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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

swim ladder cleat

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calden
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/01/2011 : 13:29:29

Hey:

Like many of these boats, my swim ladder is in the up position and secured with a piece of line. I want to make it easy to retrieve if I go in the drink. I was thinking of just looping a line over the stern rail and bringing it down to a cleat of some type on the transom where it would be accessible by someone in the water.

Any great ideas about this that someone has already come up with?

Thanks,
Carlos

S/V Mazama
1983 FK SR
#3682

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 14:07:14

On our 1981 C25 we used to wrap a velcro strap around one leg of the swim ladder and a stern pulpit stanchion - near the base of the stanchion.

Edited by - OJ on 04/01/2011 14:08:19

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 14:24:28

I do the same as OJ, Easily reached from the water.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 15:56:01

You can use a line to secure the ladder just use a quick release knot with a tail long enough to be able to reach it from the water. You could even have it so it releases the knot then pulls the ladder down. Putting a ball or monkey fist at the end of the tail might give a better grip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nxu-jS9TSc&feature=fvwrel

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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 16:22:57

We do as Don describes

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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 19:00:25

I tied a slip knot dozens of times holding the boarding ladder with the tail hanging down towards the water. Then once I tried to pull it loose but found that it had been tied backwards that time.

So I finally got an 8" piece of velcro to wrap around the ladder and stern rail, and tied a release string hanging down off the stern. Failsafe, now.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3467 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 21:04:16

Carlos,

I did exactly what you have described. I have a jam cleat located within reach of someone floating in the water adjacent to the transom. I have to check some of my boat photos to see if I have a snapshot hidden away that shows the arrangement.

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calden
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 21:24:03

Thank you all.

I know myself, and there is a huge risk of me overengineering this, and reading the replies reminds me that simple is much better.

I have already started thinking about blocks and cleats. "Why, look!" Says he, "The West Marine catalogue has exactly the parts I need!" Any excuse to trot down to WM and buy a few things.

Pictures would be great.

Carlos

Edited by - calden on 04/01/2011 21:31:50

OJ
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4382 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 05:48:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by calden
 . . . simple is much better . . . <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">KISS

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 07:00:19

Actually, I don't use anything to hold my ladder up as it stays up on its own due to friction so all I have to do is pull it down.

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calden
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 07:29:30

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 Actually, I don't use anything to hold my ladder up as it stays up on its own due to friction so all I have to do is pull it down.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Now that is a good point. I haven't even yet deployed the swim ladder. For all I know it's rusted in the up position.

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 07:31:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Pictures would be great.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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calden
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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 07:34:59

Scott:

You can reach that from the water? Thanks for the pic.

Carlos

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Ryan L
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USA
230 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 10:34:03

That is EXACTLY how I do it... Works well for me (so far).

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by islander
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Pictures would be great.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 12:00:26

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 Actually, I don't use anything to hold my ladder up as it stays up on its own due to friction so all I have to do is pull it down.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Mine did too, and leaned slightly toward the rail. The one or two times it dropped into the water while I was under way were no big deal.

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 13:30:45

Carlos, Yep. Remember you have the rungs of the ladder where it is mounted to the stern to put a hand on first then just reach up and pull the Velcro. I've done it many times, Seems I always forget to put the ladder down before jumping over the side for a swim.

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OJ
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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 14:07:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by islander
 . . . Remember you have the rungs of the ladder where it is mounted to the stern to put a hand on first then just reach up and pull the Velcro . . .
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Exactly

great minds . . .

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 19:58:39

For a low cost version of Scott's Marine grade velcro strap, go to the cycling section of your local ACE hardware, and get a strap to hold your pantleg out of the chain.

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OLarryR
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USA
3467 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2011 : 16:20:39

Carlos,

I was out sailing today and I took my camera along to snap a couple of photos of my swim ladder jam cleat. West Marine sells a plastic fitting with knob to tighten it onto a stanchion/rail. It has 2 or 3 screws that tighten into the body of the plastic fitting and I used those machine screws to attach a small section of starboard where I mounted a jam cleat. Then I have the line loop down below the cleat and come back up attached to the base of a vertical rail. If no one else is around and you fall overboard...and hopefully boat doesn't get away from you, then you grab the loop and the line comes out of the jam cleat allowing the ladder to swing down. Second photo is a closeup of the plastic fitting but it's tucked behind my lifering..so hard to get a good shot of it.

Edited by - OLarryR on 04/10/2011 16:22:50

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2011 : 20:21:17

It amazes me to see how many satisfactory solutions there are for one issue!

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 04/11/2011 : 05:10:33

That clam cleat is sweet! Nice solution.

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