Question about boat ladders (rope ladders)?

Question

My dad wants a rope ladder for his boat that attaches to the cleat for fathers day. There's not much room on his boat, so it has to fold up small and be stored when not in use.

I'm pretty handy, so I'd really like to make one like this http://www.nauticexpo.com/prod/plasteak/foldable-boat-ladders-27850-265085.html I plan on using composite decking material because it won't water log or warp. The one thing I'm concerned about is floating. I know the material floats. BUT is that a bad thing? Would it be cumbersome once your foot is on it to hold it down? I suppose if it gets dropped it won't sink, which is a plus. I plan on threadding the rope through pvc on the vertical parts to hold the steps away from each other, but it will still be able to fold up (I saw how it works on other ones).

Anyway, does anyone have a floating rope ladder and is it user friendly or super cumbersome?

Answer 1

I second what fuzzy said.



If you can, check the boat and figure out exactly where it will go and how his feet will fit (like, not swinging in under the transom, but against a somewhat vertical bit of hull with enough tread width to stand on, or maybe some kind of standoff to hold the tread away from the hull.)



I made a ladder for SCUBA diving, where I'm coming back on board wearing 50lbs of lead and air tank, so that has a couple of treads underwater (and still isn't really enough). I decided to make a rigid ladder, and used aluminum tube for treads - which was a bit of a mistake, wider wooden treads would have been better - more comfortable on bare feet or with soft boots. You need to be able to get the ball of your foot on the tread, not just your toes.



Anyway, if you wanted to make something that would be good for getting onboard from the water, not just from a dinghy, you might consider some treads underwater and weighing the bottom.



(If you have metal parts, make sure they are corrosion-resistant , and don't mix 2 metals in contact (stainless and aluminium, for instance)

Answer 2

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RE:

Question about boat ladders (rope ladders)?

My dad wants a rope ladder for his boat that attaches to the cleat for fathers day. There's not much room on his boat, so it has to fold up small and be stored when not in use.



I'm pretty handy, so I'd really like to make one like this...

Answer 3

all rope ladders are a pain in the butt to use - more so if they float up. Just weighting the bottom step so it sinks helps a lot, having a boat side behind it helps too. Having complained about them they are still miles better than nothing.

You might want to take a look at the "all rope rope ladder" too. (Google it)

Answer 4

Well. . . Lets get back to the basics here. I totally agree "rope ladders" are a pain to use - but they are not intended for regular everyday use, as in the case of a ski boat & skiers.

In my case (and that of most sailboats and vessels without swim platforms and permanent fold up ladders) it is impossible for a man over-board to get back in the boat without one.

We are talking about a potential "life saving" device here, not necessarily "a user friendly" one.

It needs to be plenty long, and deep enough so an exhausted man in a life jacket can get his foot in the bottom rung without having a problem.



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