Knee replacement and swim ladder

RobMcClain

RobMcClain

Member
This is offtopic sort of, but I am wondering if anyone here has had double knee replacement; and if so, were they able to climb the swim ladder back into the boat? I have heard that it is very difficult to climb even a regular ladder with a knee replacement... and so far I can't even climb a step ladder.

The swim ladder is not something I am able to "practice" really... once I'm in the water, I gotta be able to get back in! I'm also wondering how long it will take before I'm able to do this; but I guess everyone would be different.

Thanks

Mary McClain
 
I have two new knees, one a year ago and one 6 months ago. Have not had a chance to test them on a swim ladder, but I go up and down a standard 12ft ladder and a step ladder with no problems at all. I don' t anticipate any major problems with a swim ladder unless I have to raise my leg a considerable height ( over 30" ) to get my foot into the first wrung of the ladder.
Wapiti
 
I have not had knee replacement, but have had a hip done, and also have spinal stenosis, rather seriously.

I can get into the boat with a ladder, but I'm sure the degree of recovery and regaining of original function with a knee replacement would be similar in many rrespects.

The degree to which you regain your original function would depend on your age, weight, general physical condition, amount and nature of of physical therapy, and your determination to regain specific functions, such as this one.

So yes and no. It depends on you and your own situation, etc.

I would image that a doctor would tell you that with a successful operation, adequate physical therapy, and your own determination, you should be able to regain and equivalent amount of mobility that you would have had before the operation if your knee had not been limiting.

I do wish you well and good luck!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Some added thoughts:

The ladder and how it is set up will make a BIG difference in whether you can use it to get into the boat.

Some small ladders, swim steps, and other auxillary handles are so small and poorly designed that they make it very difficult to be successful in entering the boat from the water.

The ladder should extend downward 4 or more steps so as to allow you to get your weight on it easily to start climbing.

The rungs should be flat and wide fore and aft as well as laterally for foot comfort. Some boat ladders look like they were designed for children only. Go to an Olympic sized public pool and see what the ladders look like and how easy they are to use. Design your system accordingly.

Assist handles should be placed above the ladder on the swim step and back or side of the boat to allow a logical progression of movement. They should be strong, easily gripped, and robust, not look like handles for a ladies handkerchief drawer in a dresser.

Use non-skid wherever you need it on fiberglass or other surfaces that will be slippery. Use the rubber type, not the black sandpaper type that will remove the first 1/8" of your skin if you slip and fall on it.

As we get older, weaker, heavier, and less agile, we need all the help we can get to climb around on a boat like this. Make it easy for yourself with a well designed system suited to your unique abilities.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Eqmarine may have ideas on this... Here is passage from their website

We want to make boating as accessible as possible for everyone. If there are members of your family or friends (or you) who have particular disabilities or challenges but you'd like to take them boating (or go yourself) we'll work hard to come up with a solution for you. It's entirely possible to install an electric lift (really a small platform that acts as an elevator) that allows a person to be lowered from the side deck to the cockpit deck (and vice versa). A lift designed for a wheelchair is also a possiblity. Extra steps inside or special spacing on the steps is easily accomplished in most cases. Extra rails around the cockpit are easy to add. Please don't hesistate to ask, we don't know that we can meet every need but we know we can try our best to make it happen.
 
I'll be interested in the replies, as Ellen just had a knee repalcement. After we purchased the C-Squirt which did not have a step or platform, I ordered and installed the factory option which has 2 steps to the platform. My thinking was that even with a bad knee a person could hit the step with the good leg and then haul himself to the platform and across the splash deck to the boat. The logic is often we go places where we are the only ones around and if one of us went in on an unplanned immersion we could get back on the boat. Good idea/bad idea?
 
If there's another person in the boat to deploy the swim ladder, there's another person around to deploy other gear also. So you might want to consider installing a davit and wearing and inflatable with a harness. This would allow another party to provide additional lift to you. See Thataway Bob's album for an example install of a Garhauer lifting davit.

