Swim ladder

[tparrent]

I'm not saying this happened but let's say, hypothetically, that someone spilled a few drops of gasoline on the gunwale, forgot about it on the way back to the slip and then gave a slightly more vigorous than usual push off from the gunwale to get to the deck as the boat drifted in the wind and ended up spinning their legs Wylie Coyote style due to slippage of said gasoline - well, if any of that had happened, it might start one thinking about installing a swim ladder on a TomCat as a way to get back aboard if the dock had been an inch farther away than in the hypothetical case.

Is there an easy way to install a ladder? (Yes, pay someone to install the ladder)

[Pacificcoast101]

Armstrong ladders and other major brands bolt onto the four holes that should be in the center of your Tomcat's swimstep. I modified mine by adding a welded swing bracket, but any ladder will work.

[tparrent]

I just looked at the pictures from my survey. I have the same bracket on the back of the swim step that is visible in your last picture.

Are the holes where that bracket is attached the ones you are referring to?

What's the purpose of the bracket?

I know the previous owner used the boat for SCUBA diving. I've wondered how he got back aboard.

[thataway]

I believe that all of the Tom Cats came with that swim ladder--mine did and a number I have been aboard do.

The one I had was by Armstrong--and they come in 2, 3 or 4 steps. I had 4 steps.

Yes, every boat needs a way to get back aboard.

[Pacificcoast101]

[bridma]

If the ladder is in the up position, is it easy for a person in the water to lower it to the down position? Assuming there is no one onboard to do it for you.

Martin.

[gulfcoast john]

Tom,

The ladder would usually come with the boat. It wouldn’t do your PO any good unless he was planning on putting it on another boat.

Some store them in the head on mounting clips...it’s not in there, is it?

I think the best practice is to leave it in the aft bracket at all times...in the pointing-up position when on the boat and trailering. That way a single handling MOB can pull it up out of the bracket, reverse it to the down position and climb aboard. It weighs 9 lbs but floats. Likewise, when trailering at a rest stop and you want to get back on the boat, it’s much easier to climb up the ladder than to climb on from the wheel fender.



I used to worry that a big enough wave or pothole could jar it up out of the bracket, and held it down with a strong bungy, but decided that the jarring out scenario would never happen.

After a day at the sand bar, remember to pull up the ladder. If you don’t, performance will be adversely affected. On a prior boat I had the model that would automatically re-position if you take off with it in the down position. It’s not worth the money or complexity.

I’d advise the three-step model. Even with that, when anchoring or beaching in very shallow water, when the hulls touch the sand, it will tend to push the ladder out of the bracket. The ladder bottoms out before the bottom of the hulls do. However, the 2 step model’s bottom step would be way too high when deployed. Even though it floats, we don’t want to return from a long beach walk and find it floated toward Milton rather than toward the beach. Granted very few folks anchor in as shallow water as we do with the engines up (about 4 inches above our knees). For scuba divers in deep water, the four step model is best/easiest...note Phil has both in his pics.

http://stores.armstrongnauticalstore.com/marine-ladder-3-steps-34-inch-length/

I use this site, same price as EBay. In this part of Florida, where the soundside beaches are soft sand, and most boaters don’t have anchors, or PFD’s, or VHF radios….but I digress... it’s popular to run the bow up on the sand. I installed an Armstrong platform mount on the starboard sponson bow so we can move the same ladder forward and board/disembark from there, but seldom use it as we like stern to the beach.

http://stores.armstrongnauticalstore.com/platform-ladder-mount-extra-long/

It took us a year to figure out that our Tom Cat was the only one we’ve ever seen that came without aft boarding rails. Adding custom boarding rails was the best $260 we ever spent on the boat. Before that it was a really challenging athletic endeavor.

Martin, yes it’s easy for a MOB in the water to reposition the ladder.

Happy Shopping!
John

[tparrent]

Thanks for the info John. I'm going to take a hard look at the bracket next time I am at the boat (probably following the next two weeks of rain ) and also make sure the ladder isn't hiding somewhere. May drop a note to the PO to see if he has it. He might be using it on his new boat.

I've wondered about beaching the boat. I used to do that VERY gently on an inland lake with my 16 and 22. Wouldn't want to miscalcualae a tide or bring it in too far. The other boats I could shove off, the TomCat might be a bit more challenging.

[gulfcoast john]

saltwatertides.com is a good resource but on std time.

Front bracket requires climbing over or under railing.



(Mears Marina, Kent Narrows on the Chesapeake)

Beaching on soft sand but with the engines deep enough may be tough. Your 350 horses would pull you off, you would not push off. However, reverse gear is much less efficient than forward.

A large wake could push you too far ashore.

Dropping the front anchor and idling back stern to shore is less risky in all respects. In our cove we can step off the bracket into ankle deep water...the sponsons need 18 inches to float but the bracket about 4 inches.
John

[Pacificcoast101]

[rstinge1]

Phil: Where did you get the cross bar with rod holders on No Pressure?

[Pacificcoast101]

It came with the boat. We use it to hang our drysuits and dive flag.