Launched my 1985 last weekend. Found this after docking. I'm sure I can take it off to get welded. Just thinking its a really weak area on how it's manufactured. Thoughts? Always wondered why the port side was welded by a prior owner.
Hunter 23 stanchion. Design flaw?
- Thread starter chrisandmolly
- Start date
Hi, I've had one of mine break, and had it welded. I warn guests that the life lines and stanchions are for emergencies only, and not to pull or push on them while walking up the side of the boat, if possible.
-Chris
-Chris
I would think there would have been a inner solid post that the stanchion would be screwed into. It is a fragile set up. Oh well time to read up on rebedding with butyl tape. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.
I had two of mine break this year and after I took them off I thought it was because of the design! So I took all of them off and had them welded. I think they are stronger now and should uphold to a lot of abuse!
I have seen over the years stanchions fail for a variety of reasons to include guests or others alike to include both children and adults lean on those. After a long time, the welded bases become weak and have to be repaired. Other reasons also include the banging of the stanchions against projections from docks, boat strikes and gosh who knows what else. They have served their purpose for many years and like any other equipment need repair just like cars, houses, tools and so on. To say a design flaw after all these years of use I would tend to disagree.
I totally understand what your saying Dave and appreciate your input on this and all the other posts that you contribute to. However, with this particular stanchion, I would have thought some sort of solid metal post that the hollow stanchion tube would fit onto or a collar coming up from the base plate would eliminate the stress on the area. Its really just a small weld (?) that holds the stanchion pole to the base plate.
Lifelines are there for safety reason and the stanchion is an integral part of the setup. Just a heads up for the 23 owners out there. Seems like there are a few owners that have had the same issue. I'm sure for most of us, like me, we really don't use the lifelines for their intended use but for guiding the boat at the dock etc. Time/use will certainly weaken this area but I feel the design isnt helping as well.
Lifelines are there for safety reason and the stanchion is an integral part of the setup. Just a heads up for the 23 owners out there. Seems like there are a few owners that have had the same issue. I'm sure for most of us, like me, we really don't use the lifelines for their intended use but for guiding the boat at the dock etc. Time/use will certainly weaken this area but I feel the design isnt helping as well.
I look at a car and after 25 years of usage, they too wear out. Stanchions go thru a lot which is why I always looked at boats coming into the yard to point out to the customers if they were 10 years or more.
That is just a bad design. With the loop of SS brace, it is 'designed' to take a load pushing OUTWARD ( like you falling off), but much less INWARD. I'm guessing that they will snap like that with a fairly decent push on the top in an inward direction.
But its very unlikely that Hunter designed that part..... I'b bet that it was an off-the-shelf bit that they bought wholesale to put on their smaller boats.
But its very unlikely that Hunter designed that part..... I'b bet that it was an off-the-shelf bit that they bought wholesale to put on their smaller boats.
like any structure, stanchions posts can and will fail when subjected to more stress than they were designed for.... and not all are created equal. some are stronger than others.
that style of stanchion will take more stress outward than it will inward... the weld is light at the bottom of the tube, or possibly even non existent....
life lines ARE NOT hand rails... they werent designed as handrails and they wont work as handrails.
installed handrails are a much better choice if you need something to hang onto when moving about the foredeck.
with an outward force, such as someone falling over and hanging on to it, the stanchion will take as much stress as the tube will allow before it folds/bends at the gusset link... or it rips out of the deck.
but when the stress is inward, such as someone hanging on to it in rough conditions, or helping to maneuver the boat at the dock, or getting up against some other protrusion, or from another boat, the stanchion may fold inward rather than ripping out of the deck.
the stanchion you show may be flawed, or it may have worked according to its design, but either way, I would rather have one of my stanchions do exactly that when it gets against something solid, rather than bending or be pulled loose from the deck.... that is an easy fix without any leftover scars.
and you can weld it up as solid as you want so next time the picture you show will be different, but whenever they are used as a hand rails and hand holds, bent and loose stanchions are very common..
that style of stanchion will take more stress outward than it will inward... the weld is light at the bottom of the tube, or possibly even non existent....
life lines ARE NOT hand rails... they werent designed as handrails and they wont work as handrails.
installed handrails are a much better choice if you need something to hang onto when moving about the foredeck.
with an outward force, such as someone falling over and hanging on to it, the stanchion will take as much stress as the tube will allow before it folds/bends at the gusset link... or it rips out of the deck.
but when the stress is inward, such as someone hanging on to it in rough conditions, or helping to maneuver the boat at the dock, or getting up against some other protrusion, or from another boat, the stanchion may fold inward rather than ripping out of the deck.
the stanchion you show may be flawed, or it may have worked according to its design, but either way, I would rather have one of my stanchions do exactly that when it gets against something solid, rather than bending or be pulled loose from the deck.... that is an easy fix without any leftover scars.
and you can weld it up as solid as you want so next time the picture you show will be different, but whenever they are used as a hand rails and hand holds, bent and loose stanchions are very common..
Centerline, interesting point on the design folding on itself rather than ripping out of the deck. I'll take the folding any day!