Also, there are portable floating ramps that some use to get dogs in and out of boats. It might be possible to store one of those on the roof of the cabin and that might make it easy to get back in as you'd crawl up the ramp.
 
I really appreciate the thoughtful feedback that is being provided to Mary's question. I'll add a few details of the things we've done on the boat to date. Like many other boats, we have a small swim platform on the port side with a vertical stainless hand rail mounted on the transom nearby the platform. We've also replaced the original 2-step ladder with a new Gaerlick 3-step. The new ladder is much better for everyone. Not only does it have 3 flat steps, but the ladder mounting brackets allow it to lock into place when extended so it does not move backwards once weight is put on it. I have a few photos of this in our album. We also have a Windline Boarding Handle that fits into a fishing pole holder and provides for better stability when getting in and out of the boat, and getting to and from the swim platform. One of the things we liked about the Venture model early on was the transom design, which provides for an easier and more stable transit to and from the swim platform. With the addition of a few nonskid strips in the motor well it provides a large relatively flat and unobscured surface for transit into the cockpit. All of these little things help, but now her challenge is getting up the ladder and into the boat. Haven't tried that yet since her 2 surgeries, nor is she ready to, but we want to assure once she is in the water she can safely get out.

Rob
 
RobMcClain":2gzzqn09 said:
We've also replaced the original 2-step ladder with a new Gaerlick 3-step. The new ladder is much better for everyone. Not only does it have 3 flat steps, but the ladder mounting brackets allow it to lock into place when extended so it does not move backwards once weight is put on it.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you mentioned that last feature. I had looked at the updated version of the ladder, and I noticed that it was "square" at the bottom vs. rounded; but I had not noticed the change in mount design that creates its own "stand off" type feature. That looks nice! I already have the three-step ladder, but it's the older design with the rounded corners at the bottom (making the run sections more of a U-shape than a box shape).

I have a question: Was your older, two-step ladder the type I have now with the rounded bottom? I'm wondering if the newer ladder fits the same mounting holes, but there are no dimensions that I can find on the Garelick site - although the mounting system looks the same, with the four fasteners each side and the optional plate on top to spread the load. (Not that I couldn't move the holes, but it would be nice to know if/whether it would mount right up to the holes from the older style ladder, especially since I just overdrilled/filled the them to isolate the balsa core in the platform.) I might switch over just for the "stand off" feature.

Sunbeam
 
Sunbeam,
The top of each vertical rail on our old 2-step ladder was rounded into a bend of 90 degrees with a pin through the end. When the ladder was deployed the pins are what stopped it from coming out of the brackets. Unfortunately, the mount also allowed the ladder to move (i.e., swing inward) when weight was put on a step. Our new ladder does not do this, nor could it even if it had a mind to. As for the width, I had really hoped I could reuse all or at least some of the original screw holes, but the new Garelick ladder is a good 1-2" thinner from side to side than the old one. As a result I needed to drill 4 new holes on each side of the swim platform. I wasn't happy about this, but we really needed to have the 3-step ladder and the new mounts are so much better and provide a more secure platform for getting out of the water. When I installed the new mounts I also placed them further in on the platform than the old mounts had been. The old ones had been towards the outer edge and with the new ladder the mounts need to be placed a bit more inward - I did about 2". No regrets at all with the new ladder. If you want any particular photos of it let me know and I'd be happy to take them.

Rob
 
Thanks for the info, Rob. My ladder works just like you describe your previous one. At least it's a 3-stepper. Given that the mounts are different.I'll probably hold off on changing until I get sufficiently irritated with the current ladder, since I just overdrilled and re-filled all the holes. Just to make it more annoying, one of the original brackets was installed totally cattywampus (like 30º crooked and 5/8" forward of the other one) and so I filled those holes and gelcoated them, and then did new, straight ones. So of course now it turns out the newer ladder fits differently :cry

Sunbeam
 
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