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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?

Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not. :-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?

On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:06:51 GMT, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:

Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not. :-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


I see a substantial number of sailing boats with swim platforms and
substantial boarding ladders - usually on boats that have cruised a
lot.

I suppose that if you are using a wind vane steerer the platform would
have to accommodate the vane but other then that I don't see a
problem.

One possible point - many marinas use overall length to calculate the
fees and a folding platform might save a bit of money in that case,


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:displayed e-mail
address is a spam trap)
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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?

On Oct 26, 7:06 pm, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:
Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not. :-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


Hi, Glenn, and group,

I put a platform on our boat in the course of our refit, and if you'd
like a link to the pictures agonizingly/excruciatingly documenting
that in my gallery, I'll send it along.

However, a couple of my design thoughts as I built it we

Not at the sea level, as it will take a beating in following seas.
Ours is halfway, which in our case is 2' up.

The form of the platform follows the hull line so at heel, it's not in
the water.

There's a ladder which can be lowered from in the water for safety to
board if accidentally overboard.

We have yet to put in a transom step, but we may, as it's a big step
up.

We extended and beefed up the standard West Marine platform in order
to provide a 30" base. With our reverse, we lost ~8" tucked under.

We used both tension and compression in the mount, with brackets at
the transom and tubing from the sides with a very substantial SS L for
the stern support. If you don't have both, you'll need huge brackets
and put the transom under enormous load. You'll want to allow for the
seas whacking on it either from above or below. For all that, our
stern sags, and the L was apparently inadequate, even at 1/8x1.5. If
you do that support design, I'd recommend 1/4"

HTH...

FWIW, yours is one of the boats we considered; I believe it will take
this mod very well. And, you're very right about the wife wanting to
go cruising. I can't tell you how many folks we've encountered -
including here in Cambridge, where I've got another Morganite giving
me a ride to West and other provisioning today - where the dream is
stillborn, or, worse, orphaned, where the wife leaves...

Good on you, and enjoy every moment, including the refit.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its
hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts."
(Richard Bach, in The Reluctant Messiah)

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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?

In article ,
says...
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:06:51 GMT, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:

Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not. :-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


I see a substantial number of sailing boats with swim platforms and
substantial boarding ladders - usually on boats that have cruised a
lot.

I suppose that if you are using a wind vane steerer the platform would
have to accommodate the vane but other then that I don't see a
problem.

One possible point - many marinas use overall length to calculate the
fees and a folding platform might save a bit of money in that case,


A swim platform seems like a handy addition in inland waters. However,
if you plan on any long offshore cruises, you should consider the
interaction with breaking waves from astern. You might either lose
the platform, or have the stern pulled down enough to increase the
chances of flooding the cockpit. (Probably not so big an issue
with a center-cockpit boat, though.)


Mark Borgerson
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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?


"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Oct 26, 7:06 pm, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:
Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major
changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not.
:-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim
platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder
from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


Hi, Glenn, and group,

I put a platform on our boat in the course of our refit, and if you'd
like a link to the pictures agonizingly/excruciatingly documenting
that in my gallery, I'll send it along.

However, a couple of my design thoughts as I built it we

Not at the sea level, as it will take a beating in following seas.
Ours is halfway, which in our case is 2' up.

The form of the platform follows the hull line so at heel, it's not in
the water.

There's a ladder which can be lowered from in the water for safety to
board if accidentally overboard.

We have yet to put in a transom step, but we may, as it's a big step
up.

We extended and beefed up the standard West Marine platform in order
to provide a 30" base. With our reverse, we lost ~8" tucked under.

We used both tension and compression in the mount, with brackets at
the transom and tubing from the sides with a very substantial SS L for
the stern support. If you don't have both, you'll need huge brackets
and put the transom under enormous load. You'll want to allow for the
seas whacking on it either from above or below. For all that, our
stern sags, and the L was apparently inadequate, even at 1/8x1.5. If
you do that support design, I'd recommend 1/4"

HTH...

FWIW, yours is one of the boats we considered; I believe it will take
this mod very well. And, you're very right about the wife wanting to
go cruising. I can't tell you how many folks we've encountered -
including here in Cambridge, where I've got another Morganite giving
me a ride to West and other provisioning today - where the dream is
stillborn, or, worse, orphaned, where the wife leaves...

Good on you, and enjoy every moment, including the refit.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its
hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts."
(Richard Bach, in The Reluctant Messiah)


Thanks Skip. Appreciated for sure. Glad to hear from someone who's thought
through the issues. I would appreciate pictures and other information
regarding the construction and installation of a swim platform. You can
post links or email to me. My hotmail address is globaltek2000...sorry,
just encrypting a little to prevent spam.

Yes, it's becoming clearer about the wife & cruising. If all it takes to
have a happy wife, eager to go cruising is a few boat comfort additions, I'm
in. I'm happy to to live pretty spartan, but sure like having my wife
along. We're planning to go for a year and a half this time, maybe longer
next...or maybe we'll never go 'home'. :-)

Thanks Skip!

Glenn.





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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?


"Mark Borgerson" wrote in message
.net...
In article ,
says...
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:06:51 GMT, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:

Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major
changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go
back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not.
:-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim
platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the
trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder
from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


I see a substantial number of sailing boats with swim platforms and
substantial boarding ladders - usually on boats that have cruised a
lot.

I suppose that if you are using a wind vane steerer the platform would
have to accommodate the vane but other then that I don't see a
problem.

