Deckhead fixings

[ducked]

Poignard, your plan looks like a good one. Also thanks - so that's what those things are called!

One question though: isn't it tricky to get the epoxy plug to bond to the top layer, from underneath? I've only managed to do that from the top... maybe I didn't use enough thickener.

Arent your teak external hand hold grab rails through bolted?

If so, I was assuming you could just replace whatever the bolt backing pad is with a mirror image teak internal hand hold grab rail. The two grab rails, inside and outside the coach roof, would back up each other, and you wouldnt have to worry much about bonding, since its all in compression.

You would have to worry about keeping water out of the core, as for any through hull fastner, and might also want to beef up the compressive strength of the bit of roof sandwiched between the two rails. I'd guess core replacement with epoxy filler around the bolt holes would achieve both.

Only snag I can think of is if your outside grab rails arent of a size and placement that suits the inside grab rails.

IF your teak external hand hold grab rails are secured with screws from the inside, which, though not as strong, avoids holes in them which need to be plugged, I suppose that might do, or you could replace with bolts.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Ducked, I'm not the original poster.

You're right that IF the position of outside grab rails was the same as wanted inside, you could through-bolt - a sort of "mirror image" arrangement - with no extra holes. Original poster donm seems not to want that, if I'm reading this thread right.

 

[Poignard]

Arent your teak external hand hold grab rails through bolted?

If so, I was assuming you could just replace whatever the bolt backing pad is with a mirror image teak internal hand hold grab rail. The two grab rails, inside and outside the coach roof, would back up each other, and you wouldnt have to worry much about bonding, since its all in compression.

You would have to worry about keeping water out of the core, as for any through hull fastner, and might also want to beef up the compressive strength of the bit of roof sandwiched between the two rails. I'd guess core replacement with epoxy filler around the bolt holes would achieve both.

Only snag I can think of is if your outside grab rails arent of a size and placement that suits the inside grab rails.

It has already been suggested that two handrails would be better, but he is insistent that he wants a single central handrail.

 

[justanothersailboat]

To be fair, he may have spare headroom in the middle but not under the coachroof rails.

 

[donm]

To be fair, he may have spare headroom in the middle but not under the coachroof rails.

 

[donm]

I fitted out a Trapper 500 from a hull and decks and the handrails were bolted back to back. These need to be on the centreline

 

[ducked]

Ducked, I'm not the original poster.

You're right that IF the position of outside grab rails was the same as wanted inside, you could through-bolt - a sort of "mirror image" arrangement - with no extra holes. Original poster donm seems not to want that, if I'm reading this thread right.

Yeh, sorry. Sometimes can be a fine line between making sure one is understood, and nagging.

Plus its a more elegant solution, (in the abstract, not having seen the boat or the OP's head) and its not often I get to champion elegance.

Re Not wanting two rails, I was interpreting "I have just enough for a double handrail" above (my bolding/italics for emphasis), as a shift in position, but apparently not.

 

[Metalicmike]

Just as a matter of interest, my sheet tracks are through bolted with nuts and washers and after an energetic sail they sometimes leak. I am changing the nuts and washers to mounting plates which should perform much better.