Make sure you get a ladder with enough steps. The one on my 19' runabout has
one step and the platform: the step is only about 1' below the water surface
when in use. While my feet can't go under the boat, as on your rope ladder,
it's natural for those of us with a belly or lack of flexibility to lean
backwards while getting a foot on that step, requiring a lot of upper body
strength to get up and forward. At least one more step in the water would be
a big help.


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

"Don White" wrote in message
...

My sailboat is an 18.5 foot Sandpiper. I ordered a hinged stainless
steel
boarding ladder that I will bolt through the transom. When underway,
the
four steps hinge up and can be fastened to the stern rail.



Well...I have to figure something out, even if it involves heavily
modifying
a boarding ladder. We're missing out on some good swimming opportunities.

On Tue, 02 Nov 2004 01:06:55 GMT, "K" wrote:

Hi. I'm looking to the experts (the boating experts, not the political
experts) for some technical help with a writing project I'm working on.
Say there's a small, open, no frills, 12 or 13 foot boat with an outboard
motor. In the boat are two adults and their ten year-old son. Assume that
the boat is sitting stationary in relatively calm waters (bay or harbor),
and that there's no water inside the boat. How likely is it that the three
of them might capsize it if they were to all simultaneously put a foot up on
the same side of the hull with most of their weight? Maybe they were all
reaching out for something. Would they flip the whole thing over and get
dumped in the water? Is that conceivable? Likely? Doubtful?
Any thoughts welcome.

Interesting question.

The answer that comes to mind is probably not. The instinctive
reaction to rolling a boat over is to lean away from the direction of
the tilt. However, it would be possible to fall out of the boat
without the boat flipping over due to instability. And, just for the
record, if they were all drunk, or fooling around, it probably could
be done, but just stepping on the gunwale it's unlikely.

I have a small '87 12 foot Starcraft that is very tippy and I'm a big
guy, but I've never even come close to rolling it over even being
stupid by leaning out of it to land a fish.

Later,

Tom

"Beware the one legged man in a butt
kicking contest - he is there for a
reason."

Wun Hung Lo - date unknown

Thanks to everyone for all of your replies. This is very good information.
It sounds like my little family will be spared the inconvenience of having
to try to right their boat, but I have a sneaking suspicion that one or two
of them will wind up taking an involuntary swim anyway. I'll have to work
on it.
Thanks again.
-Ken



"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 02 Nov 2004 01:06:55 GMT, "K" wrote:

Hi. I'm looking to the experts (the boating experts, not the political
experts) for some technical help with a writing project I'm working on.
Say there's a small, open, no frills, 12 or 13 foot boat with an outboard
motor. In the boat are two adults and their ten year-old son. Assume
that
the boat is sitting stationary in relatively calm waters (bay or harbor),
and that there's no water inside the boat. How likely is it that the
three
of them might capsize it if they were to all simultaneously put a foot up
on
the same side of the hull with most of their weight? Maybe they were
all
reaching out for something. Would they flip the whole thing over and
get
dumped in the water? Is that conceivable? Likely? Doubtful?
Any thoughts welcome.

Interesting question.

The answer that comes to mind is probably not. The instinctive
reaction to rolling a boat over is to lean away from the direction of
the tilt. However, it would be possible to fall out of the boat
without the boat flipping over due to instability. And, just for the
record, if they were all drunk, or fooling around, it probably could
be done, but just stepping on the gunwale it's unlikely.

I have a small '87 12 foot Starcraft that is very tippy and I'm a big
guy, but I've never even come close to rolling it over even being
stupid by leaning out of it to land a fish.

Later,

Tom

"Beware the one legged man in a butt
kicking contest - he is there for a
reason."

Wun Hung Lo - date unknown

Around 11/2/2004 12:45 PM, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Tue, 02 Nov 2004 01:06:55 GMT, "K" wrote:

How likely is it that the three
of them might capsize it if they were to all simultaneously put a foot up on
the same side of the hull with most of their weight? Maybe they were all
reaching out for something. Would they flip the whole thing over and get
dumped in the water? Is that conceivable? Likely? Doubtful?
Any thoughts welcome.


Interesting question.

The answer that comes to mind is probably not. The instinctive
reaction to rolling a boat over is to lean away from the direction of
the tilt. However, it would be possible to fall out of the boat
without the boat flipping over due to instability. And, just for the
record, if they were all drunk, or fooling around, it probably could
be done, but just stepping on the gunwale it's unlikely.

I agree. Unless they're trying really hard to flip the boat, they'd
probably just dip the gunwale under and at worst swamp themselves.


--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

K wrote:
: Hi. I'm looking to the experts (the boating experts, not the political
: experts) for some technical help with a writing project I'm working on.
: Say there's a small, open, no frills, 12 or 13 foot boat with an outboard
: motor. In the boat are two adults and their ten year-old son. Assume that
: the boat is sitting stationary in relatively calm waters (bay or harbor),
: and that there's no water inside the boat. How likely is it that the three
: of them might capsize it if they were to all simultaneously put a foot up on
: the same side of the hull with most of their weight? Maybe they were all
: reaching out for something. Would they flip the whole thing over and get
: dumped in the water? Is that conceivable? Likely? Doubtful?
: Any thoughts welcome.
: Thanks...
: -Ken

Been around boats for 45 years. Owned some small ones.

I'd say "likely". Especially if it were a light weight aluminum hull.
They'd get rather "tippy" with this relatively heavy load and I'd
guess if it had little freeboard, that one side would take on water. Once
that starts happening, it's an additive effect and the boat would more
likely swamp from the side rather than turn over 180 degrees.

b.

"Garth Almgren" wrote in message
...
Around 11/2/2004 12:45 PM, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Tue, 02 Nov 2004 01:06:55 GMT, "K" wrote:

How likely is it that the three
of them might capsize it if they were to all simultaneously put a foot
up on
the same side of the hull with most of their weight? Maybe they were
all
reaching out for something. Would they flip the whole thing over and
get
dumped in the water? Is that conceivable? Likely? Doubtful?
Any thoughts welcome.


Interesting question.

The answer that comes to mind is probably not. The instinctive
reaction to rolling a boat over is to lean away from the direction of
the tilt. However, it would be possible to fall out of the boat
without the boat flipping over due to instability. And, just for the
record, if they were all drunk, or fooling around, it probably could
be done, but just stepping on the gunwale it's unlikely.

I agree. Unless they're trying really hard to flip the boat, they'd
probably just dip the gunwale under and at worst swamp themselves.

No matter what happened, it would be the husband's fault.