Tried climbing in your dinghy from the water?

[Cotemar]

Swimming is a must, but back to reality
There are a lot of cruisers out there that cannot swim
Sounds crazy right. Next cruisers party you go to after a few drinks ask aloud who cannot swim. You will have owl eyes of amazement.
I always thought it was a given to be a good swimmer and cruiser. NOT.
I worked on a lobster boat in my teens and my captain said he did not know how to swim. Are you kidding me, you’re on a boat every day. No I do not know how to swim ________

[Richard_W]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Sounds kind of silly, but at anchor I can climb in up the anchor chain pretty easily. I learned this in the Bahamas after leaping into the water one afternoon and nearly landing on a 10-foot long shark.

I wish I could see that ... I know it was not funny when this happened.

Another precaution I take when single handed and going into the water while boat is on anchor, or drifting ... I float a fender nearby tied to the 30-50' line fastened to the boat. If wind changes, or something happens, it gives me a 30-50' handicap over the boat when racing it or the dinghy.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

If you want something to try, practice climbing back into your boat without the swim ladder down. We sail with dinghy davits so there is no way to get aboard over the stern, and I sail alone at times. I'd like to know if I ever go over, and am able to get back to the boat, that I can get back on. Hard but it is possible. Getting into the dinghy when it is in the water is just grabbing on and kicking. In you go.

Our transom is fairly low to the water and despite minimal upper body strength I have no problems getting on board without a ladder. Just build a little momentum by moving up and down in the water a few times and heave. Same technique works in the dinghy. Arp, arp .

[svmariane]

Originally Posted by boatsail

use your rope with knots tied every foot or so....tie it to the starboard side of the dinghy.....make sure it is long enough to go over the port side of the dinghy and into the water...now you can use this hand over hand to pull yourself past that darn sticking point of the rail at the top...

+! This is almost our method with our Carib 8' RIB.
Well, my method, anyway, as my wife is younger, more slender...

We actually use a chunk of line that has loops tied every appprox 12 inches, that way we can also use our feet for climbing. And putting a wrist through a loop offsets a grip weakened by injury.

Tie one end mid-ships, stuff the remainder in the pouch under the seat. Low-cost, light weight, and not prone to theft.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

This may be a better option for your fiberglass dink.

out-of-stock Stainless Steel Swim Ladders 4 Step - Telescoping

Cotemar--This is the telescoping ladder we have albeit a 3 rather than 4 step version. One can replace the bolts through the brackets with push-botton fast pins and make the thing removable. And, a small length of rubber fendering attached near the bottom edge of the transom makes a convenient stand-off for the ladder to rest against.

I used to do the chin-up and over the pontoon side routine until I was injured in an accident in 2004 that nearly cost me my left arm. I still have ithe arm, and it works more-or-less, but I no longer can do many of the things I did routinely before. The ladder is a big help and it makes life easier for my (much) better half.

Frankly, I don't understand why there is such discussion and mucho posturing by some about an effective means of dealing with an issue/danger raised in a cautionary note (Post #1). FWIW I have seen more than one person that thought they could make it back into a dinghy, or up and onto their boat after a spontaneous dive over the side, that discovered they could not and to a one they were pretty damned happy we rowed or motored over to them and gave them a lift.

FWIW...

[Bash]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Frankly, I don't understand why there is such discussion and mucho posturing by some about an effective means of dealing with an issue/danger raised in a cautionary note (Post #1).

It seems that 90% of the macho posturing is coming from a single source in this thread.

In a more rational discussion we might be aware that some inflatables are more difficult to enter from the water than others. I note that Caribe inflatables cover a spectrum from 16" diameter tubes to 23" diameter tubes, the latter of which are substantially more difficult to climb from the water than the former.

Let's at least consider the possibility that the OP's difficulty exiting the water may have resulted from him owning a nicer RIB than the Arp Arp contingent can afford.

[lockie]

Flippers do help, as does upper-body strength. But as with all boat issues, it's crucial to consider worst-case scenarios. So even if you're built like the Incredible Hulk, the time will come when you might lose your flippers and/or be tired, so a permanently fixed ladder or similar sounds like a must-have. And let's face it, most yachties are slightly (or greatly) older folks.

