MacGregorSailors.com

No KP for you !!! Well done...take the rest of the weekend off...

The Musical Youth of course...circa 1983???

1982 I think. But no weekend off. Fantastic 8 hour sail yesterday...Potomac Nationals baseball game with Fireworks tonight...BBQ & Pool Party tomorrow for 11 tomorrow...then lots of KP doing the dishes.

Jim

Enjoy the holiday and thanks for your service....

Here are pics of a pet boarding ramp I made for the dogs. Originally intended as a way for the dogs to independantly re-enter the boat from swimming, on our first outing with it, it served best as a boarding bridge to / from the dinghy, as the pups are still getting used to the concept of being in the water. Although the attach point to the boat makes for quick & easy install / remove, it can tilt to the side causing the pup to fall off back into the water unless supported at the end while boarding the dinghy.

Construction is of 1" PVC pipe, elbows, and tees in a ladder formation. Underside is 1/8" sheet plastic, orange inserts are cut to fit foam from cheap Walmart swim kickboards, topside cleats are 3/8" poly cutting board. Cleats & backing are thru-bolted with SS hardware. SS snap hooks clip on to steering arm. Unit floats without additional fenders, but fenders added underneath to add floatation to counter dog's weight. Continueing mods to stabilize when in use. Length: 5'-6", width 12".





A shorter version could be constructed for crew to board dinghy.

We have used one of these and can highly recommend them.
http://www.force4.co.uk/3794/Force-4-Fe ... -Blue.html

K9Kampers wrote:

I like the location of your ladder. Mine is (was) between port rudder and engine.

Can you use it in the undeployed position as a boarding ladder from dinghy?

Hm. I should be think that through. I will probably get one of those telescoping ladders. I'll make sure I get one that can be used upside down!

Hm hm. Which means it'll need a solid lock to hold it up so it can be stepped on safely while undeployed, yet releasable from someone who is bobbing in the water...

Can you use it in the undeployed position as a boarding ladder from dinghy?

Are you asking if I can use the stock Mac ladder, in the up position, to board the dinghy? Yes, I can stand on the transom ladder while up to board, but usually I put the dinghy up close to the motor and step straight on to it.

K9Kampers wrote:A shorter version could be constructed for crew to board dinghy.

If the question is about my dog ramp to be used by people, a shorter version would have less flex over the length of the span, or constructed with a larger diameter PVC pipe for greater strength. The way I attached it to the boat is the simplest / quickest of several ideas, but allows too much twist for the pups to be comfortable with it while learning to swim from the boat. I am working on some other ideas to solve the stability issue.

K9Kampers wrote:

Can you use it in the undeployed position as a boarding ladder from dinghy?

Are you asking if I can use the stock Mac ladder, in the up position, to board the dinghy?

Stock Mac ladder eh? Hm. Don't have one of those.

I was going to ask you how you managed to get in behind there to attach them, but I guess it was factory-installed. Don't know if it's possible to get at the back of that area to put in a backing plate.

DaveC426913 wrote: Stock Mac ladder eh? Hm. Don't have one of those.

I was going to ask you how you managed to get in behind there to attach them, but I guess it was factory-installed. Don't know if it's possible to get at the back of that area to put in a backing plate.

My stock Mac ladder is left of the port rudder (in pic). Some boats have them between the rudder and the motor. On the , in the aft berth there is a removable interior transom panel that allows access to the hull transom for mounting of hardware and backing plates.

...with six attachment points I put on my ladder with 6 BF washers...about 1 inch IIRC.

Catigale wrote:...with six attachment points I put on my ladder with 6 BF washers...about 1 inch IIRC.

But can you get back there? Seems to me it's in between the two shells.

Nope, remove 4 screws and the rear panel comes off. Nothing but transom, wiring and motor-well drain.

~Rich

DaveC426913 wrote:But can you get back there? Seems to me it's in between the two shells.

No problem for skinny hands! (rotate pic right)

Dave ..on my 2002 I do recall that I had to cut the liner behind the transom panel to mount my kicker, but not the ladder. I mounted mine port side outside the rudders, not on the transom

So we finally inflated the dinghy we bought and practiced coming and going with the whole family, which is myself, the admiral, and the three kids, 7, 9, and 11. The dinghy is a West Marine RU-260 made by Zodiac, 8.5' long which has slats for the floor and rolls up. The dinghy fits easily on the bow inflated and the genoa can tack across it without issues.

Having read this post through, we decided to try the transom method. Turned out to be way easier than I expect. We had the rudders down, the motor up and flopped over to port (ETEC-60). The lower end of the motor made the perfect angle to the boat for the bow of the dinghy to snub up tight to the boat. We wrapped the painter around the stern rail seat rail and pushed the factory swim ladder down onto the bow of the dinghy. The stopper on the ladder held the dingy firmly in place, and the first person (me) just held tension against the painter pulling the dinghy up, and pushing down with the ladder as I climbed on board. This simple operation kept the dinghy from moving at all with respect to the boat. Three kids followed, then the admiral as I kept tension on the painter from the stern of the dingy. Then I just let go of the painter and pushed off. Climbing aboard was just the opposite and worked perfectly fine.

Great forum, and thanks for all the advice on this one! I'm sure this saved me a good dunking.