Straightening pulpit

[catlotion]

Our boat had a little accident at some point in the past (not us!) leaving it with quite a badly bent pulpit.

Does anyone have any good ideas for straightening it?

I was thinking maybe tying the boat securely at the bow in the marina and using some ratchet straps somehow to pull it back into shape. It's mainly the port side in attached photo - you can see behind the furling mechanism how badly the front-end is pulled to port too...

would rather not remove it for now (got lots of other jobs too!)

Toby

 

[johnalison]

A friend of ours had a pulpit straightened by a firm specialising in S/S work. He was told to make himself scarce while they did the job if he was sensitive. They inserted a very long piece of timber into the pulpit and used brute force. I don't think you can expect a perfect job but you should be able to make it look ok. I have to admit that I had mine done too.

 

[2Tizwoz]

A couple of pieces of timber strapped together at the ends of the tubes that are bent and a jack should do it in a measured manner.

It looks like its primarily the lower horizontal tube and the front upright tube that need attention.

 

[voyager35]

Long leavers and controlled brute force, but remember to brace the tubes you don't need to move

 

[alahol2]

I've recently straightened my pushpit via various combinations of stout wooden shores and ropes onto the sheet winches. Frightening whilst in progress but it worked and the pushpit is now (almost) back where it should be.

 

[rob2]

All good ideas, but be careful not to strain the mountings whilst you're swinging a ten foot lever or you'll have wet bedding in the forepeak!

Rob.

 

[ianabc]

using a formed metal piece

Using a formed metal piece approx the opposite of the pipe that is on the pulpit
and a hydraulic jack
it is a straight forward job to align the tubes.

I have seen mangled tube and even mangled thick walled stainless steel water pipe fixed this way.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

All good ideas, but be careful not to strain the mountings whilst you're swinging a ten foot lever or you'll have wet bedding in the forepeak!

Rob.

+1

As long as the welds/joins/attachements of the framework are all good and cannot be further compromised.

 

[Billjratt]

I've used big planks successfully before but only levering against the components of the steel structure. I would be very wary of using the attachment to the hull as an anchor against leverage.
You will get leaks! at best...

 

[mdonnelly]

Had a bent SS stanchion which myself and a helper tried to straighten by standing and then gently bouncing on it! It cracked unfortunately! Brought it to a SS fabricator who said u should only try to straighten SS after heating it. He straightened it and welded it at close to the price of a new one :-(

 

[Fantasie 19]

Our boat had a little accident at some point in the past (not us!) leaving it with quite a badly bent pulpit.

Does anyone have any good ideas for straightening it?

I was thinking maybe tying the boat securely at the bow in the marina and using some ratchet straps somehow to pull it back into shape. It's mainly the port side in attached photo - you can see behind the furling mechanism how badly the front-end is pulled to port too...

would rather not remove it for now (got lots of other jobs too!)

Toby

Leave it - it's hardly noticeable, you have other jobs to do, and then you need to go sailing...

 

[PlankWalker]

I had a similar bend in my pulpit and managed to straighten it in situ, such that even I cant see where it was. The trick is to apply force in exactly the opposite direction to the impact point (in my case with a turfer but a ratchet strap would do), such that it over compensates and when the force is released it springs back to its rightful shape. Go for it.

Plank

 

[KREW2]

I was hit by someone whilst moored, who never owned up. I ended up with pulpit bent skywards. Not wanting to strain the boat, I removed it and straightened it by making a Spanish windlass to pull it back into shape. I also had to use the same technique to realign the bolt holes when refitting onto the bow as they were a tad out.

 

[MARGETTS]

I too had a badly bent pullpit. 25mm stainless tube will not be straightenable in situ on your boat. The forces required are large and will damage the fastening points to your deck. To use brute force, the pullpit needs to be firmly clamped. This is impossible in situ. It will flex like a spring.

I removed it and posted it to work 160 miles away (it was too big to fit into a large saloon car ). I laid it on the concrete floor, applyed a lot of heat from an oxt acetylene torch
(glowing red at the bent areas ) and gently pushed it back into shape with my foot ( not directly on the heated area. ) A quick polish and it was as good as new. Total repair time under 10 mins. I then posted it back to the marina.

Could you speak to a local engineer/ fabricator/ mechanic/ anyone with a torch ( local to your boat) who could replicate this for you. If you found somebody to do this, you could remove, repair and refit in a morning. Well worth a good drink for somebody. For a new pullpit I was quoted just under £1000

 

[Heckler]

A couple of pieces of timber strapped together at the ends of the tubes that are bent and a jack should do it in a measured manner.

It looks like its primarily the lower horizontal tube and the front upright tube that need attention.

+1, I used a scissor jack to straighten the SS entrance support on my Bene.
Stu