3700 (or similar) cabin top handrails

forbin

.
Nov 4, 2013
166
Tartan 3700 Seattle - Elliot Bay
One of the cabin top teak handrails has a little bit of movement at one of the attachment points...you have to yank on it, but it moves where the others don't. I want to take both of them off and re-bed them, but I'm not sure what to expect, mainly since I can't see the inside because of the liner. I need to re-bed the bow pulpit bases as well, one of them is leaking, but at least I can see the back to know what I'm getting in to.

Things like...are they screwed in to a backing plate or through bolted (unlikely I think)? Do I need to access them from the inside? Is the loose spot just likely not tightened enough? Are they through cored deck or those "core windows" (wondering if removing the core, filling with epoxy, etc, is an option if they're in cored areas)? Or more importantly, if I take it apart, will I be able to get it back together successfully and properly?

Does anyone not varnish the handrails? This boat has an odd combo of varnished handrails and dorade boxes, oiled companionway trim and hatch inserts, oiled cockpit table, and nothing has been done on the taffrail. The toe rail is aluminum. I was considering either varnishing the taffrail so the visible exterior pieces match, or removing the varnish and going with natural/oiled.

Thanks and Happy New Year! Brian
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
..............One of the cabin top teak handrails has a little bit of movement at one of the attachment points...you have to yank on it, but it moves where the others don't..................Does anyone not varnish the handrails? This boat has an odd combo of varnished handrails and dorade boxes, oiled companionway trim and hatch inserts, oiled cockpit table, and nothing has been done on the taffrail. The toe rail is aluminum. I was considering either varnishing the taffrail so the visible exterior pieces match, or removing the varnish and going with natural/oiled......................
Long shot.........but can you remove the wood bung at the loose end and try tightening the screw and then inserting a new bung?

As far as the teak I have the same issue with new to me 36 year old boat that had teak that was either oiled or had yellow or redish looking Cetol applied and very tired looking. So I sanded all the oil and Cetol off and then cleaned and brightened it with dilute oxalic acid. Next I plan to apply 3 coats of Cetaol natural teak varnish, since it does not require sanding in-between coats like varnish, then one coat of cetol clear marine gloss.
 

forbin

.
Nov 4, 2013
166
Tartan 3700 Seattle - Elliot Bay
...can you remove the wood bung at the loose end and try tightening the screw and then inserting a new bung?
I could but that would require removing or drilling through the varnish to get the bung out, but even then it sounds like a lot of moisture problems start with handrails so I wanted to re-bed them anyway. If it were spring or summer up here I'd probably try that but I don't think it'll be dry enough to do much varnishing until several months from now!

Next I plan to apply 3 coats of Cetaol natural teak varnish, since it does not require sanding in-between coats like varnish, then one coat of cetol clear marine gloss.
I read a couple places that the Cetaol has gotten a lot better looking than it used to be. I was also thinking about the Semco sealer. TBD...but let me know how your experience is!
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I bit the bullet last year and removed the hand rails over the salon. I had to pull down the ceiling in the salon to get at the nuts that secured the 12 bolts holding the wooden rails. Once free I could easily see that the bedding had given up and the leaks I had been experiencing were the result. I took the hand rails home to be cleaned and varnished. I allowed the deck core wood dry out, over about a month. Then I came back and sealed the deck core wood with a penetrating epoxy. I then prepped the deck for butyl tape, installed new bolts and nuts in the hand rails and tightened them down. Only one hole in the hand rail stated to split out as I tightened it. I stopped, mixed up some thickened epoxy, glued the pice back together. Clamped its over night. Next afternoon I was able to tighten the final part down. No leaks for 6 months. pretty varnished hand rails.
Happy boater.
 

forbin

.
Nov 4, 2013
166
Tartan 3700 Seattle - Elliot Bay
I bit the bullet last year and removed the hand rails over the salon. I had to pull down the ceiling in the salon to get at the nuts that secured the 12 bolts holding the wooden rails.
It seems like at least some deck hardware on this boat is screws tapped through an aluminum backing plate that's glued to the hull. Only some of those have nuts. If the rails don't have nuts and are screwed in to a backing plate, I would probably not have to remove the ceiling (I mean pay someone to do it), so I want to figure that out before I decide what to do.

The bow pulpit attachment bases that are leaking are tapped in to backing plates with no nuts but aren't through cored deck so not sure how important it is to address those, but none of the screws show any visible corrosion, so they look relatively easy to pull apart and put back together...hoping the rails are the same.

No leaks for 6 months. pretty varnished hand rails. Happy boater.
Always nice when something works out well (especially this year)!
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
You would be committed to going forward, but removing the screw would be straight forward. If it is backing plates the screw would come out. If not you might just loosen the screw till the nut begin to spin. Then you have to commit to removing the ceiling and getting access to the nuts. Removing my two hand rails took about 2 hours. Maybe 10 expended on cleaning up the rails (note the boat is over 45 years old) and then varnishing them. Took about 2 more hours reinstalling them and putting the ceiling back in place. I still have not secured the ceiling as I am working on replacing all the lighting, installing some new lights and wiring.