Sure was a nice long hots pell wasn't it? Maybe not good climate-wise but I lapped it up. Made it a pleasure to jump in the water and clean "the other woman's" bottom.

lockie

[nimblemotors]

just FYI, my strong 18yr old son has mucho trouble climbing up on the towable we use behind my powerboat, and my lady almost can't do it at all, we pull it up to the boat so she can jump on. It really isn't a joke to have trouble climbing aboard:

queue the dramatic music. thump thump thump..

open water 2-adrift trailer.mp4 - YouTube

[LakeSuperior]

One of my favorite movies. The one I liked even better was the first one, "Open Water".

[ArtM]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

just FYI, my strong 18yr old son has mucho trouble climbing up on the towable we use behind my powerboat, and my lady almost can't do it at all, we pull it up to the boat so she can jump on. It really isn't a joke to have trouble climbing aboard:

queue the dramatic music. thump thump thump..

*sigh* just one more way monohulls kill people

[Teeto]

Flippers are fine if you have them on, but our RIB is not accessible to me from the water without them. So we love our little stainless dingy ladder. Before we hear any more ARP baloney please consider we are dealing with multiple titanium joint replacements and severe shoulder restrictions in our sailing life. Little costs like a ladder make all the difference.

[sww914]

It appears that I may have offended some of you with less well developed senses of humor. I was making fun of myself, not mocking any of you.
If you saw me climb into the dinghy, you'd make fun of me too.
Maybe have a beer and relax and reflect on some good times?
It's almost the weekend, do something fun.
ARP!

[deckofficer]

I think my old, overweight bod would like the Takacat. This modern cat dinghy can plane with a 3 hp motor.
http://youtu.be/YVL7s83XXBw

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

Slithering into the dingy is all good until it’s not.
Yes. Flippers do help, but you need upper body strength. Some dingy’s have larger tubes which make getting aboard even with flippers impossible.
Your 1st mate still has to get in the dingy and you can help her, but in the end isn’t it just easier to add a $100 dingy ladder to your $3000 dingy and get aboard just like you would get on the mother ship.

Yes, it's not for everybody, but a perfect solution for most.

Good set of Fins will do the trick with some practise.

Flippers fins are the terminology used by divers

Flipper (1963 film), a film about a bottlenose dolphin named Flipper, starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin
Flipper's New Adventure, a 1964 sequel film starring Luke Halpin and Pamela Franklin
Flipper (1964 TV series), an adaptation of the 1963 film which originally ran from 1964 to 1967
Flipper (1995 TV series), a revival of the 1964 series which ran from 1995 to 2000
Flipper (1996 film), a remake of the 1963 film starring Paul Hogan and Elijah Wood
Flipper and Lopaka, a 1999 Australian animated television series, with additional stories made in 2005
Flipper, a fictional dolphin in various films including the 1996 film Flipper starring Paul Hogan and Elijah Wood
[edit]Games and sports

Flipper, the name of the ATi-produced Graphics Processing Unit chip used in the Nintendo GameCube videogame console
flipper (cricket), a type of delivery bowled by a wrist spin bowler
flipper (pinball), a part of a pinball machine used to strike the ball
another term for a scuba diver's swimfin
[edit]Music

Die Flippers, a German Schlager group
Flipper (band), a punk band from San Francisco, California
[edit]People

Henry Ossian Flipper (1856–1940), the first African-American cadet to graduate from West Point
Flipper Anderson, former National Football League wide receiver
nickname of American mobster Carmen Milano
nickname of Brazilian water polo player Leandro Ruiz Machado
Flipper (mascot), Miami Dolphins mascot from 1966 to 1968
[edit]Other uses

flipper (anatomy), a limb on some animals
flipper (robot combat), a device used to flip over opposing robots
Operation Flipper, a British World War II commando raid with the goal of assassinating Erwin Rommel
a slang term for a temporary removable partial denture
a speculator who engages in flipping (buying and selling quickly)
another word for a television remote control

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

Swimming is a must, but back to reality
There are a lot of cruisers out there that cannot swim
Sounds crazy right. Next cruisers party you go to after a few drinks ask aloud who cannot swim. You will have owl eyes of amazement.
I always thought it was a given to be a good swimmer and cruiser. NOT.
I worked on a lobster boat in my teens and my captain said he did not know how to swim. Are you kidding me, you’re on a boat every day. No I do not know how to swim ________

Yikes, main reason to have a boat is so there is something between me and the water; swimming is for the boatless!