The
Swim Step
We first
started putting swim steps on our designs in 1978. Initially they were
a safety device, a way to make man overboard recovery easier. We quickly
learned that these steps were also great for getting into and out of the
dinghy, and for swimming. With a little extra space turned into a locker(s),
the swim step was the perfect place to store flammable materials.
On a single
engine design, with centerline prop and rudder, we are always fighting
for enough space and storage volume. But once twin engines and rudders
are in the equation, a recessed stairway can be placed between the rudder
shafts and related steering gear, and the step itself can be deeper. This
allows for an easy-to-use tread layout (we normally have a steeper ladder
here).
There is
a tradeoff between storage space, in this case on either side of that
good-looking model, and room getting into and out of the dinghy. Here
there is room for one of us to stand or squat on the swim step while holding
the dink, while a second person gets into or out of it.
The swim
ladder is hinged on the aft edge of the step, on the port side. When not
in use, the ladder resides in the stored position shown above. When we
are cruising there is a short piece of line, with a knot on the end, which
runs from the first ladder rung to just above the waterline. This makes
it easy to pull the ladder to you, should you take an inadvertent swim.
We have a
huge amount of storage in lockers welded onto the hull. On the port side
we keep our propane. There are three 20-pound (9kg) bottles in here, plus
additional room for snorkeling gear. The propane inventory is enough for
seven to eight months of cruising.
Opposite
is our dinghy gasoline storage. There is space for four tanks, each of
6-gallon (23-liter) capacity, in addition to the tank in the dinghy itself.
Here is the
view from the aft deck looking down. This was taken at Fanning Island,
a stop on our way to Hawaii from Samoa. The two men in the inflatable
are Kiribati Customs and Immigration officers.
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