Ladder Installation
#11
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I can't believe you can't reach from the inside. What if you remove the hatch? Would that help you gain access? I remember putting my new ladder on, and I was stretched all the way across the motors, reaching blindly to attach the nuts from the inside as my buddy was holding the ladder and feeding the through bolts through the transom.....
#12
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Location: Prosperity, SC
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07SS:
Maybe your 288 had a different layout than my 32?? I was laying across the motors with a tape measure and flash light and couldn't get the tip of the tape measure between the hull and top cap. When I spoke to Sunsation the gentleman I spoke to had done several of these. He said, which most people I spoke to also said, that lagging it would not be a permanent installation and would pull back through. I think this is why on my buddies 01 the ladder has been removed. Sunsation stated that the only way to get it through bolted was going through the rub rail. So what we are going to do is make a couple of templates that run the length of the boat inside the swim platform. Once we get the templates made from wood we will take them to a metal fab shop have them bent up and nuts welded to them. This is going to be a major pain in the a**
Maybe your 288 had a different layout than my 32?? I was laying across the motors with a tape measure and flash light and couldn't get the tip of the tape measure between the hull and top cap. When I spoke to Sunsation the gentleman I spoke to had done several of these. He said, which most people I spoke to also said, that lagging it would not be a permanent installation and would pull back through. I think this is why on my buddies 01 the ladder has been removed. Sunsation stated that the only way to get it through bolted was going through the rub rail. So what we are going to do is make a couple of templates that run the length of the boat inside the swim platform. Once we get the templates made from wood we will take them to a metal fab shop have them bent up and nuts welded to them. This is going to be a major pain in the a**
#14
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Is it just the most rearward bolts you cannot reach or all 4? I know on Mentalpause's '01 at least the 2 back bolts were lagged. In 5 seasons the ladder never budged. His ladder got used a lot by a couple of 230 - 260 lb. dudes. Maybe Mental will chime in.
#15
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Dammit! This is not what I wanted to hear! Whoever owned mine before must've done the ol' put her in gear, cut the wheel and tear the ladder off trick or something.
#16
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Knot: I cannot reach any of them. Sunsation did say it was ok to lag the two closest to the motors but the two to the back must be through bolted. Since we are going to cut away the rub rail and drill two holes we are going to do it right and through bolt all four. I know the bracket we are going to make is going to be a real pain to make and install but in the long run I don't want any issues. I will let everyone know how it turns out.
Gunner: Is your frame still attached? If so call the ladder manufacturer they will sell you just the steps. My buddy ripped the ladder off his 28ZX and had to replace the steps. Schmidt and Sons who makes the ladders sent him a new rod and lower assembly. He cut the old rod out and put in the new ladder then took his boat to a welder and had them re-weld the rod back together. Looks perfect.
Greg
Gunner: Is your frame still attached? If so call the ladder manufacturer they will sell you just the steps. My buddy ripped the ladder off his 28ZX and had to replace the steps. Schmidt and Sons who makes the ladders sent him a new rod and lower assembly. He cut the old rod out and put in the new ladder then took his boat to a welder and had them re-weld the rod back together. Looks perfect.
Greg
#17
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Memory gets fuzzy trying to recall these things after 14 years. I do remember Vincent did a lot of the work, including repairing the glass on the top of the swim platform when he drilled all the way through it. That tells you how much room there is between the material in the upper and lower sections of the platform. Not enough that he felt the drill bit free up when it cleared the lower material for the front bolts. And I don't remember there being any space for a nut for the rear bolts even it you could get access. But that was 2000, so maybe they changed the supporting material as more people ordered ladders. Good thing he was a glass guy and painter so we could laugh about it. I also remember trying to reach up in that area from the engine bay. There isn't much room. We flooded the lags with permanent thread glue/sealant before putting them in. There was plenty of material for the lags to bite into. That ladder never budged and we used it a lot. To my best recollection Sunsation sent the kit to me with 4 lag bolts. Two were pretty long because there was also PVC spacers for the front bolts so the ladder sat at the proper angle. Obviously other people didn't have the same luck we had with the lags. And we stressed it out for sure.
#18
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This thread does make me wonder though if the ladders they are putting on the CCs could be installed on the older 288s or 32s. I would think there is plenty of room and they might be a lot easier. I'm not sure if the framing for those is attached to run along side the outside stringer or not, but the factory would be able to tell you if that could be an option to consider.
#19
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Memory gets fuzzy trying to recall these things after 14 years. I do remember Vincent did a lot of the work, including repairing the glass on the top of the swim platform when he drilled all the way through it. That tells you how much room there is between the material in the upper and lower sections of the platform. Not enough that he felt the drill bit free up when it cleared the lower material for the front bolts. And I don't remember there being any space for a nut for the rear bolts even it you could get access. But that was 2000, so maybe they changed the supporting material as more people ordered ladders. Good thing he was a glass guy and painter so we could laugh about it. I also remember trying to reach up in that area from the engine bay. There isn't much room. We flooded the lags with permanent thread glue/sealant before putting them in. There was plenty of material for the lags to bite into. That ladder never budged and we used it a lot. To my best recollection Sunsation sent the kit to me with 4 lag bolts. Two were pretty long because there was also PVC spacers for the front bolts so the ladder sat at the proper angle. Obviously other people didn't have the same luck we had with the lags. And we stressed it out for sure.
Last edited by Knot 4 Me; 03-13-2014 at 12:40 PM.
#20
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Wow! This sounds like a huge PITA.. I would still like to see a photo or two just to clear this up in my mind. From Mental's post, I want think it may be easier to bite the bullet and drill them clear thru and repair the glass. You may even want to consider making or buying a custom bolt with a low profile head that you could live with exposed on the top of the swim platform...
I wouldn't give up. I hate a boat without a ladder.
Off topic: It looks like my membership expired today... Why don't we get an email prior to running out??
I wouldn't give up. I hate a boat without a ladder.
Off topic: It looks like my membership expired today... Why don't we get an email prior to running out??
Last edited by Scagburner; 03-13-2014 at 02:49 PM.