# Midship Swim / Boarding Ladder



## earldbabst (Jul 31, 2006)

Any suggestions on where to find a good quality, removable, folding swim ladder in either stainless or teak that can be hung from the genoa track?

I am looking for something that would be sturdy, and can be quickly and easily mounted and removed from the track. I am guessing it would fold twice and leave a couple of steps under the surface of the water.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

There was a similar thread in 2003, but it focused on permanently mounted solutions.


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

What I used was a six rung folding ladder from West Marine . . . think it costs just over 150.00, but of a very high quality.










I didn't mount to the genoa track, but instead secured the (2) SS clips (supplied) to the top of my teak toerail. We have them on both sides for flexibility. Works very well and sits well below the water surface for easy egress . . . great since I scubadive often from the boat.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

It would help to know how much freeboard and what size boat you're talking about. A swim ladder isn't much good if you can't reach it—and one that is good for a Cape Dory 25, probably doesn't work that well on a Formosa 41. 

More information when you're posting for help is always better than less.


----------



## earldbabst (Jul 31, 2006)

It is for a Tartan 34C. I am not sure what the exact freeboard is.


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

One of these should work, the six-rung is what we use:










http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/143419/0/0/ladder/All_2/mode%20matchallpartial/30/0

But I suppose you might try SailNet, since this forum is intended to promote business for the Owners.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Do make sure to get one that has the legs that stand it off from the hull, otherwise, you'll find that the ladder is almost impossible to climb without them.


----------



## earldbabst (Jul 31, 2006)

Thanks. I think that ladder will suit my needs well.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

It would probably be very easy to modify the ladder to mount to a genoa track car. 

What I would do is get two padeye-type genoa cars and then cut a slot into the bottom of the tubing on the top of the swim ladder to fit over the padeyes. 

Then drill a 1/4" hole through the tubing that passes through the center of the padeye. 

If you insert a 1/4" fast pin, it wil hold the ladder in place. 

This makes the ladder easy to move around the boat, and allows you to securely mount the ladder, while allowing you to easily remove the ladder without any tools.

I use a similar setup on one of the mast rests for my boat.


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Nice job sailingdog - that would work very well. But, Earl may just find that by simply screwing the SS mounting brackets, that come with each ladder, to his Tartan 34C teak toe rail, it will be less expensive and easier than mounting to (2) track cars.

Each top end of the gooseneck ladder tubing has a round head SS bolt which is unscrewed just enough to insert into keyed slots on the brackets. We find the brackets to be well made, attractive and of a low profile. Additionally, the hinged stand-offs are extra long and can be cut to adapt to his boat's hull profile.










It's also possible that his Genoa tracks are set in too far from the gunnels to clear the toe rail. He will need to consider all options for the best approach.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

TrueBlue said:


> Nice job sailingdog - that would work very well. But, Earl may just find that by simply screwing the SS mounting brackets, that come with each ladder, to his Tartan 34C teak toe rail, it will be less expensive and easier than mounting to (2) track cars.
> 
> Each top end of the gooseneck ladder tubing has a round head SS bolt which is unscrewed just enough to insert into keyed slots on the brackets. We find the brackets to be well made, attractive and of a low profile. Additionally, the hinged stand-offs are extra long and can be cut to adapt to his boat's hull profile.
> 
> It's also possible that his Genoa tracks are set in too far from the gunnels to clear the toe rail. He will need to consider all options for the best approach.


True... but he did say something about mounting the ladder to the genny tracks in his original post.


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

"two padeye-type genoa cars " I recall those puppies being outright expensive. Since the mount isn't intended to be a "slider"...why not take an 18" piece of 2x4 on each side of the genoa track and simply through-bolt them together, using some heavy bolts and wing nuts? It you routed out a matching pattern so they snugged nice and tight over the track, and kept the bolts above it, you could even just lift it on/off as you loosened the bolts.

And have the ladder sit in two pockets drilled into the wood, instead of making holes in the tubing.

(A machine shop, some bar stock, whole thing could be done very nicely in all metal, too.)

I'd just be afraid that drilling holes in the ladder would lead to the holes tearing out after a while. (And did I mention, them genoa cars are expensive?<G>)


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

hellosailor said:


> I'd just be afraid that drilling holes in the ladder would lead to the holes tearing out after a while. (And did I mention, them genoa cars are expensive?<G>)


I don't think that the holes would cause the ladder to tear out, as the holes are merely to secure the ladder to the boat, but don't take the weight of the person climbing the ladder.


