Toe Rail...What's the Purpose...?

CPseudonym · Jan 14, 2012

I was pondering the same thing the other day. My boat has teak ones that are in pretty rough shape. I have 80' of 1/2" solid brass bar stock sitting in my shop rack doing nothing but collecting dust and was considering fabricating replacements with.

Engineering safety factor was all I could come up with for the large number of fasteners? I really don't know either.

Don S/V ILLusion · Jan 14, 2012

Squidd said:
substantial aluminum extrusion "thru bolted" every 6" the legnth of the boat...overkill for a "toe catcher"

It holds the deck and hull together and is intended to withstand a substantial load from flexing in a seaway. Depending om the boat, the hull/deck joint is not apparent externally but it's always a critical stress point.

dscribner · Jan 14, 2012

Don's right. (It's all in the name)

Boat hulls are made in two or more pieces then sealed and fastened together. Most (many) are through-bolted either through the toe rail or beneath it. My boat uses tapping screws through the top and sides at about 4" O.C. I'm not thrilled by that but it's kept her intact for 37 years. I can't complain.

Jackdaw · Jan 14, 2012

On lots of older boats (yours too maybe) the toe rail is used as a sheeting point for the genoa and/or spinnaker. You clip a snatch block thru the best hole and away you go.

Jackdaw · Jan 14, 2012

Squidd said:
I don't think my toe rail goes thru the deck/hull joint, I can see the joint "outside" on the vertical hull edge (along with attachment screws) under the "rub rail" that I'm replacing and didn't see a corresponding horizontal layer under the toe rail bolts (they are further in deck from the edge)

Ah, thats called an outward turning flange joint. Hunter uses that too.

Ross · Jan 14, 2012

The toe rail is a small concession towards a bulwark. As mentioned it helps to keep things from sliding off the deck. They may or may not cover the hull/deck joint. If they were six inches high they could be effective in keeping people from sliding over board.

MLampner · Jan 14, 2012

On older Hunters (the Cheribini's) it definitely is for sheeting the jib. Actually its a great system gives a larger number of possible positions to set a block than a track and car system would. Only trick to making it easy is to have two sets of blocks on each side using a snap block forward and if you are cheap like us, a closed block further back. The line always goes through the back block but depending on the wind and point of sail if you need the downward force of a block further forward you run the line through the forward block. Then if you want to change the sheeting point after a tack you can go forward and let the lazy sheet out by unsnapping the block and then come back over with the less acute angle for the sheet of a block set further back. Quick and easy and keeps the sheets further out that most track systems. I find even sheeted way in I can keep the genny off the spreaders more of the time.

shemandr · Jan 14, 2012

Not to mention providing a place to attach twings, short sheets, preventers, and bumpers, spring lines. Don't underestimate a toe catcher either! All in all if I were looking at two boats one with a metal toerail and one without- all else being the same- I would buy the one with the metal toe rail

Sandy Stone · Jan 15, 2012

One problem with sheeting the jib to the toe rail is that you are forced to make a decision on whether to lead the sheet inboard or outboard of the lifelines. Inboard, when you are sailing closehauled the sail sets well but when you ease sheets the sheet drapes over and chafes on the lifeline. Outboard, sailing free the sail sets well but when closehauled the foot of the sail is forced to drape over the lifeline, chafing and distorting its shape.
Some people get around this problem by leading the lifeline from the forward stanchion downward to the foot of the bow pulpit. Unfortunately, this puts the bow person in an exposed position with reduced protection from going overboard. (At least there's a toe rail).
Not a knock on boats rigged this way, there are plenty out there and I've owned a couple. Just a statement of fact.

higgs · Jan 15, 2012

Toe rails are called that because they do allow crew, sliding overboard, one last chance. The vast majority of toe rails are part of the hull/deck joint which makes them very strong attachment points. For boats with shrouds inboard of the toe rail, it does not offer a good place for sheet blocks when going upwind, but off the wind they can be a very effective mounting for a snatch block.

All in all, I strongly prefer some type of toe rail for security. As long as it it is there, one might as well make it a useful attachment place for a snap schackle.