LM30 ladder extension

[baldrick1]

Hello I would like to extend my original ladder as it doesn't sit low enough in the water . Has anyone managed to add on an extension to the existing fold-up ladder.
Thank you
Paul
Trenta , based in Weymouth

[Sula]

I've often pondered the issue, as the original (like most) doesn't go far enough into the water when unfolded to make it easy to get out of the water, especially if one is fully clothed following a fall, dinghy capsize or whatever.

All the options I am aware of involve some sort of compromises in safety, aesthetics and cost.

One can buy various sized ladders new, but one would need to make new 'feet, and perhaps more of the frame, to fit it onto an LM's curved stern.

It's important that any such ladder can be released and deployed from in the water. If one finds oneself in the water by accident, you don't want to be looking up at some release mechanism out of your reach.

It occurs to me -
- One can attach an additional rung or two on rope attached to the existing lowest rung. This will swing under the ladder and boat when you try to use it, so far from ideal, but could potentially be a lifesaver.
- The next easiest to achieve would to make a longer replacement of the folding part of the original. This would project above the deck when folded up, but some could live with that.  One would likely need some stronger arrangement than the LM original to hold it in the folded position but allow it to be released from the water.
- One could make a new folding part replacement which itself folds again (making the complete ladder into three parts). In order to have the folds limited and oriented in the correct directions, the lowest part would (from the deployed position) fold up, then the middle part fold up next. Thus the outermost part when folded would be the middle part of the extended ladder. Again, one would likely need some stronger arrangement than the LM original to hold it in the folded position but allow it to be released from the water.
- I have wondered about various sliding mechanisms for adding additional rungs, or for bracing additional rungs provided some other way in order to maintain them in line with the existing when deployed, but haven't thought of anything that would be be both practical and either easy (or reasonably priced) to make.

One or two people on this forum have added bathing platforms to the stern of LMs. (If I remember correctly there is a photo of one from 2 or 3 years ago somewhere on the forum.) Not my cup of tea, but this would allow the use of ladder which folds ono that platform.

Good luck with your project. Let us know how you get on.

[Baldrick123]

Thank you . There doesn't seem to be an easy solution . I did investigate the bathing platform but I'm not sure I want to drill more holes in the boat and from what I have established ( from one or two LM owners ) when your you're sailing or motoring at speed ! the ladder then goes underwater...

[baldrick1]

Hi after looking a number of potential ideas none of them suitable I went to a metal fabricator in Portland Dorset . They have suggested the if I take the ladder off they will cut the last bit of the extension and then add a two / poss three rung extension. Little be in marine stainless and welded on. Babe suggested the figure circa £150 . I'm not going to go through it at the moment as I don't have time before the boat goes back in the water but I'll think about it.
Regards