----------



## earldbabst (Jul 31, 2006)

Thanks for the advice. I mentioned the genoa track in the original post as the genoa sheets outside the shrouds and the track is mounted on the toe rail. however, i do have a teak toe rail, and therefore mounting the clips could be just as easy. Eventually I would like to have a teak boarding ladder, but that can be very expensive to have custom made and there are a lot of other projects ahead of it on the sheet. So for the time being I think I am going to go with TrueBlue's suggested fix. 

Thanks for the thoughtful responses.


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Earl-
Teak can be pricey, but take a look at Ipe, a Brazilian wood also called "ironwood" (several woods are called that) which is used in the outdoor decking industry and MUCH cheaper than teak, but fairly similar in color and physical properties. Not as "reddish" but it falls within the range of teak shades. The 1x6 pieces commonly used for decking mean you could probably pick up a dozen scraps from a decking project and get your wood very inexpensively. Not outrageous even if you order it new from a marine lumberyard like Condon's. (ML CONDON 248 Ferris Ave. White Plains, NY 10603 tel: 914-946-4111 fax: 914-946-3779 Real old fashioned good folks to deal with.)


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Ipe although tough as iron, considerably outweighs teak. I would suspect a custom, removable Ipe boarding ladder, long enough for swimmer access, would be impractical on most boats.

When we found that we needed a side-mount boarding ladder, I envisioned building a wooden unit, remisiscent of the teak & bronze hardware beauties on those classic, wooden "gentlemen's yachts" from a century ago. I nixed the idea, due to the sheer weight of those things.

Stainless steel is aesthically compatible to most boat's stanchions. But I do agree, it is nice to dream of beautiful, but impractical boat fittings.

Here's a boarding ladder custom built by Nauticat yachts for a fellow Nauticater . . . a bit over the top, but way cool:


----------



## CharlieCobra (May 23, 2006)

Impressive.


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

I want one !!!


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Damn, TrueBlue! You've scooped me. I've been dreaming of a Jacob's Ladder that would fold up flat against the lifelines like that for years...and now someone beat me to it.

How shaky or delicate is that if two XXL crew scamper up at the same time?

Congrats on owning the one and only Proper Midships Jacob's Ladder in the world!


----------



## Allen Lofland (Jun 27, 2006)

Try these peple, Mystic MarineStainless. http://www.mysticstainless.com/index.html We have one of their laddres on our 42 Endeavour and it is very good quality and a safe ladder. We recently went to an offshore reef with another boat, they had to make an emergncy departure as their side ladder gave way in the rolling seas, we had and enjoyable day with our PROPER LADDER  http://www.mysticstainless.com/index.html


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Try http://www.mysticstainless.com/page3.html I saw these at the boat show. Very nice workmanship.. a little pricey, that start at around 700 I think... But it is exactly what you want.
alan


----------



## pgrignot (May 19, 2015)

I have an Allied Mistress 39 Center cockpit Ketch. The Genoa track is located well for attaching a Ladder at the rail. I do have a large freeboard but it looks like, from the picture to be about the same as that pictured.. 

I looked at West marine but did not find at Genoa mount ladder with enough length for my freeboard. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have a transom mount ladder now but it has always been difficult for some folks because of the long reach required to get to the stern deck and over the stern rail...


----------



## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

Old thread , but here's my suggestion: Up-N-Out Marine Ladders - Boat Ladder Models

Our double-ender requires a mid-ship ladder. We were also looking for an effective emergency ladder; one that could be activated by someone who'd fallen in and was floating beside the boat. The Up-and-Out does both wonderfully.

It comes in various sizes, can be attached to the deck, or to the genoa track (as ours is). It telescopes and folds so it can be left in place all the time. And it is both flexible and solid. It can be retrieved from the water, and yet is solid and easy on the feet so can be used for normal boarding. Not cheap, but it's one of the best improvements we've made to the boat.


----------



## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

I haven't seen a commercially made one which was not super flimsy( like most commercially made gear). I prefer to weld them up out of 1 inch and 1 1/4 inch SS sch 40 pipe.


----------



## pgrignot (May 19, 2015)

Thank you Mike! i believe one of the Up&out boarding ladders might work. 

Blessings.


----------

