Fitting Stanchions to the Toe Rail

[Vertor]

Hello, I am seeking advice. Having just fitted a new teak deck on my Nic 40, I am looking for ideas on how to fit stanchions to the toe rail rather than drilling holes through the deck. I have looked at having some bespoke stainless fitting made which would fit over the toe rail - a sort of upside down U design, but the cost is simply not justifiable. I have searched the internet but not yet come up with an off the shelf solution. Any suggestions, please?

 

[Refueler]

I have a smaller yacht - but the stanchions are fitted by L shaped brackets inverted. Basically the half U you talk about. I believe these L brackets can be bought separately.

To fit them - originally they were machine bolted to the GRP toe rails but as you can imagine over the years they started to work loose as the GRP lost its 'thread'.
The L bracket is placed on the toe rail so that the vertical is on the INBOARD edge and the horizontal sits on top. There are 4 bolts .. one either side on top and two at side ...



Sorry about the rope hiding it a bit ... but I think you get the idea. Mine are one piece mount and stanchion ... but I have seen them as two piece.

I found it was near impossible to get up into the toe-rail so I employed another solution :

Carefully drilling so the insert fitted enough to hold but not so tight that when bolt inserted - the spread did not split or craze the GRP / GEL ............ they've been there for ~12 years now and so far holding fine.

 

[Vertor]

I have a smaller yacht - but the stanchions are fitted by L shaped brackets inverted. Basically the half U you talk about. I believe these L brackets can be bought separately.

To fit them - originally they were machine bolted to the GRP toe rails but as you can imagine over the years they started to work loose as the GRP lost its 'thread'.
The L bracket is placed on the toe rail so that the vertical is on the INBOARD edge and the horizontal sits on top. There are 4 bolts .. one either side on top and two at side ...

View attachment 95314

Sorry about the rope hiding it a bit ... but I think you get the idea. Mine are one piece mount and stanchion ... but I have seen them as two piece.

I found it was near impossible to get up into the toe-rail so I employed another solution :

Carefully drilling so the insert fitted enough to hold but not so tight that when bolt inserted - the spread did not split or craze the GRP / GEL ............ they've been there for ~12 years now and so far holding fine.

Thank you Refuler, that is exactly the sort of thing I am looking for. Might you have any idea where I could buy some "off the shelf"?

 

[oz-1]

Hello Vertor, on my 22' sailing boat the toe rail is 4'' high. What i did was nearly the same as Refueler, but instead of an 'L' shape, i just had flat stainless steel bar ( 5''x2''x 1/4''thick ) welded across the bottom of the stanchion, this gave 2'' either side of the stantion. i drilled one hole each side to take a 10mm bolt. As the toe rail is solid grp ( about 30mm thick) i used nuts and bolts to secure the stantions. I built' Gienah' in 1993 and the stantions are still solid. I hope this is of some help to you. Best regards, Oz.

 

[coopec]

Hello, I am seeking advice. Having just fitted a new teak deck on my Nic 40, I am looking for ideas on how to fit stanchions to the toe rail rather than drilling holes through the deck. I have looked at having some bespoke stainless fitting made which would fit over the toe rail - a sort of upside down U design, but the cost is simply not justifiable. I have searched the internet but not yet come up with an off the shelf solution. Any suggestions, please?

My stanchions are 900 mm high so the forces on them if a weighty person hit them with force would be phenomenal. No way could I fit them to the toe-rail!

Toerail mount stanchion bases

 

[Refueler]

Thank you Refuler, that is exactly the sort of thing I am looking for. Might you have any idea where I could buy some "off the shelf"?

Sorry no idea .... I would have to spend time online searching out .....

The stanchions on my boat were there when I bought her many years ago.

I am lucky that if I want any stainless gear - I have a pal who runs a metal workshop ...

 

[Refueler]

Hello Vertor, on my 22' sailing boat the toe rail is 4'' high. What i did was nearly the same as Refueler, but instead of an 'L' shape, i just had flat stainless steel bar ( 5''x2''x 1/4''thick ) welded across the bottom of the stanchion, this gave 2'' either side of the stantion. i drilled one hole each side to take a 10mm bolt. As the toe rail is solid grp ( about 30mm thick) i used nuts and bolts to secure the stantions. I built' Gienah' in 1993 and the stantions are still solid. I hope this is of some help to you. Best regards, Oz.

I tried similar with mine - but the cavity of the Toe-Rail on my boat is tapered. I had some stainless plates made up to double inside for nuts to bear on - but couldn't get up to the face underneath.

If I was to do it again ? Unlikely as the system I used is still holding ... I might consider filling in the Toe-Rail cavity with expanding foam and then a plate under

 

[Refueler]

My stanchions are 900 mm high so the forces on them if a weighty person hit them with force would be phenomenal. No way could I fit them to the toe-rail!

Toerail mount stanchion bases

Most guard lines and stanchions are only of a height to save a child !! If an adult was to hit them - most likely they would topple over due to the height into the water.

Regardless of how strong they are mounted etc. - I always tell people NOT to rely on them ....

 

[coopec]

Most guard lines and stanchions are only of a height to save a child !! If an adult was to hit them - most likely they would topple over due to the height into the water.

Regardless of how strong they are mounted etc. - I always tell people NOT to rely on them ....

I couldn't agree more.

