Bent Starboard Stern Rail

Jul 8, 2020
11
Hunter 310 Kings Point
Would love to erase this memory of the angry pylon that took a swing at our railing. Does anyone have any good ideas for bending this back without taking it off?
6F2CAE20-FC40-4F17-8AE3-597052A69FE2.jpeg
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Next time on the hard, you might try one of these on a pile of cinder blocks...

1620252657173.png


Apply a little at a time and let it sit a few days... then apply a little more and let it sit a few days... etc.

:meh: Just a guess
 
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Likes: Necessity
Jan 3, 2020
53
Hunter 27 Hoboken
Bending cold is better than heat, it will discolor if it gets hot. Making a jig might help it get closer to original shape.
 
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Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
I hit a piling with my bow pulpit, bent the front hoop down. I asked the yard owner about it. Boat was in the water. He said with the boat on the hard, he uses a forklift to lift the loop back to level.
He continued that with the boat in the water he does this. He walked over to the bow, grabbed the loop and lifted up hard, lifting the loop back into place. Simple.
 
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Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
SS tubing is pretty malleable to a point. As other posters have suggested, using some leverage to raise it back into position should do the trick. Worst case, if it cracks in the process, a rail maker shop can repair it to look just like new. That little of a bend should not be a problem with some leverage to raise it back into position.
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
I have bent miles of electrical steel tubing which is very similar to your stainless tubing. Hard to tell from you photo, but if the ninety degree bend is overbent now, you can straighten it out by rolling it out on a flat surface like a floor. Unbending without a backup surface may create a reverse bend in another spot. You may be able to insert a wooden block behind the bend and straighten it out in place.
 

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
I had a slightly bent bow pulpit once, no kinks. The boat was on the hard and in its cradle. The yard guys brought over their fork lift, and we attached a Comealong to the bent section and the forklift, pulling the pulpit back over center until springback brought it back to proper position.
 
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May 17, 2004
5,028
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
I had a slightly bent bow pulpit once, no kinks. The boat was on the hard and in its cradle. The yard guys brought over their fork lift, and we attached a Comealong to the bent section and the forklift, pulling the pulpit back over center until springback brought it back to proper position.
Yep, I’ve seen the come along trick used too on a boat that I crewed on, in my case while the boat was in the water. It was a little scary though - lots of tension on the strap and on the dock lines. It also put a concerning amount of strain on the deck fittings. @RoyS ’s idea of finding a place for a wooden block to back the force might help prevent any damage to the deck attachments.
 
Jul 8, 2020
11
Hunter 310 Kings Point
Thank you for all the advice- someone had listed a few specialists that specialize in stainless steel repairs and they are scheduled for tomorrow morning. So far all the phone conversations were extremely professional regarding the scope of work. More to come-