Boarding swim platform for our cats transom

[Fatenhappy]

My wife has trouble boarding our cat from our inflatable.

The problem is that she's not well coordinated and the existing two small areas for boarding are a challenge to anyone, much less her. She's good company and my mate, so I want to try to improve that area of the boat with a large "swim platform" type arrangement when we bring LR in for a makeover shortly.

My thought for quite some time has been to possibly have something even retractable so as not to interfer with the normal functionality around the transom.

I have been trying to get ideas all over for quite some time now and or find anyone that makes swim platforms .... rare as rocking horse poo apparently.

Anyone got any good leads on design or know of anyone that would do a good job without making the cat look like a "dog" ha ha ha !!

Cheers
Greg

[dfox]

Greg, rather then build something out of glass, id look at getting something made using plate alloy and powder coat it. Perhaps a platform with a fold down ladder arrangement of some type... foxy

[Fatenhappy]

Thanks foxy ..

Yep, you are on the money !! By no means is it set in "concrete" that it has to be made from any specific material ... I am open to options.

I've thought about glass .... probably (not necessarily) going to be quite expensive, as well as powder coating alloy etc ...

I'm open to all suggestions

Cheers
Greg

[deadbeatloser]

what about a ss ladder of some sort , pm sid fishes ian lives down your way he will be able to help you in some way or know someone they say he does grouse work:P

don

ps ; boat show food for thought (sanctuary cove?)

[Fatenhappy]

Hey Don ...

Without being at all disparaging to my cheese and kisses, but particularly because she is so inclined, I really need more of a boarding platform than just a ladder.

I have thought of fibreglass, or perhaps marine grade ally thats been powder coated or maybe something in timber or/and any combination of the above.

What ever it has to be functional without making LR look like a dinosour

Cheers
Greg

[youngfisho]

greg

a full marlin board over the back would/could look nice! And im sure you could find someone that makes them for a 2.5m beamed boat.

andrew

[youngfisho]

greg,

with only a quick google i found this company. In Church Point NSW.

http://www.midko.com.au/marlin.htm

that make custom marlin boards for boats, they have pre fabricated moulds of various lengths and designs. here is a pic to give you an idea.


19132

Andrew

[Noelm]

or you could just make one out of some Marine type timber and then varnish/stain, it will then probably look a bit less "add on" then maybe.

[disorderly]

or you could just make one out of some Marine type timber and then varnish/stain, it will then probably look a bit less "add on" then maybe.

If you used some type of varnished decking then it could actually look like a bit of a feature and with a minimum of tools you could do much of the construction yourself.

[Fatenhappy]

Afternoon Andrew and very impressed with the link.

No BS .... I have spent a lot of time trying to find what you have here, and so a special thanks. I had been looking under all types of search engine/URL with no to lousy results.

Just goes to show many heads are better than one.

Beside this, I have shot off an email querying their product and what is available for LR, so now it's as usual, sit back and wait.

Cheers again
Greg

[Fatenhappy]

Hey Noelm and Disorderly ... I am most definitely hearing what you are saying ....

I have been fortunate enough to have a few different trades in my life one of them believe it or not was a chippy.

Quite a bit of the original fittment to LR internally is in timber to the cab/helm area. My "plan" at this point in time is to take all (what ever I can) out, sand it down and then oil it rather than staining it.

That being the case and if I could make a suitable marilin board/swim platform that didn't weigh a ton, to possibly do the same for there.

As with everything else regard LR's revamp, I'm just trying to get definite direction so it (what ever it finishes up being) is slotted in

Cheers
Greg

[on-one]

I've got teak trim in the cockpit of my boat which I stripped and refinished 18 months ago and it already needs refinishing. I'd be inclined to leave the timber in the cabin out of the sun and try to do something in fiberglass and/or stainless, (like the back of kingtin's boat) as it'll be left out in the open.

[ziggy.]

Hi Greg, I am a bit out of touch with who may do this sort of work brisbane area but I recently had my cat changed from sterndrive to twin outboards on pods, the work was done at Moolloolaba and a company called Aquateck built the pods from alloy and the end result was very pleasing.

My boat is the same as yours 24ft, I think you could make a fantastic rear platform that runs the width of the transom maybe with an elevated area over the leg, once in place I think you may be surprised how useful it would be and even having it fixed would probably only improve the appearance of the boat.
Just my thoughts, hope this helps .

