Safety Issue - Transom steps

[Ozzie]

Good bump Alex. Safety issues should be bumped up again for discussion every now and then.

Takes me back....no not to 2012 when this thread was active but only about 4 years ago when I could actually still haul myself into the boat using the existing hull notches. I think in a panic I could still do it but my wife is considerably shorter than me and although much fitter has had trouble for a while. I fitted a standard folding step ladder a few haulouts ago and cut a section out of the taffrail. Now we both have easy egress from the water and as we are avid snorkelers it gets used a lot.

The thing with the setups in the pics you have posted is you need the best, closest hand holds as well as foot holds. Not everyone has good upper body strength and if you read my bits in this thread...

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=757&p=5088&hilit=Boarding#p5088

.....cold water incapacitation can make it so the person in the water, even if young and fit like your good self can find it hard to get back into a boat in the wrong situation. It may become mandatory one day to have a boarding ladder on any vessel with a certain freeboard height or for that matter just any vessel.

There was a movie, actually more of a horror movie completely about that topic . I think it was Open Water 2

I’ll check.

It’s worth noting while on this subject that it’s important to practice Man Overboard drills on any boat. Main problem is most people including myself practice Hat Overboard drills, or some other piece of practice flotsam. While this is a good thing to practice in regards to turning the boat quickly under sail, keeping the target in sight, safe approach etc, the hardest part of MOB and the bit rarely practiced is getting the mob back on board. A cold, possibly injured, possibly old, possibly drunk, possibly panicked, possibly a politician may not be a person who can help themselves back on board easily. At this point the viability of the boarding ladder/device is crucial. Another person may have to assist them from inside or outside the boat.

I’d be interested if anyone has had an actual real mob or similar incident, and how it went. Also what kind of boarding devices do members have on their Investigators.

[Geoff]

Mine has a removable stainless steel folding ladder mounted in the normal possie, starboard transom. Ian had it set up with small carabineers clipped into the mounts so it could be removed easily. I have replaced these with shackles as it never comes off now. If I was starting again or if it broke I would get a permanently mounted one, either folding or telescoping.

It is rarely used in the water but is used constantly while the boat is on the trailer, either for maintenance (or playing) and rigging and de-rigging. Combined with chopping out the pushpit rail and making it 'clippable', and moving the backstay inboard a bit, access over the stern is easy as.

Re the rudder - how does everyone cart theirs around? I carry mine in the car but it takes up some room. Could carry in the boat but where? I have the scabbard type but I think the tilt job would be a better thing.

[Ozzie]

In one of the early reviews on the Geocities website, I think it was the Cruising Helmsman one, it’s stated the rudder was designed to be placed on the pintles upside down as a mast support. Spritzig II came with a mast support but the taffrail design made it impossible to invert the rudder anyway. Since cutting the middle bit out of the rail it does in fact work.

I thought of hanging the rudder there when on the mooring but as I’ve stated here before I think as a TS the boat has to endure weather conditions I would not be sailing it in so I don’t think it’s worth subjecting the boat to stresses that are unnecessary in regards to movement and windage in heavy weather. Just my take on it but it’s worked for 16 Years. I think on the road though it would be ok if 1. Your pintles are ok and 2. Your not travelling up the Strzelecki Track.