This thing about getting back onto the boat after capsize is a very serious problem for some people -- like heavy people, fat people, old people, weak people.

I know that I and a number of other people are not able to even get back on a Hobie Wave if nobody else is on the boat to help.

We have experimented over the years with rope ladders and rope or strap "steps" to get back onto sailboats, but they don't work well, because as soon as you put your foot into the "step," your foot goes under the boat, and you have even less leverage than you had without it -- especially if you have nothing ABOVE you to pull yourself up with, like a trapeze handle.

The Wave has quite a bit of freeboard, so it really is hard for a lot of people to get back on board, especially when you are wearing a life jacket. And it doesn't have trapeze lines. And doesn't even have a dolphin striker to help.

So here is what I have set up for my Wave. Instead of a step loop for my foot, I have a "pull" loop for my hand. I put a little stainless strap on the front of my mast up a ways, and I suspend a rope from it with a loop in the rope at a point where I can reach it if I am down in the water. That way I can pull my upper body up enough so that I can get my leg up over the hull or onto the deck.

It's not very hard lifting, because most of your body is in the water. Being able to hang onto something above you just gets you into a position where you can get that leg up, and from there you can grab the hiking straps and pull the rest of yourself onto the tramp.

I realize this imagery is not pretty. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />