Boarding Planks, Ladders, and Other Ideas

Sneaks · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 10:03 pm Post subject:

Interesting trivia Joe, the rose guys at the Del Mar Fair add a tiny pinch of sildenafil to the water in the vases containing their prize roses. It seems that roses (or any flowers for that matter) don't wilt nearly as fast....

Don

Sea Wolf · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 12:45 am Post subject:

Don-

The balll lock pins can be found at any marine supply store that caters to sailboats. Take the ladder in to get an exact fit!

Hmmmmmmm......I wonder if the Rose Parade is really a "stiff" in the wallet for Pfizer???? Joe.

Dave-

OK-from the beach, then.. What I actually do is climb aboard w/o pushing off, fold up the ladder, warm up the Yamaha, and go into reverse and throttle up until she breaks loose! (keeping the motor tilted up as necessary to avoid plowing furroughs into the sand and to keep the sand out of the water pump). Has worked so far, anyway!

Yup, there's more than a few of us that could fit the bill for a POF profile. I'd go ahead and name a few, but wouldn't want to hurt anybody's feelings by leaving them out! What an elite bunch o' guys! Gettin' old must have some compensations....have you found any yet??? Joe.

Sneaks · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 9:57 am Post subject:

Well, there are a few benefits, Joe. Isn't that Lake Shasta in the background?

Sea Wolf · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 11:06 am Post subject:

Don-

Well, yes, it is. And what a place to play it is!!!

*******************************************

And as to the benefits of the great ascent into geezerhood?

Well, now that you mention it, I can-

Have an excuse to be in any mood I want to be.

Not hear what I don't want to hear.

Forget to remember to do things I don't want to.

Have any opinion I want as nobody listens to me.

Go ahead and do anything I want and spend any amount of money I want, because the future is so uncertain.

Hey, I'm starting to like this! I get to be an irresponsible kid again without any adult supervision!

-except for my wife, upon whom I'm constantly devising plans for escaping all responsibility whatsoever.

Now this could be a credo to die for... (and we probably will, anyway, so let's make it our m.o.!)

ON EDIT: Maybe I could get some advice in my quest from some older, more experienced voyagers in this endeavor, like Dusty or Charlie, whadda' ya' think?

Joe.

Sneaks · Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 12:05 pm Post subject:

For Sea Wolf Joe:

It turns out that Windline sells "factory direct" on Ebay and I had occasion to speak to someone at Windline today. if you ever have or need warranty items or things like caps or the tread falls off, call 'em up. You don't even need a receipt to get replacements free.

Very high quality, btw. I'm impressed. Thanks for the lead.

Don

Sea Wolf · Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 12:09 pm Post subject:

Don-

Thanks for the information of the manufactuer and warranty!

Joe.

Sneaks · Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:14 am Post subject:

A little more info, Joe. Windline warranty is lifetime, and as to ball lock pins, well, West Marine has one, SKU 102699, that works but costs about $26 EACH. They were out of stock but allowed me to check it out with their 2" model.

Fortunately, I found and ordered two locking pins, P/N BACH-25-175 from [url=http://www.fixtureworks.net/Home/TechSheet/tabid/57/Default.aspx?catID=BACH-18-050&thumbPath=5|0|0]Futureworks [/url]for half the cost.... The 25-150 should work as well, but the extra 1/4" adds a little comfort zone for me.

Appreciate your photos. Next time I pull the Jenny B, it'll get installed.

Don

Sea Wolf · Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:22 am Post subject:

Don-

Thanks for the new source!

One could also just use standard clevis pins with ring-dings through the ends if they wanted to further cut the cost down.

Joe.

Sneaks · Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:50 am Post subject:

Try looking for standard clevis pins 1/4" X 1 3/4", Joe. Maybe my search skills were lacking but I failed to find anything long enough for comfort in 1/4" stock.

BTW, I misspelled the name of the site though the link is correct. It's fixturework.net not futureware, and it's a lesson in how not to set up a website. Too much slow loading flash. They do have lighter duty stainless versions at lower cost but I wouldn't trust it unless I was a somewhat skinnier C-Dory owner. Sad

Don

Sea Wolf · Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 4:02 pm Post subject:

Don-

Admittedly, that seems to be an unusual size for some reason.

Easy out would be to buy some SS 1/4 x 20 bolts in 2- 1/2" length and cut off the threaded portion and drill holes in the ends of them with the drill press for ring dings or "safety pins", or whatever.

You could also round off the hex heads with a bench grinder (with or without a drill to turn them around against the moving grinding wheel) and polish them up with emery paper and metal polish on the drill press, etc.

Would also be a "no brainer' job with a metal lathe.

Joe.

Sneaks · Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 5:40 pm Post subject:

Sneaks · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:44 pm Post subject:

Well, I installed the Windline 3 rung ladder this past week, per Sea Wolf Joe's instructions with only one major change. Mine is on the port side forward.

Launched this morning using the ladder to board and was amazed at the difference it made in safely boarding. Well worth the effort. Yes, a ladder could be built on the trailer as others have done, but this way is KISS approved and, actually, fairly inexpensive. I have locking pins on order 1/4 X 1 3/4 so it will be removable. Folks without a windlass could just flip it over and it'll lay on the deck nicely, or you could bungee it vertically like Joe does.

FYI, Windline also sells through their Ebay store and their products are warrantied for life. Need a rung cover? Call 'em and they'll ship it out no questions asked. I like that....

We don't beach much but the dual purpose upgrade is Thumbs Up

in my book.

Thankyew Joe, you did good.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:38 pm Post subject:

Don-

You're welcome!

This is one baby we got done w/o screwing up!
Joe.

thataway · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:41 pm Post subject:

Since we have always cruised with dogs--it became a challange on the C Dory22 cruiser. We often go stern too--and the outboard comes up enough to clean the water--and often the bank. We have non skid on the transom and in the motorwell.

The whole process of getting us and the dogs on and off the boat--was resolved by using a "Pet step" There are several other folding gangplanks, which are made of plastics or composits. For the most part we just put the inboard end of the "pet step" on the transom, and the shore side to the beach--both human and canine walk on and off easily. It looks as if the Tom Cat 255 will allow the same arrangement--but with maybe a little further offshore.

When comming to the shore, the Admiral drops the anchor, and sets it as I get stern way--when the anchor is set, she lets me know, and then gives slack until I say "snub"--at which time, the boat is several feet from the bank and the motor is all of the way up. We then use two stern anchors to the beach. The biggest part of the trick is getting the correct amount of sternway without crashing intoi the beach, or falling short.....

We are thinking about a 4 step Windline or using the stern diving anchor, off the bow on the Tom Cat 255--and by attritician we are down to a "pocket" dog, which we can easily carry ashore!.