What is the weight rating on the standard stern ladder on the swim platform?
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GW stern ladder weight rating? 2021, 235 Freedom
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Mustang65fbk
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I looked up the owners manual for your boat and it didn't give the rating for the ladder, though on my boat I've boarded it several times with the ladder and at almost 300 lbs I've never had any issues before. My uncle has also climbed into the boat a few times using the ladder of which he's also almost 300 lbs and neither of us has had any issue. A bit of an apples to oranges comparison definitely, but even the cheap a$$ ladders being sold on Amazon have a rating of 400-900+ lbs, so I'd have to imagine it's probably safe up to at least 400-500 lbs? Not that I'd ever want to test that weight rating by putting 900 lbs of weight on one of those cheap Amazon ladders, but yeah.
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Thank you. GW confirmed for me that the rating on the ladders they supply is 400 pounds. They say this is a rule according to an ABYC requirement. The American Boat & Yacht Council. I did not know about them and their standards until today. Here's their site if you'd like to know more about them: https://abycinc.org/page/About
Mustang65fbk
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No worries. I figured it had to be at least 400+ lbs as fishermen and boaters aren't typically what one might called small framed in any sort of way
I don't think its just fisherman that are beyond small-framed. Its Americans. When I went to Europe I could always tell whether the tour bus was filled with Americans or not. Obesity goes hand in hand with sugar consumption. The US is tops in the world. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-sugar-consuming-nations-in-the-world.htmlNo worries. I figured it had to be at least 400+ lbs as fishermen and boaters aren't typically what one might called small framed in any sort of way
Mustang65fbk
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I'm curious about applications here.
If a swim ladder is rated at 400 lbs, and it's obvious function is to provide a means of entry into the boat, is the expected scenario in the water or with the boat on a trailer or stanchions in a Yard?
When a person climbs into a boat while it's in the water, the water provides buoyancy and "give" as the weight of the person sinks the boat slightly below the surface when he/she puts weight on the ladder. The ladder and the bolts holding it to the swim platform do NOT have to support the ENTIRE weight of the person boarding because of the forgiveness of the water.
When the boat is on a trailer or blocks or whatever, the hull is rigid and there is no "Give" as I described above. The entire weight of the boarder has to be supported by the ladder and the mounting hardware.
This is why I never use the swim ladder to board my Grady when it's on land. I always use a stepladder.
So is this 400 lb rating in the water or land-based? Maybe there is no answer, but I would guess it's an in-the-water application as it's a "Swim Ladder."
If a swim ladder is rated at 400 lbs, and it's obvious function is to provide a means of entry into the boat, is the expected scenario in the water or with the boat on a trailer or stanchions in a Yard?
When a person climbs into a boat while it's in the water, the water provides buoyancy and "give" as the weight of the person sinks the boat slightly below the surface when he/she puts weight on the ladder. The ladder and the bolts holding it to the swim platform do NOT have to support the ENTIRE weight of the person boarding because of the forgiveness of the water.
When the boat is on a trailer or blocks or whatever, the hull is rigid and there is no "Give" as I described above. The entire weight of the boarder has to be supported by the ladder and the mounting hardware.
This is why I never use the swim ladder to board my Grady when it's on land. I always use a stepladder.
So is this 400 lb rating in the water or land-based? Maybe there is no answer, but I would guess it's an in-the-water application as it's a "Swim Ladder."
Mustang65fbk
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I try to use mine as little as possible on land and fortunately have never had a "man overboard" situation to where I've had to experience it while in the water. Though, when I first bought my boat I did test it out on land to make sure that it worked and that it would support my weight, of which it did so without any issues. I'm assuming this must be an "on land" type of rating because as you mentioned, boarding the boat with the ladder on the land is definitely going to be less forgiving than doing so in the water. I'd have to imagine they'd use the rating that will work either way, so that someone couldn't file a warranty claim because they were climbing up the ladder on land with over 400 lbs of weight and the ladder snapped or broke. I typically always just climb over the side of my boat when it's on land and on the trailer, though my boat is much narrower than yours and I can stand on the trailer fenders just fine and without any issues.
I use my ladder on land all the time. The rating is for the dead weight. If it were rated to account for the buoyancy there would be two ratings, one for salt water and one for fresh
Also note they you weigh more wet than dry!
All that aside, the ladders themselves are what is rated and not exactly the boat and ladder as a unit. In a test jig, in a test lab, the ladder may hold 400 pounds but in the real word mounted with screws to the hull, maybe 400 is pushing it. I know that if I weighed 400 pounds, I would be concerned by both in water and on land use. Also be aware that the majority of step ladders you might own are not rated for 400 pounds.
Also note they you weigh more wet than dry!
All that aside, the ladders themselves are what is rated and not exactly the boat and ladder as a unit. In a test jig, in a test lab, the ladder may hold 400 pounds but in the real word mounted with screws to the hull, maybe 400 is pushing it. I know that if I weighed 400 pounds, I would be concerned by both in water and on land use. Also be aware that the majority of step ladders you might own are not rated for 400 pounds.
Mustang65fbk
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Hence the reason why I made sure that the combination style ladder that I purchased was rated up to 300 lbs as I probably weigh 265 lbs or so and definitely a few pounds over the typical 250 lb ladder rating...
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On land or in water makes no difference. THE rating is 400 # of force exerted downward on the ladder and this includes the strength of the design of however its secured to the boat. If a boat designer failed to use adequate blocking under the ladder's bolts, under the swim platform, then the 400# ladder rating would no longer be the rating of the overall ladder and it's complete installation. Whether the boat sinks down in the water or not or whether the boat is on a trailer or not, is not relevant for such a rating. It's true that while your body is still in or partially in the water the force on the ladder will be much, much less but the rating is a worst case rating. That is, the downward force on the ladder maximum is 400 pounds. The human body is roughly the same weight per unit volume as salt or fresh water so while your body is in the water the weight applied to the ladder is nearly zero. As the person climbs up the ladder that weight pressing on the ladder increases to the "weight" of the person once he is fully out of the water.
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I agree but physical dexterity is not what the rating is based on. I have thought about taking larger people out on the boat and decided it would be best to discourage them from getting out of the boat. Even if the ladder is rated for 400 and a man may be a little under that, who is to say that it was originally secured to the boat completely perfectly? What if there has been some rot of the wood frame or a screw became stripped? So what happens if the big guy is on the ladder and it does break? He could easily be hurt quite badly. Now let's say he's just bleeding and in some pain but he can climb the ladder that is no longer usable? How am I going to actually help get him into the boat? Think about the dynamics of this. What if he was severely hurt and you and or whoever have to lift him into the boat or even onto the swim platform? You and all your help are standing in 1 foot to 4 feet of water and you have to lift a large man up onto the platform? Hmmm. What if you are just anchored in deep water? How in the world would 10 people lift a man onto the platform when you have no place to stand? You're all just swimming in water. You can't lift much.
Mustang65fbk
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Depends... are we're talking about The Mountain from Game of Thrones who used to do World's Strongest Man competitions and weighed over 400 lbs, or the stereotypical 400 lb person that we generally all think about that can't hardly get up off the couch? If the former, then he could do all of that and more, if the latter... pun intended, then I'd say quite doubtful.
Ekea
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not shaming, just facts. id bet 99% of people 350-400 pounds do not have the combined strength and balance to climb a swim ladder. to not consider this as a captain is irresponsible.
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these are good questions. often the best approach here would be to run a dock line from your stern cleat to the mid-ship cleat that can be used as a ladder rung. you could add additional lines as needed to make multiple rungs at different heights. not the easiest, but definitely a feasible option