[Public-list] Boarding Ladders

Thu Mar 30 07:29:55 PST 2006

Thought provoking stuff as usual, Roger.

I wear a harness when sailing alone or under any circumstance at night.  Key
to the integrity of the harness/jackline system is using it in such a manner
that it is unlikely that the tether will allow you to reach the side should
you fall; which means teaching yourself to snap on to weather.  I use
tethers that are just long enough to reach the deck from a standing
position.

There was a horrible video clip making the rounds a few years ago in which a
person getting knocked overboard by a surging spinnaker sheet hit the water
and was towed for a while...he suffered broken bones and it was clearly
impossible for him to haul himself back up to the boat.  She was reported to
be doing over ten knots.

Back in my 'wandering days' after university I once took a swim from a
becalmed yacht that I was sailing to Bermuda from St. Maartin...despite the
fact that we appeared to be stationary, she was actually working her way
forward at a speed I could comfortably keep up with but if I stopped she
would have been several boatlengths away in little time.  We kept a man on
deck all the time.  I will never forget the sensation of vertigo I felt when
I put my face in the water and looked down through the perfectly clear
water...it was like looking up into the sky. I felt that if I let go of the
line I was holding I would fall.   Then I looked horizontally at the tiny
bottom of my 31' boat and was reminded in a way that hit me viscerally that
all my prospects for survival were contained in that fragile little hull.

Incidentally, on that passage my Autohelm 2000, which had performed
flawlessly, suddenly one night while motorsailing steered the boat in a
perfect circle, then resumed perfect performance on course.  I told that
story to my colleagues in the Navy here and they told me that it is likely
that I was being inspected by a submarine; the flux gate compass in the
Autohelm was disturbed by the 2,000 or so tons of steel passing 40' or so
beneath us.  Who knows?  Sub, or Bermuda Triangle?

Gord

> Rod writing, "Hopefully non of us has to use the ladder to get back on board
> in an emergency, but this is a good safety feature as well....."  rouses
> safety musings:
> 
> Years ago, I remember reading an article in one of the mags (maybe I just
> dreamed it) about a large sailboat found in the doldrums in perfect shape
> with sails up and nobody on board.  Only thing out of the ordinary was
> scratch marks on the hull.  Speculation was, in the heat of the day,
> everyone spontaneously decided to take a group swim the freeboard was high
> enough that no one could get back on board.  If its true, a
> from-the-water-releasable boarding ladder would have saved the day.
> 
> I wonder if, when singlehanding under self steering or autopilot, there is
> any way to stop progress of the boat if you fall overboard.  The wireless
> remotes for the autopilots seem to have limited range.  Probably because,
> duh, they think you will actually be using them wile on the boat.  I suppose
> one could tow a line that, when pulled, interrupted forward progress.  That
> assumes the fish aren't practical jokesters (hey, Charlie, let's make that
> sailboat stop again) and the line is long enough that one has time to swim
> to it before the old barkey sails over the horizon.
> 
> I guess wearing the safety harness while on deck is the best technique.  Has
> anyone actually fallen overboard wearing one?  I picture myself dangling
> from the harness in an awkward, mouth open facing forward, position between
> the hull and the deep blue sea trying to figure out how to get back on board
> before I scoop up too much water.
> 
> Roger
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rod Symmes" <harmony at aztec-net.com>
> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at alberg30.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 8:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [Public-list] Boarding Ladders
> 
> 
>> A valuable feature that I wasn't aware of until after I had purchased and
>> installed my boarding ladder............
>> Hopefully non of us has to use the ladder to get back on board in an
>> emergency, but this is a good safety feature as well.....
>> 
>> SPINDRIFT   swings on a mooring in front of our cottage and while cooling
>> off with a swim, I often want to climb aboard to tinker or sun bath.   So
>> the most important feature to me is to be able to lower the ladder myself
>> from the water and also be able to swing it back up and secure it, from
>> the water when I am ready to swim ashore.
>> Just remember.....there may not be someone on board to lower the ladder
>> for you when you need it.
>> 
>> Cheers,    Rod
>> 
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>  From: Dave Terrell
>>  To: public-list at alberg30.org
>>  Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 5:10 PM
>>  Subject: [Public-list] Boarding Ladders
>> 
>> 
>>  I am intereted in finding out what sort of boarding ladders are in use
>>  in the group? Tansom vs side ladders? What are the plusses and minuses
>>  of each type? Recommendations for really good ladders? Warings for bad
>>  ones?
>> 
>>  In particular,I am interested in the removable transom ladder sold by
>>  westmarine (P. 630) in the 2006 catalogue. I remember that this ladder
>>  was mentioned several years ago, but I do not know if the dicussion is
>>  still avaliable. In any case a lot of water has gone under the dam since
>>  that discussion.
>> 
>>  I realise that this query is part specific and part fishing expedition.
>>  Any contributions would be most appreciated. In case you wonder, my
>>  current ladder is a rather inexpensive, lightweight ladder I purchased
>>  from Defender.
>> 
>>  Thanks for any and all insights
>> 
>>  David, Talisman, # 432
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>> 
> 
> 
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