[Fatenhappy]

Good'ay on-one and ziggy ....

I do realize what you are saying re the weather effecting timber left outside. All you have to do is look at it when left to the elements for 12 months .... it greys off and looks like S***.

Bottom line, if I were go down this road it externally, it would have to be reworked regularly and I am talking every 3 to 4 months.... (intenally perhaps only every 6 months or so)

for Ziggy ... The previous boat had a full length platform which was incredibly usefull. Everything from fishing, to comming aboard, to stowing the Aux O/B whilst under way, to just sitting out there having a bevvi (or 2) and watching the waves go bye ... and worth every penny. Hence again, part of the drive to regain the same and make the whole experience enjoyable as well for the better half.

How good does it get, she reads a book and I like fishing !!!

Got to be happy with that .... LOL

Cheers
Greg

[wadeo]

gday LR what about a door in the side of the cat? with a lift out step.
regards Wadeo

[kingtin]

Had this made up for the same reason that you state. It also leads to more fishing area.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/marlinboardrear.jpg

[Fatenhappy]

like the clean lines of the rig Kev, nothing to ostentatious ... where did you have that done, I'm guessing via North Side Marine ?

Cheers
Greg

[kingtin]

like the clean lines of the rig Kev, nothing to ostentatious ... where did you have that done, I'm guessing via North Side Marine ?

Cheers
Greg

You're right Greg. They cut off the original boarding ladder and used it for a dual purpose gate via lift-up ladder. The bait board originally clamped onto the ski pole so they removed the clamp and welded the remainder onto the railings. It was done as out-sourced work. I think the guy operates out of clontarf.

kev

[Fatenhappy]

Thanks Kev ...

As I said previously, nice job. The source for the work just tweeked when you own a Whittley and you also live on the northern side of Brissy.

Previously we had owned a 660 Whittley. At that time we also had additional stainless work done also via a boat place (which I will not name) on the north side of Brissy .....

I was happy enough with their final job but I believed the final bill was a bit ballistic. Don't get me wrong I am more than happy to pay for quality work and expertise, I just don't feel I need to contribute to all their staffs superannuation fund all at once as well.

I'll take your lead I think and try to source the same stainless place as you suggest around the Clontaff area... See if they do "private" work and if they will give me a quote ....

Cheers
Greg

[deadbeatloser]

Had this made up for the same reason that you state. It also leads to more fishing area.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/marlinboardrear.jpg

this looks like a wicked idea greg and as kingpin says it give you that extra platform to fish off
beers
don

[Fatenhappy]

Right on Don .... and it doesn't look like like crap either.

I have seen quite a few variations along these lines on the different Whittleys that didn't come standard with marlin board/swim platforms !!!

Cheers
Greg

[kingtin]

Right on Don .... and it doesn't look like like crap either.

I have seen quite a few variations along these lines on the different Whittleys that didn't come standard with marlin board/swim platforms !!!

Cheers
Greg

You're spot on Greg.........the price was ballistic but stainless doesn't come cheap and they had to move the electrics out of the way to cut into the transom fro the supports, and then the dealer wants his cut as well. Better try and source it privately........I believe he's in yellow pages.

Personally, I wouldn't have paid that money, but it's a funny (peculiar) story. The deckie had saved for years to have laser surgery on her eyes as the contact lenses were giving her gyp. When she finally saved enough, it was too late...........her cornea was too mis-shapen for surgery. She was broken-hearted but decided to make the best of the money saved and invest in the marlin board. She was sick to death of me telling her to, "piss off out of the way", when a fish ran up the side of the boat and I followed, and she was sun baking on the cabin roof ::)..............she would have the board all to herself to bake..........or so she thought. The slightest swell and it takes wash ::) You need to carpet it to prevent going arse over tip as it gets pretty slippy.

You can see here that early in this video the gate/ladder is up, whilst playing the fish, and then how much easier it is to drag a big 'un through the open gate with the gaff, rather than lift it...even though I missed the gaff shot 4 times and lost my glasses overboard::) You can also see that there's plenty of room and strength to support the deckie and a fat bastard like me ;D Well worth the money, especially considering that it was the deckie's money and not mine ;D

Towards the end you will see that it also pays to wear a gimbal if you want to keep your nuts ;D

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=109590&highlight=bitten

kev

[cormorant]

Hi

I have had similar issues on several boats .

