Guardrail advice

[robyonfrome]

Just taken delivery of my new (to me) Jeanneau sun odyssey we had a sealine previous and it was easy for swimbo to sit on the side and slip onto a pontoon, but now we have a guardrail and she is very nervous of getting over it, maybe tripping and falling in between boat and pontoon. What I think I need is a gateway so she can undo the rail and sit on the side ready to hop off, can I cut the guardrail, is there anything I can use as a release shackle to unlatch, or will it make the hole guardrail collapse, any ideas!!

 

[William_H]

Guard rail

Yes many boats have a break in the guard rail to give easier access. The device used is a pelican hook. This enables the line to be broken but has a hook arrangement which enables the line to be attached then tightened up. It works a bit like a crude high field lever. The pelican hook is usually at the stern rail.
You can just open the wires and let them fall to the deck or on some boats they have 2 stanchions seperated by about .7 metre which is the gateway. If the stanchions are robust and braced the rest of the line canbe tight while the gateway is open. good luck olewill

 

[robyonfrome]

Is it easy to attach the pelican hook to the cut guard rail

 

[merlin3688]

If you have a local rigger near you they can easily cut the wires and fit this for you, I think also that you could use a self fit fitting from Sta Lok an Norseman and s do the work yourself. www.stalok.com will have some pictures. Hope this helps.

 

[pcatterall]

Yes to all the above but note that the potential strain on the stanchions if you secure to them.

 

[BlueLancer]

There's a picture of what is called a geriatric gap in Aprils PBO in an article called A Rebuild Revisited. it shows a gap in the Guard Wires with the stanchions supported by an angled rail tube.

 

[Greenheart]

Not sure if BlueLancer's reference is to what I'm thinking of;

...if rigid pieces of guardrail tubing are set diagonally between the footings of the next stanchions along from the 'gateposts' and the tops of the 'gateposts' themselves, then temporary breaking of the 'loop' won't slacken the guardrails round the deck.

It mightn't respond well to testing loads thrown about in boisterous seas, but it'll keep things shipshape at the dockside.

 

[theoldsalt]

Robyonfrome,

A properly engineered gap in the guardrail is a good idea.

However a member of the crew sitting on the side of the boat with legs dangling when going alongside is dangerous. If my crew did that they would soon get shouted at. Legs are far too valuable to chance being crushed.

 

[Tranona]

Just taken delivery of my new (to me) Jeanneau sun odyssey we had a sealine previous and it was easy for swimbo to sit on the side and slip onto a pontoon, but now we have a guardrail and she is very nervous of getting over it, maybe tripping and falling in between boat and pontoon. What I think I need is a gateway so she can undo the rail and sit on the side ready to hop off, can I cut the guardrail, is there anything I can use as a release shackle to unlatch, or will it make the hole guardrail collapse, any ideas!!

If you look at fitted boarding gates they are more than just cutting the wires. Effectively you are setting up two separate runs, so the gates has a more solid stanchion either side of the gate, usually with braces to the deck so that the permanent wires can be properly tensioned. The "gate" is then a short piece of wire with a pelican hook at one end. Retrofitting this is quite a big job and assumes that you have reinforcement in the deck to take the brace. Some boats have this built in where the gate is an option, but you will need to buy (or have made) 4 new stanchions.

In practical terms you may find it easier to practice getting over the guard wires by the shrouds and using the shrouds to hold on. Better still working out ways of mooring without anybody having to jump off the boat. There are various patent boat hooks that allow you to attach mooring warps while still on deck. On my home berth I have the warps permanently attached to the pontoon and hanging on a post on a hook, ready to be picked up as you go in. Entering another berth or alongside I have a warp ready to be hooked onto the first cleat and lead to a midship cleat on the boat. Once this is one the boat won't go anywhere and you can attach the other lines without leaping off and grabbing the boat while it is still moving. You probably need a bit of practice to find the best method for you.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Is she doing it "properly"?
Climb off at the shrouds (something to hold onto). Step over the rail and stand on the outboard side of the toe rail. Then step down.

Sorry if that sounds a little patronizing but I've found that women in particular seem to get it wrong. As it is a new boat it may just be a matter of getting used to it.

If you do fit a gate, the stanchions should really be properly reinforced so it will cost a few bob.

 

[reginaldon]

There's a picture of what is called a geriatric gap in Aprils PBO in an article called A Rebuild Revisited. it shows a gap in the Guard Wires with the stanchions supported by an angled rail tube.

I suppose my boat's a real geriatric's boat - no guard rails!

 

[robyonfrome]

many thanks guys, decided its easier to get a new swimbo lol.