways have more time than dollars.
Sorry about the poor light when I took the pictures.
Wrong resolution , pictures wont post....Will shoot more & try again
Resolution or size? You can resize photos to make 'em fit.
see
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,2720.0.html (limit's 75 now)
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3701.0.html
On Slowdance, we were having difficulty boarding from the swim ladder, so we bought a three-step, stainless telescoping ladder at West Marine.
The first season, I bolted to the bottom rung of the existing ladder with U-clamps, just to see if we liked it, and if it would work as we anticipated it would.
Having found this to be a suitable solution, I had the brackets modified with U-shaped cutouts and welded to the bottom step over the winter, so now when the ladder is in the UP position, the added steps swing over the stearn pulpit and rest downward, behind the helmsman's back. It is actually comfortable to lean against while under way.
I secure the steps in the collapsed position with a small velcro strap. When deploying the steps, I unwrap the strap, and when I swing the ladder down, the three steps telescope out, making for a nice deep ladder that you can just swim up to, and actually step on while not having to reach up high with your feet.
I would reccomend this modification to all with problems with the short ladder.
As the step bracket is welded to the underside of the bottom step, there are no issues with the ladder "swinging forward" as you have with non-permanent mounted steps/ladders.
Handrails
Finally got the pictures of the handrails. Same plastic lumber as on the swim ladder. This winter I will try to finish the other teak. As you can see, it has not been done.
How did you manage to curve the handrail to fit? Is the product flexible enough that it wasn't an issue? I can't imagine there is the plastic equivalent of steaming your lumber.
Braxton, the "regular" wood handrails are not steamed either. If you take them off (and I don't recommend doing so, but many do) they lay straight. That's the way they come from the trees and from the stores. It's also why it's a real pain to get them back in...
I had our handrails out last winter to strip, varnish, and rebed and they kept their (curved) shape for the month they were out of the boat. They had been in place for 21 years at that point. I can imagine newer ones being a pain to reinstall.
Braxton: Once the plastic lumber is cut into the handrail shape it is easy to bend.
Beautiful handrails and swim-step extension...wish you taught here! Thanks for the pics..
Phil,
I just came across this posting while I was looking for something else... :D
I don't understand how your ladder extension fits and works. Could you post a couple of pictures of the extension in place (stowed) and when deployed? Perhaps when deployed it is under water, if so, semi deployed would help. Great looking extension!
Thanks.
I bought a stainless steel 3-step colapseable ladder at West marine. It has brackets for mounting to a swim platform, but I used u-bolts and attached it to my bottom rung the first season to "test" and see how it worked. When not extended, I have a velcro strap that keeps the ladder compressed (steps nested) into each other. With the swim ladder up, the extension swings over into the cockpit, actually making a comfortable back rest. We found the extra steps when deployed, have plenty of deptth into the water, so there is no struggle at all to get on the ladder and up into the cockpit.
I took the original ladder off the transom in the fall, and brought to a local welding shop, where they "sculpted" the brackets on the extension, so they confirm to the tubing on the original... then welded for a permanent attachment. We have been very pleased with the result.
Sea Fever: Will take more pictures this today & post as soon as I get home.
Sea Fever: (First pic) The ladder extension is stored over the corner of the propane locker. (Second pic) Brackets welded to ladder to hold extension. (Third pic) Extension held in place with pins
First 2 pictures didn't post....I'll try again
Ladder is almost in the water. Last picture,all the extension is below the water.
Thanks Phil. Great pics. I get it now.
Cheers.