geronimo
Active Member
I wonder why so few sailing boats have firm guardrails made of s/s tube rather than wire. To my knowledge only Nauticat and Amel routinely install them. Solid guard rails seem like a much safer option. Any particular reason?
Guard Rails (wire vs. tube)
- Thread starter geronimo
- Start date
mitiempo
Well-Known Member
It's easier to install stanchions and run a few wires through them than to engineer and attach a solid welded rail. It is less expensive as well. And if you bang a dock or pier with wire lifelines they will give a bit. A solid rail will suffer damage.
A neighbour left a few months ago from Victoria and is now in San Diego on his way to Panama and the Caribbean. He has a Westsail 32 and it has solid rails, the only smaller boat I think I have ever seen with them.
A neighbour left a few months ago from Victoria and is now in San Diego on his way to Panama and the Caribbean. He has a Westsail 32 and it has solid rails, the only smaller boat I think I have ever seen with them.
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
Wire Guard Rail Advantages
Some reasons spring to mind: ease of installation as tolerances are not so critical, lower cost perhaps, easy to remove or slacken off for over the side access, tolerant to side loads through flexing.
Some reasons spring to mind: ease of installation as tolerances are not so critical, lower cost perhaps, easy to remove or slacken off for over the side access, tolerant to side loads through flexing.
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Nauticat teak....
Our Nauticat (as most Nauticats) has a solid teak handrail. It does offer a great feeling of something secrure to hold on to when on deck in a bit of a blow. I really don't like the wire guardrails seen on most yachts; they don't offer the same feeling of security for me. However I am very conscious that the fixed handrail arrangement does offer disadvantage if ever I had to get a man overboard back on the boat. Rule no.1; don't fall off!
Rob
Our Nauticat (as most Nauticats) has a solid teak handrail. It does offer a great feeling of something secrure to hold on to when on deck in a bit of a blow. I really don't like the wire guardrails seen on most yachts; they don't offer the same feeling of security for me. However I am very conscious that the fixed handrail arrangement does offer disadvantage if ever I had to get a man overboard back on the boat. Rule no.1; don't fall off!
Rob
Poignard
Well-Known Member
A couple of days ago I was berthed next to a pilot boat in Cowes and it struck me how much more practical her rails were than my wire ones.
A pilot boat obviously cannot have guardrails mounted on the toe-rail because they would soon get smashed up when going alongside ships. Instead she has a strong tubular steel rail mounted well inboard around the edge of the coach roof. Something really hefty to hang on to (or to clip on to).
http://www.seawardboat.com/T42Pilot.html
My wire rail stanchions are, like everyone elses, mounted on the toe rail where they are vulnerable to damage by other mishandled boats (or by me
). They also hinder you when stepping ashore with shore lines. I have also tripped over them a few times. And if I went overboard they would greatly increase the difficulty of climbing back on board.
If it wasn't for the risk of devaluing the boat I would be very tempted to fit pilot boat style rails made of stainless steel and perhaps incorporating a boom gallows at the after end of the coachroof.
A pilot boat obviously cannot have guardrails mounted on the toe-rail because they would soon get smashed up when going alongside ships. Instead she has a strong tubular steel rail mounted well inboard around the edge of the coach roof. Something really hefty to hang on to (or to clip on to).
http://www.seawardboat.com/T42Pilot.html
My wire rail stanchions are, like everyone elses, mounted on the toe rail where they are vulnerable to damage by other mishandled boats (or by me
). They also hinder you when stepping ashore with shore lines. I have also tripped over them a few times. And if I went overboard they would greatly increase the difficulty of climbing back on board.If it wasn't for the risk of devaluing the boat I would be very tempted to fit pilot boat style rails made of stainless steel and perhaps incorporating a boom gallows at the after end of the coachroof.
prv
Well-Known Member
Well, that and the fact that the pilot wouldn't be able to get off
Yep - these usually have a traveller running on them so that people on deck can be clipped on with a very short lanyard, the traveller running along just next to their hip. I've never seen a pilot clipped on (not rough enough I guess) but the deckhand who goes forward to help him sometimes has been.
(When I sail on Stavros, setting up the pilot gate is usually one of my duties.)
Pete