Been thinking about a safety ladder to get back in the boat if I fell out.

Would a thick knotted rope off the back of the boat  be enough to aid in  getting you back in?? Dang ladders are stupid expensive. Talking about an aluminum Jon boat.

Is the back of the boat the best place to try to climb back in??

you would probably need to use something to keep it spread open, otherwise when you stand on it, it will pinch the step above together. maybe some 3/4" ABS pipe for the rungs with the rope fed through?

you would probably need to use something to keep it spread open, otherwise when you stand on it, it will pinch the step above together. maybe some 3/4" ABS pipe for the rungs with the rope fed through?

Good idea.  I don't know whether ABS pipe sinks or not but you might want to add weight to the bottom rung so the ladder sinks.  If the water was cold enough, I'm not sure I'd want to be attempting to try and get my foot onto a rung of a ladder that was floating on the surface.

Personnaly, outher than an extra something to hold on to, I don't see where there would be any benifit, especially with a jon.  The rope is only going to be laying on the boat, you're still going to have to be able to get your body up and over the transome and drag yourself over and in.  This is the same thing you would have to without a rope.  When freezing cold and weighted down with wet, cold weather gear, that prove to be impossilbe for an older person.

I've used my motor to lift me in several times.  If you have tilt and trim, just stand on the the anticav plate and press the tilt button on the side of the motor.  It will pick you up and all you have to carefully get from the motor to inside the boat.

If you fish alone, are overweight or not in a good physical condition to get yourself up and over the transome, a ladder could be a life saver.  I think all of us that spend a lot of time in a boat has been in the water at one time or another.  I jump in during the summer a lot just to cool off, but that's nothing like hitting near freezing water and weighted down with wet cloths during the winter.

I think a rope ladder would swing under the boat when you put pressure on it making it impossible to get leverage to hoist yourself up.  The ladder needs to be stationary.

A guy I know(out of shape) fell out of his boat and lowered his trolling motor on the back of his jonboat and stood on that to get back in.  Thats what he recommended to me.

There are 3 main factors.

1 your physical condition

2 water temp

3 gunnel height

A rope with just a single foot loop would be more than enough for me, but I'm in Florida, a competent swimmer, only 8 inches of freeboard, and still a little bit athletic.

Test out your rope on a good day when you have some help with you and consider the factors.  

You would be able to hang on for the ride that's about it. I have used rope ladders in the past and they are impossible to get in on. When you put weight on the rope ladder it will go right under the boat. I just grab ahold of the side and lift myself out. This is tough if you have bad shoulders or are just not strong enough to pull yourself out which is tough in water.

   I fell in Table Rock lake this summer. I landed on a submerged cedar tree that cut my leg up pretty bad.  I couldn't get myself back in the boat till I stood on my hydrofoil and used trim tilt to raise me back up into the boat.

I fell in Table Rock lake this summer. I landed on a submerged cedar tree that cut my leg up pretty bad. I couldn't get myself back in the boat till I stood on my hydrofoil and used trim tilt to raise me back up into the boat.

Genius

how about this

http://worcester.craigslist.org/boa/995265563.html