After a 2.5 year sleep, here is a new to me Icelandic BOARDING ladder. One way UP only.
Imco emergency ladders shouldn't be confused with the swim ladder. Or be considered interchangable.
Augustine's roll-up boarding ladder is, imco, mandatory safety equipment.
►You can buy a basic SeaDog Emergency Ladder 5 stepper for $35. It is a clever rope and step contraption that folds compactly into hollow half-round plastic rungs and has pvc pipe wrapped rope sides to grap onto - rather than skinny rope. It hangs from a single point, and because of that will be unstable to climb. Comes in a cover bag and has a loop to grab from the water.
►Another 5-stepper is Plastimo Emergency Ladder. Basically the same design but made with webbing, hangs from a single loop (but looks like it can be altered to two points for more stability) You will use the steps to grab for ascending. $119.
►Third one is the Wichard Emergency Ladder, based on rock climbing's Etrier all web stuffer. The 'rungs' are double layer stiffened nylon web. Attached to the boat with a single loop (to a stanchion, pad eye or cleat), with a glow in the dark loop to pull it out of the stuff bag. $130.
The 2nd picture accompaning the description shows a 20 year old buzzcut in a PFD holding the device tightly to his chest with his left arm, his right grasping the toerail of a yacht about midships, his lower body in the water but obviously slung under the hull, with his cheek jammed against the topside's awlgrip. Looks like he's really gasping. Only the French can have an ad like this! Only 5'5" long. [see next post]
There's no single shot of this webbing ladder deployed to show why we should buy the thing. That may be deliberate. Can imagine one problem is that only one foot can go to any one rung at a time. So a body can't rest momentarily*, as we may have to, while investigating the next move. Only buff Navy Seals can haul themselves up... maybe - not scared-to-hell old guys flailing around trying to figure out why their left leg isn't working.
*Body 'rests' when legs and feet share equal weight...important for non-athlectic people.
►Here's a possible better choice. MARKUS RESCUE SYSTEMS*. (We find out what Lifenets, mesh scramble nets, rescue cradles are all about.)
Check out their MOB Emergency and Rescue Ladder, MEL-2-270. (Don't have the price yet.)
It is a three point attachment ladder with three vertical 'rails' - horizontal 'rungs' separarted with a central 'rail' - which are all webbing. It's a 2step-wide scramble net that is deployed from a L19"x8"x2" white pvc storage bag. Weight, a little over 2lbs.
Have not seen this product first hand, But do seem to be tuned into how these people are thinking.
Even a floppy web-tape ladder with 3-point attachment is probably way more stable to climb than a single point hanging attachment.
Don't care what rock climbers use.
Once the feet are engaged in the 'mesh' the climber's weight is supported evenly while scrambling, even though the webbing may close around the foot, body weight is distributed evenly. Only guessing. Hopefully, testing will be infrequent.
But it will be good to know if this product really is a dependable life saver. Other emergency ladders I'd be in trouble with...in an emergency.
Markus also has readymade a MOB FRC Rescue-net. (look at fact sheet for the SCN6-250R, it's a 6step wide climbing net made with 1" webbing)
It is L51"x10'x2". Do not know if that is its storage bag dimensions. Imco a 4step wide would be great. See them in some of their SOLAS fotos.
A thought for another kind of dual use boarding ladder.
I have one of those innovative UP-N-OUT rod telescopers. Can be used as an emergency rescue ladder. Requires its own permanent allotment of deck space. And probably would be stowed below when offshore.
I like its open design, incredible cold hard strength, yet yielding with its interlocking pieces, seems like it can't get yanked out of shapel with an off-balance lurch like a set of tube steps might. Acceptable weight, not cataloged by WM...yea!
Markus, as you see, has this scramble net on steroids called Jason's Cradle. [see next post]
Looks like stiffened cargo netting that could be an alternative to shiney tube or rod swim ladders for getting on & off the deck.
Don't know yet what the webbing is stiffened with. Dipped in plastic or rubber?. I can see a ROLL of this net in the lifelines on A338.
Probably slung over a sausage of fenders to keep it off the hull paint.
JASON CRADLE
If this stuff takes a set from being rolled up, that might be useful when the material is pulled down into the water, giving it a tendency to curl away from the hull - rather than hanging limp. All verticals attached to a bar and to the toe rail. Assume, the net will stay relatively docile, easy to climb.... rather than flop and fly around in wind and wave. If the boat is drifting at all and the victim is on the more quiet leeward side, an ordinary emergency ladder will be swept under the turn of the hull - as will the person. A stiff rescue net (multistep ladder) might make a possible to climb back on board with ease. Dual use, general swim ladder as well. This item doesn't exist yet, I'd like two 4step wide ones, please. [maybe it does, see next post]
I will find out what their MOB Emergency and Rescue Ladder goes for. Want one for either side of LittleGull just aft of the shrouds.....
*http:http://www.seamarshall-us.com/mariti...mble-nets.html
(this vendor shows the Jason net material as Jason's Cradle. They seem to think it should be used only for rolling bodies! aboard!
See YouTubes on site - one is pretty wierd!)
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