older contender question

[Gringo]

We were out diving for conch yesterday, and anchored the 1994 Contender 25 in an area where there are coral heads that come to within a few feet of the surface at low tide. So I tilted the Yamaha full up, and we put on our flippers and faceplates and hopped in the ocean.

When it was time to climb out of the water, it got a little tricky. This year Contender has the outboard mounted on an extended aluminum motor mount that serves nicely as a back porch. But it's a couple inches out of the water, and with the outboard up, there was really no elegant, or easy way to get back into the boat. At least with the motor down there are some toe holds ...

SO, recognizing a potential source of injury and since we spend a lot of time in the water, we bought one of these stainless, three step, telescoping boarding ladders.



So, I will be drilling four mounting holes straight down ( or possibly straight in on the horizontal) somewhere in that aluminum bracket.

My experiences in bolting three different metals together in one spot (aluminum mount, stainless bracket, stainless hardware but different steel than the bracket) anywhere near the ocean is asking for trouble. And in this scenario, I would expect the holes in the aluminum motor bracket to be the losers.

Have any of you guys done something like this? did you physically and electrically isolate the steel swim platform from the aluminum motor shelf? Could get pretty creative with spacers, insulators etc. but is it worth the effort?

[GALAZIO]

Gringo see if you can find an Armstrong Dive ladder (center support with steps coming off. It slides into a small bracket and is strong and secure has all get out. I'll look for a pic.

Ran a quick search... here the first one that came up. It looks like this, but mine has a small bracket mounted way above water line that the ladder slides into and has a locking collar. If it can hold me in my dive gear, you are more than fine getting a secure foothold. Be sure to lock it in place... the ladder floats and will come out of the bracket if you do not lock it in (don't ask how I know). Slide the ladder out, store it and you're off.

I give the ladder 3 thumbs up out of three.

http://www.tackletogo.com/ladders.html

[Deep C]

Did it on an old Dusky I had but put it on the hull. Did not put it on the bracket. Had no desires poking holes in something I knew nothing about. It was nice. Could use the bracket as a shelf as we got back aboard...

[gtrfred]

I have an older model sea vee that has a similar dive ladder bolted through the bracket. its a stainless marine bracket. the hull and bracket are over 10 yrs old and i dont see any issues with corrosion. i would definitely mount it to the top of the bracket so when stored it flips up out of the water.

i dont think anything was used in between. I have used duct tape on the back of galvanized brackets when bolting them onto an aluminum trailer. maybe you could do something similar here and use teflon washers on the underside between the nut and the bracket or stainless washer.

[Gringo]

Galazio, we had an Armstrong on the Andros for a year and a half. The bracket is still on it, in fact. The ladder went where a lot of Hurricane Hannah's results went. A mystery.

BUT as far as I know, the Armstrong mounts all are designed to be mounted to a vertical surface, like the transom. I am looking at mounting to a horizontal surface, the motor platform.

Also, the armstrongs swing basically 180 degrees, give or take. From pointing up to pointing down.

I need something that swings through 270 degrees, from face down horizontal on the platform, to swinging all the way over to hang straight down over the lip of the platform.

I can't see an Armstrong in that location, unless they have some kind of horizontal setup I haven't yet seen.

(Edited ten minutes later)

yep, I found it. They DO make a platform mount for that ladder. In fact, they even make the same kind of bracket that is on the Contender.

BUT we have already bought the three step ladder, and I am thinking I want to use it instead of an Armstrong. Which would cost us $ 500 down here, anyhow.

I did like the Armstrong, but it was a pain to store on the little panga. Lots more storage on the Contender, of course, but still, if this folding one will do the job it's good enough.

We always take our fins off in the water, anyhow. Never climb aboard with them.

[gottaflylee]

Just a thought for the latter you now have. On the transom of the boat, mount a 2by or 4by treated and then mount the ladder to that...

[Flatdog]

cheaper alternate hook pool ladder bit of protection on the transom might be easier to find

[Flatdog]

or better yet knock up out of drift wood a rope ladder eg
http://www.giftedoriginals.co.uk/Out...FaYA4wodeU3IpA
just for an idea obviously not that long you could set it up over 2 cleats take no space at all

[Gringo]

no no no....you don't unnerstan...

I already PAID an outrageous price for this telescoping stainless steel ladder.

The transom of the boat looks like this, EXCEPT ( now use your imagination) it only has one big outboard, and no transome/tuna door. But the bracket is kinda like this one:



I am pretty sure the bracket is marine grade aluminum. I am also worried that if I just drill four holes and bolt a stainless steel bracket to it, that it's going to get eaten away.

That was kinda the question.
I think.

[gottaflylee]

Ok, think about this, your motor is bolted on with stainless bolts...motor is aluminum as is your bracket. If you are that worried about it, plastic sleeve the bolts and nylon pad the washers and apply 5200 to all when you install the ladder...