Installing new grab rails on deck of Hunter27-1977

[WayneC]

I recently purchased a Hunter 27' . The deck grab rails are in poor shape. I wouldlike to take them off, but unsure how. I think they look as if they are some how bolted through the deck and plugs are put in the channels for the bolts drilled right through the fixtures. I have no idea what to do; whether to drill these plugs out and install new rails or take my inside room of the cabin apart...or what? I don't see any screws at all in the cabin roof....does it have any? Anyway, how the heck do I go about this project....new rails are only about 50 bucks each...Second question: I noticed on a later version of my boat a beautiful front hatch cover made out of plexiglass or something suchlike. Can you buy these for my year of Hunter? The one I have needs work or to be taken out to the garbage.Truly, WayneC

 

[s sauer]

Removing Hand Rails

Sand the tops of the old hand rails including the ends till you see where there are teak plugs usually about three inches from each end and maybe every support point that touches the deck. Cut the head off a 1-1/2" wood screw and insert that cut end in your portable drill. Drill straight down into the teak plugs and the will rise and split out of the openings in the hand rail revealing the heads of the long wood screws that hold the rails to the cabintop. Buy new teak plugs when you buy the hand rails and put a little dab of wood glue in the holes before you tap them in. Use a wood chisel and sandpaper to carefully level the new plugs with the new hand rails.

 

[Terry Arnold]

S. Sauer addendum

S. Sauer has it right. Finish over the bungs (plugs) should be sanded off even if you can clearly see them. Sanding them off reduces the possibility of breakout of the surrounding teak when they are lifted out. You may find with the handrails off that all they need is refinishing. Teak seems to last forever. If original, the attaching wood screws are bronze phillips head and very soft, so be very careful not to so mar the head with the jacking woodscrew used to lift out the bung. As a variation of Saur's instruction aimed at minimizing damage to the attaching screw head make a 1/8" pilot hole for your jacking wood screw by drilling straight down through the bung gingerly feeling for the underlying screw head. File the point off the jacking screw. With the bung out examine the top of the now exposed rail attaching screw and use a mallet to firmly seat a proper sized phillips head screwdriver before attempting to take out the screw. In reatttaching the rails, replace any damaged bronze with same size stainless.