Before I drill holes in my boat,

[Ward H]

is this a bad location for a single loop hand hold?

We dock bow in and get on the boat via a short finger pier at the bow and walk back on the side decks. The Admiral is always leaning on the sliding hatch while she steps down onto the bench. I was thinking of putting a hand hold where she puts her hands and another one on the other side just to even it out.

I don't normally walk on the hatch so I don't think it will be a trip hazard.

Thoughts?

 

[woodster]

is this a bad location for a single loop hand hold?

We dock bow in and get on the boat via a short finger pier at the bow and walk back on the side decks. The Admiral is always leaning on the sliding hatch while she steps down onto the bench. I was thinking of putting a hand hold where she puts her hands and another one on the other side just to even it out.

I don't normally walk on the hatch so I don't think it will be a trip hazard.

Thoughts?

does that hatch slide forward and aft if so put a 2 loop teak handrail across the rear of it running beam to beam and reinforce it on the underside

it will act like a truss and make the hatch some what stronger

 

[Benny17441]

I don't know, I always use the boom for balance when walking on the cabin top.

 

[Ted]

Before I drill holes in my boat

I don't think it's a good idea to attach a grab rail to an object that has the potential of moving just when you need the security of something stable. If there is the possibility that the companionway hatch could slide forward or aft, you might want to consider a fixed location in close proximity.

 

[Joe]

Why not put a length of line between the first and third rung of the existing grab rail with enough slack, or an elastic extension, so she can stand up, rather than lean over to the hatch for stability.

 

[caguy]

I second using the boom. When in rough water I step down onto the lower deck side passage way at the side shrouds using them for stability, then walk back to the cockpit using the handrails.

 

[Apex]

i'm with Ted, fix it to something non-moving. The existing grab rail is very close to where you are proposing? Can you dock stern in?

 

[Bill Roosa]

I'm clearly missing something. You walk down the side decks, don't walk on the hatch and there are hand rails in place right next to the side deck where your arrow points.
Why don't the existing hand rails work for your Admiral?

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I think it would work fine, provided your hatch doesn't slide too easily. If your wife can cause it to slide simply by grabbing it for support, then it may not be the best idea.

Guys, you're all missing the issue ... Ward's wife puts her hand on the top of the hatch when she is accessing the cockpit from the dock. She boards the boat probably aft of the shrouds and walks along the deck. placing her hand on the hatch because it is a little taller than the grab rail on the coach roof. She's not walking along the deck while underway (unless in smooth water possibly), she may have difficulty reaching down to the existing grab rail. She's not walking on the hatch.

Ward, if it is not in the way for you, it sounds like a good idea, if just a bit unconventional.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

I think it would work fine, provided your hatch doesn't slide too easily. If your wife can cause it to slide simply by grabbing it for support, then it may not be the best idea.

Guys, you're all missing the issue ... Ward's wife puts her hand on the top of the hatch when she is accessing the cockpit from the dock. She boards the boat probably aft of the shrouds and walks along the deck. placing her hand on the hatch because it is a little taller than the grab rail on the coach roof. She's not walking along the deck while underway (unless in smooth water possibly), she may have difficulty reaching down to the existing grab rail. She's not walking on the hatch.

Ward, if it is not in the way for you, it sounds like a good idea, if just a bit unconventional.

I'm with Scott here. Why not? Helps her, harms nothing - go for it

 

[Ward H]

I think it would work fine, provided your hatch doesn't slide too easily. If your wife can cause it to slide simply by grabbing it for support, then it may not be the best idea.

Guys, you're all missing the issue ... Ward's wife puts her hand on the top of the hatch when she is accessing the cockpit from the dock. She boards the boat probably aft of the shrouds and walks along the deck. placing her hand on the hatch because it is a little taller than the grab rail on the coach roof. She's not walking along the deck while underway (unless in smooth water possibly), she may have difficulty reaching down to the existing grab rail. She's not walking on the hatch.

Ward, if it is not in the way for you, it sounds like a good idea, if just a bit unconventional.

Scott is pretty close as to what is going on.

We enter at the bow between the Life Line Stanchion and Pulpit. She side steps aft using mast, shrouds and boom to hang on to. Just before the cockpit the combing swings in towards the cabin top creating a 5" to 6" spot she needs to step over to put her foot down to the bench seat.
The boom is not completely stationary and she is not very tall so she leans in and puts her hands on the hatch while she steps down.

The hatch has to be closed for her to do this and if there is any pull on the hatch, it is towards the side of the boat or aft and the hatch can not slide any further aft.
The existing hand rails are below knee height and too close to the side deck for her to use for balance.

I agree that a hand rail beam to beam could be an issue if someone needed to grab it because the pull would be fore or after and the hatch could slide but I don't think that is the case here.

I do appreciate all the comments. Gives me chance to make sure I considered all options.

 

[shemandr]

The mounting hardware has to clear the front of the companionway opening or the hood won't slide forward past where the hardware is. It may seem obvious and I'm sorry if you've already considered that. But before you drill….

 

[DAVA390]

How much trouble would it be to change Admirals??

 

[caguy]

There are also stanchions that might work for you. I had then on the Mac25 and they worked well as had holds. The C27 has a single stanchions pole and people are always using it as a hand hold and as a result it gets bent. I would like to replace that with a similar one.
Another solution that comes to mind is to enter the cockpit first and give her a hand down. The best way to maintain balance is to keep your weight over your feet. Leaning over for a hand hold throws you off balance.
Is it possible to enter the boat from the side by pulling it over to the dock temporarily. I know my wife would want noting to do with entering from the bow, even with steps.

 

[Joe]

How about docking stern in? At least for occasions when guests need to board. I know somebody asked that, but was just wondering what the objection would be.

 

[Ward H]

Joe,
We are at a sailing marina which is set up for bow in. Finger piers are tapered so I can pull the bow right up tight to the pier.
To help with launching and docking I have a bridle line setup which works real well.
Even with crew on board I launch and dock single handed. I pull into the bridle, slip on a spring line and leave the OB in forward while I take my time grabbing my stern and bow lines. This works in all wind strengths and directions.
My concern is if I back in I would have to drop the bridle and hope I am good enough not to touch the dock with the transom hung rudder or outboard.
Then when I pull the beam to the finger pier the pushpit will be right at the end of the pier and the mid beam will be encroaching onto the neighbors guide lines.

The spring of the first season in the marina we walked the entire marina looking for better options than we have now. Not one sailboat out of about 150 are stern in.

I might be able to move to the last bayside slip of the dock if one becomes available. They are at a premium because the T bulkhead has a 4' wide dock the length of the slip. There is a waiting list for those. I think there are only 4 out of 200 slips have that wide dock the length of the slip.

Besides, the Admiral has given firm orders. We are not moving. She loves the slip (3rd in from the end), loves the dock mates, loves the view, loves getting the wind and feels she can handle the boarding just fine. And of course there is more privacy bow in.

I just watched her get on and off a couple of times last week and thought the hand holds might give her a little more to grab on.

The photo is from the marina's website. prevailing wind is from the south, which is bow on with my slip. The red arrow points to my slip but the photo is a few years old.

And I thought about getting a new Admiral but would probably lose the boat.

Shemandr, good point. By eye it looked good but I need to measure. Hate to mount the rails and find the hatch only slides back a foot.

 

[Ward H]

To close out the story, we went to the boat last weekend. I watched the Admiral get on the boat, then showed her what I planned to do with the hand holds.
She said "No way your going to drill holes in our boat just to make it easier for me to get on and off."
Go figure.
On to the next project.

 

[shemandr]

Didn't see that coming.