I read earlier today that work-boats should have attach points for harnesses at least every three meters. Wow! (I'll have to look at that )

I plan to install safety netting . (Not much point if stanchions are only 600 mm tall though)

 

[Mudisox]

Also, teach your crew to attach the fenders to the toerail or station base ,if you want to avoid putting a load on the horizontal plane of the stations with subsequent crazing. AND stop folk pulling themselves onboard by the stantions [unless they were MOB.]

 

[Refueler]

Also, teach your crew to attach the fenders to the toerail or station base ,if you want to avoid putting a load on the horizontal plane of the stations with subsequent crazing. AND stop folk pulling themselves onboard by the stantions [unless they were MOB.]

The other ones to add to that ... no pulling on Lifebuoy holders ... VHF antenna's .... on pushpit rails !!

 

[coopec]

On work boats you are supposed to have a harness anchor point at least every three meters.

Do you think the base of my stanchions (which will not be fitted to the toe rail) would be an acceptable anchor point?

 

[rogerthebodger]

On work boats you are supposed to have a harness anchor point at least every three meters.

Do you think the base of my stanchions (which will not be fitted to the toe rail) would be an acceptable anchor point?


View attachment 95333

Clive

That design is similar to the ones I made for my previous fero boat that bolted through deck

I made my bases separate from the base so that when the stanchion gets bent It can be removed and either straightened or replaced without having to unbolt under the deck

I made mine like these but with 4 support bars. for 32 mm stainless stanchions.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Hello, I am seeking advice. Having just fitted a new teak deck on my Nic 40, I am looking for ideas on how to fit stanchions to the toe rail rather than drilling holes through the deck. I have looked at having some bespoke stainless fitting made which would fit over the toe rail - a sort of upside down U design, but the cost is simply not justifiable. I have searched the internet but not yet come up with an off the shelf solution. Any suggestions, please?

How about these

But they need to be through bolted a solid toe rail as they can be subjected to a very high load when a crew member falls against the safety rail.


BOATS STAINLESS STEEL DECK RAIL FITTINGS. 25MM.

 

[Graham376]

My stanchions are 900 mm high so the forces on them if a weighty person hit them with force would be phenomenal. No way could I fit them to the toe-rail!

Toerail mount stanchion bases

Funny remark, the bases you link to have been fitted to many Moody models for 30+ years with few (if any) failures. As well as the two horizontal bolts, one goes vertically down through toe rail and deck.

 

[coopec]

Funny remark, the bases you link to have been fitted to many Moody models for 30+ years with few (if any) failures. As well as the two horizontal bolts, one goes vertically down through toe rail and deck.

Have there been no stanchion failures over the 30+ years? ( I've been looking for the stats. Do you have a link?)

What are the heights of the Moody stanchions? I really doubt they'd be 900 mm high but I could be wrong. Do you have access to the specifications because I have had no luck. I've been looking at stanchions "off-the-shelf" and they are around 600mm

Of course the force on a 900 mm stanchion would be 50% more than on a 600 mm stanchion)



Wanted - Stanchion bases

 

[Graham376]

Have there been no stanchion failures over the 30+ years? ( I've been looking for the stats. Do you have a link?)

What are the heights of the Moody stanchions? I really doubt they'd be 900 mm high but I could be wrong. Do you have access to the specifications because I have had no luck. I've been looking at stanchions "off-the-shelf" and they are around 600mm

Let's just say I can't find any "failures in normal use" when trawling MOA site. My Moody alloy stanchion tops measure 630mm from deck. Our step fender is adjacent to to shrouds but invariably people haul themselves up by hanging on to a stanchion and (so far) no breakages or bending.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Let's just say I can't find any "failures in normal use" when trawling MOA site. My Moody alloy stanchion tops measure 630mm from deck. Our step fender is adjacent to to shrouds but invariably people haul themselves up by hanging on to a stanchion and (so far) no breakages or bending.

The real issue with any aluminium stanchion bases is if a stainless steel stanchion is fitted without proper insulation the corrosion will cease the stanchion into be base so the only way to remove the stanchion is to break the base. Stainless steel screws will also make it almost impossible to remove from the deck/toe rail.

IMHO a stanchion that is only 630 mm from deck is just the right height to tip anyone over the safety lines. Crutch height is IMHO the minimum.

I also have tubular hand rails on top of my stanchions all around the deck.

 

[Refueler]

The real issue with any aluminium stanchion bases is if a stainless steel stanchion is fitted without proper insulation the corrosion will cease the stanchion into be base so the only way to remove the stanchion is to break the base. Stainless steel screws will also make it almost impossible to remove from the deck/toe rail.

IMHO a stanchion that is only 630 mm from deck is just the right height to tip anyone over the safety lines. Crutch height is IMHO the minimum.

I also have tubular hand rails on top of my stanchions all around the deck.

That's fine IF the boat is large and designed for such height ...

Its also why many 'old-timers' say not to fit them ... and I have to agree that after fitting them to my Alacrity 19 many years ago - I wish I hadn't ... it was the wife who insisted because of the young kids.

 

[rogerthebodger]

That's fine IF the boat is large and designed for such height ...

Its also why many 'old-timers' say not to fit them ... and I have to agree that after fitting them to my Alacrity 19 many years ago - I wish I hadn't ... it was the wife who insisted because of the young kids.

Yes you are correct of cause my boat is built for crossing oceans and SWMBO is afraid of me going over the side.