Anyone take off their cabin top handrails? It looks like you have to take off the rails inside to get to the nuts that hold the outside handrails. Anyone confirm that?? Thanks!!
Cabin top hand rail
- Thread starter Arrgh
- Start date
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,531
Sounds about normal.
I removed my cabin top hand rails. I had to pull the bungs in my teak hand rails. That gave access to the screw heads. It was a two crew project with one on the cabin top holding a screw driver and me inside removing the nuts. When released I could repair the holes that allowed water to leak into the boat and clean up then varnish the teak rails. Installation was just reversing the process. Varnish the underside of the hand rails before installation. Save the top side till you have installed the hand rail, reinserted the bungs to cover the screw tops, and cut off the excess bung plus sanded the bung top smooth. Then you’re ready to varnish the top side of the rail.
I removed my cabin top hand rails. I had to pull the bungs in my teak hand rails. That gave access to the screw heads. It was a two crew project with one on the cabin top holding a screw driver and me inside removing the nuts. When released I could repair the holes that allowed water to leak into the boat and clean up then varnish the teak rails. Installation was just reversing the process. Varnish the underside of the hand rails before installation. Save the top side till you have installed the hand rail, reinserted the bungs to cover the screw tops, and cut off the excess bung plus sanded the bung top smooth. Then you’re ready to varnish the top side of the rail.
I removed mine way back because of the constant water dripping into the cabin from the holes of the handrail. A fine example of the "drill, screw and hope for the best" work. I found many of the spacers (plastic blocks) had been mis aligned which lead to further reassembly challenges. Once the holes were enlarged, filled with epoxy and re drilled, I installed the newly scrubbed, sanded and teak oiled railing. I used butyl under and on top of the spacer blocks. Instead of replacing the teak bungs, I inserted butyl first, then a washer and tightened down with a cap nut for aesthetics. All stainless of course.
Also check the Title "34 Handrails" on this forum from other members. Their end product is far superior to mine.
What originally made me look was that there is water somehow getting in that closet space across from the head. Water is inside the molded liner and working its way to hull side and saturating the bulkhead that the chainplates attack to. I'm thinking it has to be leaking from the handrails and dripping down....maybe
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,531
That is certainly a possibility. Water does try to go down hill… until it doesn’t. I know sounds illogical. And it is until you see how water finds its way into the most unusual places on a boat.
But never mind. I think you are on to a likely suspect. I noticed the same situation. I saw that some of the water had a brown tint to it. It happens when the water is rotting some of the core.
After 50 plus years stuff happens. I went at the possible sources and did discover that the hand rails were a leak source. I fixed them. This resolved 80% of the issue on my boat.
Hope it resolves all of your challenge.
But never mind. I think you are on to a likely suspect. I noticed the same situation. I saw that some of the water had a brown tint to it. It happens when the water is rotting some of the core.
After 50 plus years stuff happens. I went at the possible sources and did discover that the hand rails were a leak source. I fixed them. This resolved 80% of the issue on my boat.
Hope it resolves all of your challenge.
Finally did my hand rails. Turns out, we were all wrong. The hand rails were mounted with really long wood screws. One screw went all the way through the outside rails, the cabin top and into the inside hand rails. I decided to take out the inside hand rails and just through bolt the outside rails right to the cabin top.
I missed this thread, or I would have replied sooner.
The original handrails are (were) teak, and secured through the cabin top with really long Phillips head screws.
I ordered replacements from McMaster-Carr.
The way that they are fastened is through the inner handrails, through the cabintop liner, through the deck, through a spacer, through the handrail, and into a nut that is set into the handrail with a teak plug epoxied over it. Thus;
I couldn't stand the teak looking like crap, so I replaced mine with 1" Stainless Steel box tube. The problem with that is the ends must be tapered from 1" to 1-7/8" (if I recall correctly).
I got it done and this is the result, and how they look today;
The original handrails are (were) teak, and secured through the cabin top with really long Phillips head screws.
I ordered replacements from McMaster-Carr.
The way that they are fastened is through the inner handrails, through the cabintop liner, through the deck, through a spacer, through the handrail, and into a nut that is set into the handrail with a teak plug epoxied over it. Thus;
I couldn't stand the teak looking like crap, so I replaced mine with 1" Stainless Steel box tube. The problem with that is the ends must be tapered from 1" to 1-7/8" (if I recall correctly).
I got it done and this is the result, and how they look today;
Hmm...I wonder if a previous owner changed mine. I don't have an of those spacers, just regular teak handrail. The three most forward screw were like what you have pictured because the inside handrail doesn't go that far forward.
There is an O'day 34 that is used for day charters in Newport, RI, that has a similar setup to what you describe. I was looking for a static picture that would show the teak handrails on the deck, but their website takes forever to load. Instead, I found this video in which I see NO deck handrails at all;
Every time that I go to Newport I look at the boat. This time I noticed that it has an aft teak handrail with 5 attachment points (4 handholds), and a forward one with 3 attachment points. I prefer the full length rail, as I would hate to reach for the rail, and grab where the space is.
I look at that boat every time I’m in Newport also, just to compare to mine. I don’t like the hand hold idea instead of a full handrail either.
@twodzusfittings : I like the look and idea of your cap nuts. I was wondering though if they make re varnishing more difficult because they stick up and you have to work around them. What's your take on that?
PS: what material did you use to cover your companionway hatch? Has it held up? Easy to apply?
Thanks
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@eherlihy : Nice! The ultimate in low maintenance. I don't see any fasteners. How do those rails attach to the boat?
Did you consider using a different spacer block at the forward end to possibly avoid having to taper the tubing?
Thanks
Thanks!
I do occasionally need to "polish" the handrails with a Magic Eraser to remove the spots that invariably develop on 304 stainless.
The handrails are attached just as the original teak handrails were. The only difference is that I tapped the holes that I drilled for the through bolts (actually stainless machine screws).
I considered making new spacers, but in the end it was more feasible for me to modify the tubing. I cut a small V shaped notch in the end of the tube, held the tube together with a clamp, and a friend, who is a welder, put a nice bead on with a TIG welder. I then sanded and polished his welds so that you can't see them. I did a LOT of polishing.
Thank you for the information.
So you drilled and tapped holes in the bottom of the stainless, inserted the machine screws from inside the cabin and screwed them into the stainless. Right?
Brilliant.
Now I just have to find a friend who can weld!