Bill,
Thanks you for the great link to the Single Handed Sailing Association.
I do hope that this discussion is appropriate for the Ariel forum, since we were discussing the specifics of re-boarding an Ariel should one fall overboard. If this topic is not appropriate for the Ariel Forum, please so advise. Assuming that this topic is appropriate for this forum, I will keep my comments specific to the Ariel.
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Scott
Theis,
I think that I followed your trip-line idea, but it is hard for me to visualize the interplay of the various mechanism you describe. The question remains, can a solo sailor in the water reach the deck forward of the shrouds, where he or she may be dragging from his or her harness line?
i do like the idea of the line that you describe being activated by pressure on a drop-down ladder.
I did build a couple of emergency boarding ladders today from 1/4 inch line (about eighteen feet per ladder), three pieces of half inch white PVC pipe, and two carbiners.
The attached photo shows the location on my Ariel where I will attach the ladder each time that I sail. I envision some sort of sack to secure the ladder and a quick release mechanism to release it by pulling on a lanyard that will be hanging overboard.
In the photo, you will see a boarding step with two sets of lifelines converging at the forward and aft end of the step. The lifelines are connected to eyebolts, which are through bolted through the deck and through a one-inch teak backing block and #10 gauge stainless steel backing plate beneath the deck.
There are no lifelines and no gate above the boarding step. That area is, more or less a permanently open gate in the system. There are no stanchions on my boat, and I am not planning to add any.
My lifelines begin at through-deck-bolted pad eyes at the bow, and are then routed to the bow pulpit, and from there back to a pin rail that is securely attached by U bolts around the lower shrouds. The upper lifelines attach at two points on those pin rails, and then run aft and down to the pictured boarding step fforward eyebolt. The lifelines begin again at the aft end of the boarding step and run to the stern rail. There are both upper and lower lifelines, with the lower lifelines being attached to the upper shrouds directly at the tabernacle pivot points to double I as a bridle for raising and lowering the mast. A bridge separates my slip from the ocean, ansometimes there is only about 16 to 20 feet of clearance under that bridge.
I can clip onto the lifelines with my harness with the assurance that the lifelines are securely fastened to the boat.
In any case, the space between the two deck-step eyebolts is 11 inches, and the PVC rungs on my new emergency boarding ladders are eleven inches long. There are three rungs per ladder. The length of the ladder is approximately 36 inches, which places the bottom of three PVC rungs about six inches below water, at a location where the hull is fairly vertical.
Total cost per ladder is about $20.00, including the cost of two carbiners per ladder. However, I haven't tested it yet. The ladders also work when attached between either the upper and aft shroud, or between the upper and forward lower shroud, although it would probably be a good idea to add another twelve inches and another rung if used at that location. Once on the ladder, the shrouds will make convenient handholds.
For single-handing it might be advisable to have ladders at four locations, two at the shrouds and two as shown in the photo. I bought enough material for four ladders. Provided that I can figure out how to rig a storage sack with a quick release mechanism, I would like to use all four ladders when single-handing. Keep in mind that all that will be hanging down for a wet sailor to grab onto would be the trailing lanyards, and therefore it would be inadvisable to unclip from your harness line to attempt to swim back to the aft lanyard if you fell over while on the foredeck whiel theboat was moving. In that case the shroud-mounted ladder would be a better solution.
By the way, I have seen commercially available mechanisms that connect you directly to your outboard, such that if you fall overboard the motor is shut down.
Thanks for all the inspiration. I intended to build these boarding ladders some time ago, but I seem to find other projects to do instead. Now at last two of the ladders are completed.
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