Getting into Hornet III from the water?

[Blue Blazer]

Can anyone lend some advice on the best way to get into a Hornet III from the water?

My boat has a bar/railing on the back that can be used as a leverage point if you step on the outdrive BUT I would rather not do this.
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Between the trim tabs and exhaust, there is no room on the back to put a removable ladder. I also want to avoid defiling the boat at all costs with a swim platform like the one in the photo.
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I was originally thinking that a collapsible gunnel ladder that goes over the side, like the one in the link, would do the trick.
http://www.garelick.com/Telescoping-...In-Hook-Ladder
The issue is that the lexan windshield gos almost the full length of the cockpit making it nearly impossible to use it. I also think the width of the gunnel is to wide to use this ladder too.
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If anyone has any advice, photos of custom ladders, etc. please share them.

[Morgan's Cloud]

The subject of getting in and out of your Donzi while in the water has come up many times.

For me , I wouldn't want to go with the half platform thing either , but I'd take a guess and say that the bar on the transom deck was intended for exactly that. (That is , using the outdrive as the step and the rail as a hand grab )

I always use the outdrive as the 'ladder' as it's just so convenient and requires no additional stuff to clutter up the inside of the boat.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of input as to what others did to over come this and how they rationalized it.

The Hornet III is a beautiful boat and yours looks very nice. Don't be shy about showing us more of it !

[Blue Blazer]

The subject of getting in and out of your Donzi while in the water has come up many times.

For me , I wouldn't want to go with the half platform thing either , but I'd take a guess and say that the bar on the transom deck was intended for exactly that.

I always use the outdrive as the 'ladder' as it's just so convenient and requires no additional stuff to clutter up the inside of the boat.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of input as to what others did to over come this and how they rationalized it.

The Hornet III is a beautiful boat and yours looks very nice. Don't be shy about showing us more of it !

Thanks for the input!
We got the boat in the fall so we really haven't had an opportunity to try entering using the outdrive. I will try this out when it goes in the water later this spring.

After doing a google search, I came across this custom ladder. It looks promising. It was being promoted by Lakeside Restorations in PA. I tried calling them and they seem to be out of business.
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/d...im-ladder.html
Side ladder.JPG
Does anyone know where to get one of these things?

[mattyboy]

I use the gunwale ladder on my hornet for people who can't climb the drive. But i dont have to worry about the windshield. Check out the ladders www.hornetmarine.com puts on their boats it is a removable ladder that snaps into a bracket on the transom

[wwahl]

The problem with a removable ladder is the angle of the side of the boat. This angle makes it difficult to climb up I use the outdrive.

[yeller]

I've been thinking about using a removable ladder like this. I stayed away from it in the past because I thought the bracket would be an eyesore. That was until I saw it on a 22C and it didn't stand out like I thought it would.

Ladder.jpg

[JimG]

On my 18 I put a couple of little strips on no-slip tape on the flat surfaces of the drive. Worked great.

[mattyboy]

there is one other option re-creating the factory swim rail ladder they used on the H2+3, HII, HII. When I first got the hornet I hadn't given getting back in a thought,I would just do what I did on the 16 climb the drive I learned quickly that there is a lot more boat out of the water even once your on the drive the next step is still a big one

[Bobby D]

After doing a google search, I came across this custom ladder. It looks promising. It was being promoted by Lakeside Restorations in PA. I tried calling them and they seem to be out of business.

I have one that I never used shoot me a PM if you are interested.
Bobby

[Greg Guimond]

Check "stainless marine" and "armstrong nautical" for ladder options Blue Blazer. The ladders aren't worth much unless you install or have already proper hand grab rails installed at the correct location.

These might also be an option http://www.aquaperformance.com/index.html

[yeller]

Garelick has quite a selection. Might see something here you like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nbttgYIE9s

I like the ones at 2:50 and 5:15.

[Blue Blazer]

Thank you everyone for all the input on this!

I think we are going to attempt to use the transom handle and ourdrive this summer and see how it goes.

If we do put something on the back, I am leading towards what the second owner of Blue Rhino did. The boat has two billet aluminum steps that go over the trim tabs. I have seen this boat a number of times in person and didn't even remember them being there until I saw these photos.
http://www.donzi.net/registry/hull.php?id=379

[Blue Blazer]

Thought I would share an update on the swim platform.

We decided on building a custom swim platform/ladder. We cannibalized the teak and fold down ladder from an aftermarket platform that we ordered. The teak platform was originally much larger and wider, it is now about 8-9 inches deep. It is just large enough to stand on and clear the trim tab but does not protrude so much that it ruins the lines of the boat. Stronger L shaped brackets were installed to support the smaller deck. The vertical rails required some fabrication. This was the trickiest part since the deck is slightly curved.

Attached are a few images, I will post a few more once I get a chance to take better ones.
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