Ladder Advise
 

I am installing a ladder on my 89 Baja 250. It has the built in platform. Been looking at the options and different models. Was thinking about the Windline over the top kind. I am concerned about the installation. Figured you guys could lead me in right direction. My concern is how to secure it to the platform. It is closed off, and there is no access to get nuts on bottom of bolt. Thanks in advance for the help and advice! These forums are very helpful.
Sidney

I do not own a Baja, so I do not know what they do for these. However, you could cut holes so you can get to the nuts, but then you have the issue of plugging the holes you cut and even then allowing water into the hollow space of the platform, and trap it there. If it were mine, I probably would leave the holes open and then at the lowest part of the hollow space cut some drains in it.

I installed a 4" weather tite deck hatch in the bottom of my swim platform for access. The ladder covers the access panel when it is up. (Under mount ladder)

mines a '90 250 sport, so I'm sure my transom assy is identical to yours. i dont have a pic offhand but can get one later today maybe??

anyway i put a under mount ladder under the swim platform. inside the boat i basically cut a 12" access notch in the top of the transom on the inside removing about 3" approximately so i could gain access into the swim platform cavity. then i had a big piece of wood fiberglass resined into place inside the cavity to make sure the ladder would never crack the underside of my swim platform. then drilled the holes through filled them all with sealer than ran the bolts up through and put all the nuts and washers inside the swim platform cavity. the beauty of this is should my ladder ever get wrecked, or come loose i have access to get to all of the hardware to fix it.

the real question is WHY didnt they put ladders on these boats to BEGIN with!! and on top of it all leave you no way to access that cavity to install one easily! very poor planning IMO!!

GSXR, Thanks for the info. I am with you on the poor design! they should have thought about that before sealing this cavity up. Would you please e-mail me some pics of how you did yours? Would appreciate this very much. Which ladder did you go with?

ok, heres the pics of how i did mine, you can see the area of wood that was removed to gain access, you cant see the wood that was glassed in inside the cavity though as the pic was too dark.

its a 3 step ladder, cant remember what make it is offhand, but windline seems to ring a bell??????

good luck!

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...0826011627.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...0826011626.jpg

Not sure how deep your swim platform is but Windline makes a nice 3 step telescoping ladder that slides up under your platform. Alot of the later model Baja's used this style of ladder, it has a red button on the bottom to release the lock, then you pull it out and it drops down. You can just drill thru your platform,5200 it and install with S.S. carriage bolts. I put one on my Sonic and liked it alot, so I had one installed on my next boat.
Steve