405 Swim ladder

[Serendipity]

G36, Viper and others
My 3 rung swim ladder was damaged when I bought the boat so I removed the rungs and siliconed the bottom of the ladder attachments.
It did not appear the attached brackets were leaking but I covered the anyway. Rung slide openings are still visible.

What would ya do on a 405? I liked the ez ups post and I liked the extended 4 rung ladder idea.

Just curious what everyone is doing as an upgrade because I would prefer to not use the original attachments if possible.

Thanks

[g36]

I think the oem carver ladder was a piece of trash from the start. So anything will be an improvement. I can tell you there is a aluminum plate on each side in the fiberglass that the oem screws are threaded into. When i changed my ladder I added some additional aluminum to the new unit and was able to reuse the threaded oem screw holes so I did know I had a secure attachment to the boat.

[Viper]

I agree with G. If the ladder was damaged, it may have been hit and dislodged/broke the seals on the fasteners so ensure those are still sealed properly. You may want to consider removing the current hardware and sealing the mounting holes properly so you don't have to deal with a soaked core later $$$. Same with the new ladder hardware, don't cut corners on sealing all the openings properly or you'll pay for it later. If I'm not mistaken, you have hollow platform so mounting a ladder in a different location will be a challenge. Your best bet is to use the same holes as G mentioned above so you don't have to worry about getting nuts on the bolts. Best to go that route even if you have to drill new holes in the new brackets. Use permanent Locktite and seal the holes properly.

[Serendipity]

Guys,
This would be a good reason for me getting behind the hot water heater. Pictures from within the back steps area, the exhaust ports, and the ladder mounting area as shown.

It doesn't appear the ladder mounting bolts have had any leaks over the last 22 years. I mentioned damage to the ladder. It wasn't bent, I just couldn't get it to stay up with velcro wrapped around it. This is how I purchased the boat and how I drove it back on the ICW.
In hind sight I probably should have just put a small chain or cable around it with a lock or quick lock clamp.

The mounting area looks solid and now I surmise I should just get another junky ladder to go there.

I don't want to take the boat out of the water since we have nothing here but a crane. So a ladder that will click back into the original holes would be nice.

So your thoughts gentleman?

Does the mounting area look solid to ya?
Lots of dust but I didn't see any leaks.
What type was the original ladder for a 1998 405?

Thanks in advance

Michael