The cheapest option we came up with was the stainless fittings that physically attach your dinght to the marlin board so they don't move about when people are moving on and off. They are the same ones that come as a kit that allow you to tilt /pivot the dinghy up on its side out the back so you don't have it in the cockpit.

The extra confidence it gave was amazing and even I got use to it and thought they were great. The fitting on the marlin board and the dinghy clip in automatically and don't release till you pull the pin. You would need to lock your existing board down with a solid support for it to work well.

The other thing I used ( father after several knee and back operations ) was extra heavy duty handles / grab rails as they gave him confidence to stand up and "walk" out of the dinghy. They were hinged off the existing transon rails and locked into place but folded back when not in use. Sorry I don't have photos and someone here will know the name of the dibnghy pivots .

We also put some very coarse grip on the marlin board as people unfamiliar with the boat or wrong shoes woul be scared of slipping.

Regardless of how big or solid the marlin board is it always seemed to me it was the handholds and the rails that allowed dad to step onto the boat in one motion smoothly and have the confidence to do so as the RIB was so low in the water

Next time your out see where your partners natural "grab point" is and knock up a quick wooden one and see if it will give her the confidence and leverage to step aboard. Then just get it manufactured from stainless

Not what you asked for but having been through the same think I soon worled out that swim platforms are exactly that and great from water but still a pain from a dinghty
.

[Lovey80]

That video is gold kev! Did it actually get any skin or just the shorts? I thought there would have been a "Kev's Top Tip" with that one. Were you out there chasing sharks or just your luck?

Cheers Chris.

P.S. Love the platform.

[Fatenhappy]

Hey Kev ... had to laugh re the missus gettiing her eyes done. That's an excellant result in investing in the boat instead ....

Got to love and look after her, she's got her priorities right !!!

Cheers
Greg

[Fatenhappy]

Gooday Cormorant ....

I do know exactly what you are talking about as I was involved with that type of bracket in the past with dingys.

The cheese and kisses dosen't have any problem with motion per say just an bit uncoed. That's probably hard to understand.

Food dor thought in any case ....

Cheers
Greg

[cormorant]

Gives her a stable platform so she can get a grip on a decent rail as it acts like a hinge between dinghy and marlin board . Without the movement it was just like stepping up a big gutter for my Dad. Handrails and a marlin board that locked in place made all the difference.


edit

Just searched and found the manufacturers- not sure who distrubutes them in Australia now but www.pacifichonda.com.au (http://www.pacifichonda.com.au) were selling them at the boat show.

http://www.weaverindustries.com/

Look at the PDf brochure as it has decent picture page 2

http://www.weaverindustries.com/docs/75707_Weaver_book_rp.pdf

[snappa]

maybe install a post/winch and buy a body belt .....

[kingtin]

That video is gold kev! Did it actually get any skin or just the shorts? I thought there would have been a "Kev's Top Tip" with that one. Were you out there chasing sharks or just your luck?

Cheers Chris.

P.S. Love the platform.

Hi Chris.

Mate, if the reefies are quiet we always come inside Moreton to our shark spot, just to give the kids some excitement. I thought that bugger was a gummy when I picked it up but it turned out to be a blind shark hence the bite::) It took a perfect circle of material out of my shorts, right where my knackers would have been if they hadn't been hanging halfway down my arse......a lucky near miss! ;D

A top tip just for fatties like me: ;D

FATTIES. Avoid your torso being surreptitiously filmed and used in a channel 7 news report about Australia's obesity problem, by always wearing a T-shirt with 'All Newsreaders are pricks' written on it.

kev

[Lovey80]

Now thats more like it! Ausfish is back to normal.

Cheers Chris

[Fatenhappy]

Hey Snappa ..

The cheese and kisses read your comment here and recons your a smart ass ... LOL

She just asked what's LOL, so I explained "Lots of laughs", she said she thought it was "Lots of love" so I told her to p--- Off .... OK?

Cheers
Greg

[kingtin]

Hey Snappa ..

The cheese and kisses read your comment here and recons your a smart ass ... LOL

She just asked what's LOL, so I explained "Lots of laughs", she said she thought it was "Lots of love" so I told her to p--- Off .... OK?

Cheers
Greg

It's "laugh out loud" Greg............I've gotta take the lad to piano lessons now so re your pm..........I'll call you about 7.15 ok?

kev