2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
Rockitboats
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2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby Rockitboats » Tue Jun 30, 2020 1:51 pm

I have purchased a three-step boarding ladder from Garelick to install on the port transom. I understand that there is a piece of 3/8 phenolic measuring 5 x12-inches in that location.

Tell my about your experience in mounting a swim ladder in this location WITHOUT using through bolting.

What size hardware should be used use?

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AuxHoo
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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby AuxHoo » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:49 pm

I don't have an answer for you, but I am very interested in hearing others' opinions.

I bought a four-step Garelick ladder to mount on my Montauk. I am undecided on the mounting method because of the engine splash well, and also undecided whether to use screw fasteners or through-bolted fasteners.
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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby jimh » Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:22 pm

Phenolic sheet at 0.375-inch thickness can be tapped for a machine screw fastener.

Typically the downward force on the ladder will be a shear force on the fasteners. The shear strength of stainless steel is extremely high. I would not worry about stainless steel machine screws shearing off.

The concern is most for some force trying to pull the machine screws out of the threaded phenolic sheet.

I do not have any data about the failure load on a machine screw, say a 10-32 thread, in 0.375-inch thick phenolic sheet. Much depends on the phenolic material, which is typically characterized with a series of “G” numbers, like G8 or G10. If you know the actual material its properties can be research to get a better measure of the strength.

Phenolic material is used by Boston Whaler precisely because it has good strength and will hold machine screws in tapped and pre-threaded holes cut with precision.

Based on an undesignated illustration above, there are two hinge brackets with four mounting holes. Eight fasteners will share the load. Assume a 200-lbs swimmer is using the ladder. This load is spread across eight fasteners, which is only 25-lbs per fasteners. However, the bracket and mount may act as a lever and fulcrum, and the forces pulling on the threads could be amplified.

Another analysis: if Boston Whaler embedded phenolic sheet in that location, the sheet may have been intended for just this purpose.

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Phil T
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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby Phil T » Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:35 pm

I would not install the ladder so that the brackets are below the water line. You are inviting potential future problems.

Through bolts are stronger and I would add wide backing washers. This type of install is doable with basic DIY skills.
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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby jimh » Wed Jul 08, 2020 9:45 am

Based on the undesignated illustration above showing a layout drawing of the location of embedded reinforcements in the hull, the phenolic sheet embedded in the hull and circled in a red line is not located in the transom in the area you seem to intend to use based on the image showing the mounting bracket held against the transom at or below the waterline.

The embedded phenolic reinforcement will not be useful for the mounting that seems to be planned.

The reinforcement appears to be under the gunwales, perhaps to hold fasteners for a cleat.

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Re: Swim Ladder Mounting on Transom 130 SPORT and MONTAUK

Postby jimh » Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:54 am

Show readers a layout drawing that illustrates the position and size of embedded reinforcement material in the hull on the vertical exterior face of the transom of the two boats—MONTAUK of unspecified year and model and 130 SPORT—now under discussion in this thread regarding location and mounting fasteners for a swim ladder

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Phil T
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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby Phil T » Wed Jul 08, 2020 12:25 pm

On closer review of the wood diagram, it is clear the member is directing the reader to the area of the install with a red circle.

If the reader views the top right quadrant of the attached wood locating diagram information on the backing material in the transom is shown in a drawing of the hull upside down, looking forward from aft of the transom. The backing material does not appear to extend to the gunwale.

There is a high probability the fasteners on the left side of the swim ladder would not be installed into the backing material. These fasteners would require to either be bolts with backing washers and nuts or lag screws with some type off added reinforcement under the fiberglass skin.

Given the small size of the model and lack of backing material, I think researching an over-the-gunnel telescoping ladder would be more practical.
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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby Jefecinco » Thu Jul 09, 2020 9:52 am

If a ladder designed for mounting 180 degrees from the ladder in the photographs is available it could be mounted on the transom immediately below the rub rail. If mounting there would allow through bolting the mounting bolts that would be a safe mounting position. A further advantage would be eliminating holes in the transom below the waterline. A disadvantage would be the requirement to board the ladder a foot or so higher.
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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby Masbama » Thu Jul 09, 2020 11:40 am

Here is a picture of a 2002 130 sport with a swim ladder. Hard to tell but it looks like it is mounted on the small swim deck diagonally , not on the transom.
http://app.louisianasportsman.com/class ... 551806.jpg

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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby Jefecinco » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:51 pm

Or perhaps the swim ladder is mounted directly to the gunwale.

The shadow is indicative of the mounting being at an angle to the transom.
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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby jimh » Sun Jul 19, 2020 9:25 am

Jefecinco wrote:Or perhaps the swim ladder is mounted directly to the gunwale,


From the image linked above and assuming the swim ladder is an OEM install, the image shows the ladder mounts to the topside port quarter gunwale. The ladder as seen in that image is very clearly shown to NOT be fastened onto the transom, as has been proposed by the first article in this thread.

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Re: 2002 130 Sport Swim Ladder Mounting

Postby jimh » Sun Jul 19, 2020 9:28 am

Are we talking amongst ourselves now?

No additional posts from the thread starter cause me to wonder if he has abandoned this topic.