One possible point - many marinas use overall length to calculate the
fees and a folding platform might save a bit of money in that case,


A swim platform seems like a handy addition in inland waters. However,
if you plan on any long offshore cruises, you should consider the
interaction with breaking waves from astern. You might either lose
the platform, or have the stern pulled down enough to increase the
chances of flooding the cockpit. (Probably not so big an issue
with a center-cockpit boat, though.)


Mark Borgerson


Thanks Mark. Yes, I'd thought some about this. You're right, flooring the
cockpit from this is really not a concern with our vessel; it's centre
cockpit & quite high off the water.

The larger concern, though, is having the platform ripped off & in the
process ripping holes in the stern. Possibly a folding platform might solve
this. Something to think through, any ideas appreciated.

Thanks again.

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?


"Bruce in Bangkok" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:06:51 GMT, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:

Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not. :-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim
platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


I see a substantial number of sailing boats with swim platforms and
substantial boarding ladders - usually on boats that have cruised a
lot.

I suppose that if you are using a wind vane steerer the platform would
have to accommodate the vane but other then that I don't see a
problem.

One possible point - many marinas use overall length to calculate the
fees and a folding platform might save a bit of money in that case,


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:displayed e-mail
address is a spam trap)


Hi Bruce. Thanks for your response. At this point, we don't spend much
time in marinas, but this can be a concern & should be thought about.

We are currently using a wheel pilot...not sure about the future of a wind
vane, should be decide to take on longer passages.

One concern that's been raised is following, or following breaking seas.
Any idea how some of these folks protect themselves from damage in this
regard?

Thanks!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.




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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?

On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:42:36 -0700, Mark Borgerson
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:06:51 GMT, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:

Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not. :-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


I see a substantial number of sailing boats with swim platforms and
substantial boarding ladders - usually on boats that have cruised a
lot.

I suppose that if you are using a wind vane steerer the platform would
have to accommodate the vane but other then that I don't see a
problem.

One possible point - many marinas use overall length to calculate the
fees and a folding platform might save a bit of money in that case,


A swim platform seems like a handy addition in inland waters. However,
if you plan on any long offshore cruises, you should consider the
interaction with breaking waves from astern. You might either lose
the platform, or have the stern pulled down enough to increase the
chances of flooding the cockpit. (Probably not so big an issue
with a center-cockpit boat, though.)


Mark Borgerson



I think that would depend on the area of the platform and whether it
was solid. The ones I have seen were made of a stainless frame and
teak "slats". I'd doubt that they provided much resistance to a wave.
But as I mentioned they also contribute to the overall length and
might make the marina charges higher so building a folding one should
solve both problems.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:displayed e-mail
address is a spam trap)
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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?

On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 04:02:54 GMT, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:


"Bruce in Bangkok" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:06:51 GMT, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:

Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major changes
to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot of these
changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is eager to go back
cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of your wives are not. :-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim
platform.
Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull & not the trawler
hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are looking to build a swim
platform on the stern as well as a fairly substantial boarding ladder from
the platform to deck level. I'd like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have some
ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


I see a substantial number of sailing boats with swim platforms and
substantial boarding ladders - usually on boats that have cruised a
lot.

I suppose that if you are using a wind vane steerer the platform would
have to accommodate the vane but other then that I don't see a
problem.

One possible point - many marinas use overall length to calculate the
fees and a folding platform might save a bit of money in that case,


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:displayed e-mail
address is a spam trap)


Hi Bruce. Thanks for your response. At this point, we don't spend much
time in marinas, but this can be a concern & should be thought about.

We are currently using a wheel pilot...not sure about the future of a wind
vane, should be decide to take on longer passages.

One concern that's been raised is following, or following breaking seas.
Any idea how some of these folks protect themselves from damage in this
regard?

Thanks!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


A couple of the swim platforms I have seen installed were by people
who I know have done substantial amounts of cruising and frankly the
question never came up. One of these boats made their entire living
for about 10 years chartering and certainly must have ran into some
bad weather. Another boat had made a couple of trips to Chagos which
is a fairly substantial Indian Ocean trip.

My opinion (for what it isn worth) is that it is probably not
something to be overly worried about.

Given the design of the average 40ish foot cruising boat the transom
is really pretty narrow so a, say, two foot swim platform framed in
stainless with a teak deck would be, what? 2 X 6 feet * 0.5 as a teak
grating is half holes. That is an area of 6 square feet. If you make
it so that it folds up then essentially it is "0" area.

If my wife read this I'd already be a building....


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:displayed e-mail
address is a spam trap)
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Default Sailboat Swim Platform?

Glenn (s/v Seawing) wrote:
Hi! Looking to pick your brains a little. I am making some major
changes to my boat this year. Some of you think I'm nuts & that alot
of these changes are not necessary. I remind you that my wife is
eager to go back cruising for a year or two at a time and lots of
your wives are not. :-).

One of the additions we are looking for is the addition of a swim
platform. Our boat is a Gulfstar 41' Auxillary (the sailboat hull &
not the trawler hull). This vessel is a centre cockpit. We are
looking to build a swim platform on the stern as well as a fairly
substantial boarding ladder from the platform to deck level. I'd
like the platform to be fairly sturdy.

Please post your advise, observations & experience. I need to have
some ideas on design, construction methods & pitfalls I've not yet
imagined.

Thanks all!

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.


The boat I sail on, a Beneteau First 41.5 has a bathing platform hinged into
the transom. When closed the "flap" is sealed and flush with the transom,
and opens only when required. The "door" is in glassfibre and is shaped and
gelcoated exactly as the transom. Obviously this arrangement has been
allowed for in the mould, and would be very difficult to build as an add-on,
but it does work well and keeps the transom looking smart when not in use.

Dennis.


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