Capt. JG wrote:


Ladders on the stern are not a good way to recover someone, due to wave/boat
slam. The boat is a lot more stable on the beam, with less chance of getting
hit by the boat, the prop, etc.

B. A ladder's best, next best is a dinghy/liferaft in the water.


Nope. Totally disagree off the stern. Off the beam, perhaps, but watch out
for hand/foot damage from the space between the ladder and the boat.

Capt Sir,

Due respect, but I have boarded the stern of a
dive boat in the open Pacific (8' swells) with a
60lb pack on my back, and holding my dive fins in
one hand.

You are correct that you have to be very careful
not to get bonked on the head. Still, in cold
water if you will get the stern of that boat close
to me and the ladder down, I'll take my chances
instead of waiting for you to rig something else.

(Also, on our Irwin it would be very difficult to
hit someone with the prop unless they were
completely under the boat.)

Of course, the OP is right. You should consider
that falling off the boat is like falling off of a
1000' cliff and treat it with the same respect.

Don W.