Hand rails on coach top y/n?

J

Jimski

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May 20, 2015
44
Catalina 30 Seabrook
My boat is a Catalina 30, but my question is more generic. The C-30 has teak hand rails on coach top. Mine are pretty weathered and the port side is held together with epoxy. My crew sometimes complain the rails are not much help and uncomfortable to sit on. Another C-30 on my dock removed the rails and repainted the deck, and installed a small stainless hand hold forward. Looks great.

Opinions, please. There's lots of things to grab onto besides these teak rails. I am thinking of removing them. But honestly I am nearly always in the cockpit so I don't know. How useful are those rails?
 
Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

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May 17, 2004
5,069
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
For me as handholds they're useful but not critical. As footholds however I really like having something there. I can't really picture trying to work at the mast or boom on a heeling bouncing deck without having that insurance policy against sliding feet.
 
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B

Benny17441

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May 24, 2004
7,131
CC 30 South Florida
Never found anything more reliable that cabin top hand rails in good working order. "One hand for the ship and one hand for yourself" I guess it depends on the type of sailing but if you are out in deep swells and have to go up front you will wish you had them. Davidasailor26 gives an excellent example, when standing on the cabin top a sailor is above the lifelines. A place to interlock your foot can be most valuable.
 
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Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
3,930
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I use my cabin top hand rails all the time in any sea state other than dead calm. I would not remove them. However they are not comfortable for sitting. Put a square boat cushion on top if you want to sit.
 
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Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
You have the option to replace the wood handrails with stainless steel. CatalinaDirect sells them I believe. Keep your cabin-top handrails.
 
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Ward H

Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,649
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
My 93 C30 has the stainless hand rails on the cabin top. I believe newer C30s also have them. Should be easy to swap out your teak for SS.
I agree with the others, I wouldn't remove them unless replacing them.
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
OK, this is in the racing forum. So.

Why is crew sitting there????? On the cabin top?

Crew should not sit there. It does no good. Adds zero righting moment. Have them sit on the deck, legs over the side. And put the handrails back on.

583BCD24-7F43-4016-AAFE-DA2581D1864E.jpeg
 
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J

Jimski

.
May 20, 2015
44
Catalina 30 Seabrook
Thank you everybody for you opinions. Your arguments are sound; the rails will stay unless I replace them with stainless.

For the racer comment, spot on. I move crew around to get the boat heel to be 15-20 degrees. There are times that means putting everybody on the low side, or at at least not on the rail.
 
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