Handrails on pop top?

AaronD

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Aug 10, 2014
723
Catalina 22 9874 Newberg, OR / Olympia, WA
Is there any reason I shouldn't consider moving the handrails on a 1981 to to the edge of the pop-top (shortened as necessary)?

I promised my son rope clutches - he wants the job of line management while raising and dousing sails, but he's not yet strong enough to uncleat the lines from the jam cleats we have now. And I need a little more room for clutches and lines on that narrow ledge.

We have jacklines running over the cabin top; I'm often clipped in, and the kids always are, so we aren't ultimately depending on the handrails. But the kids still need a little something to steady themselves on, so I'm not ready to remove the handrails completely (nor am I as talented at fabricating new mounts as @CloudDiver).
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
I just finished installing cabin top winches and single line rope clutches on a friends boat of the same vintage as your boat. I fabricated a spacer to go under the winches from some 1/2" thick black plastic stock, and trimmed the rear of the handrails so the line routing would accommodate everything. Because of the clockwise routing of the line on the winches, each side is different. I installed a halyard plate under the mast step, and turning blocks on the cabin top. Worked out fine, looks nice, and is functional.

If you move the handrails to the pop-top, the pop-top cover won't fit, and now you have extra holes to drill and the old holes to fill.

I have halyard winches on both sides of our MK-II, and dual rope clutches on each side. They really come in handy for me with the issues I have with my right shoulder from a couple accidents along the way.

Don
 
Sep 14, 2014
1,251
Catalina 22 Pensacola, Florida
do not put handrails on the poptop, it is not stable enough.