Recently a club member fell overboard in the marina and ended up in the cold Columbia River.  He struggled against the current and tried to climb up to his boat but couldn’t.  Thankfully, a club member heard him splashing about and with the help of another member they managed to pull him from the cold water.  No swim ladder off his boat and more importantly he didn’t have on a vest.

A similar thing happened to another person I know, she fell overboard in her marina but no one was around to hear.  She did have a swim ladder but wasn’t able to reach it, thus it took her quite a bit of effort to get to safety.  Her story prompted a modification to our swim ladder.

 We installed an easy to open latch and I macramed a pull cord that hangs down close to the water.  If one of us were to fall overboard it would be fairly easy to jerk this line and lower the ladder.  If you don’t know how to macrame you should be able to find a book at your local library.  It’s easy to learn.  My line is simply a series of square knots over a long cord.

Being able to get yourself out of the water without help could be one of the most important things you can do.  This is a simple fix for any mounted swim ladder and something even a small child could deploy.  Remember, being self-sufficient is a big part of the boating experience.  Set this safety line in place on your swim ladder today.