Swedish-style windscreen grab handles - where to get 'em?

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prv

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On Kindred Spirit, I was able to walk from cockpit to stemhead holding onto standing rigging all the way (running backstay, after shroud, forward shroud, forestay all within arm's reach of each other). By contrast, Ariam feels rather exposed as you walk past the forward end of the cockpit with the sprayhood up - there's nothing much to hold onto. This would be helped a great deal by some of those stainless grab-handles along the upper windscreen frame which I often see on Hallberg-Rassys and similar boats.

Does anyone know where to get these specific handles that mount onto the windscreen frame? The frame has a channel in it, and I assume the handles have a slug that goes into the channel and clamps up tight. Certainly the ones I saw on other boats didn't have obvious bolts or screws or a flange around the base of the handle.

Note I'm not looking for general purpose grab handles, I can find those easily. I'm after the specific ones for windscreen channels.

Cheers,

Pete
 
A lot of grab rails are fitted to the glass windows.
It is important when fitting them this way that the clearance hole has adequate space to allow for movement. I know of one Hallberg where the lack of clearance was given as the reason for the glass shattering.
 
Ta, that's a useful lead. Says it's only for their "new" windscreens, so probably unlikely to fit a 1998 boat, but I can ask them about it.

Pete
 
Talulah said:
A lot of grab rails are fitted to the glass windows.
Click to expand...

That's interesting. It would actually help a bit here as the frame mounting is liable to clash with the sprayhood - but I would be rather wary of retrofitting onto glass that wasn't designed for it.

Pete
 
Yes, I had something similar. Corrosion of the aluminium handle, where it bolts through the glass, resulted in the glass shattering when someone bumped heavily against the handle. £900 for the new glass from H-R plus fitting - I wasn't brave enought to 'gently bend' the glass into place - has made me very conscious of the state of the securing arrangement including the shaped, rubber washer! At least the new glass comes with a new handle plus securing washer and nut.
 
H-R changed their windscreen supplier in the early to mid-90s. My 1995 H-R 31 and all the 31s back to the first in 1991 have the 'new' screen and handles.
 
prv said:
That's interesting. It would actually help a bit here as the frame mounting is liable to clash with the sprayhood - but I would be rather wary of retrofitting onto glass that wasn't designed for it.
Click to expand...

You wouldn't be able to anyway - you can't drill holes in toughened glass.
 
but you can just have a new piece of toughened glass made with the holes in it.

The front section of my screen broke mysteriously in the boat yard, I paid about €30 euros to have it cut from a pattern and toughened.

Not sure that HR screens contain curved sections, certainly the older type is made up of flat sections, fitted together at angles.

In any case curved toughened glass is available readily from specialists, any toughening plant will do it or will know of someone that can do it.

Hr quoted me approx €5000 for a new screen, yikes.

regards

Tony.
 
pandos said:
Not sure that HR screens contain curved sections, certainly the older type is made up of flat sections, fitted together at angles.
Click to expand...

To be clear, the boat's not a Hallberg-Rassy - I just want to copy their handles.

The front section of my windscreen is curved, but I think the sides (where the handles would go) are flat. However, even though HR do it, I'm not terribly keen on bolting grab handles to glass.

If HR have always mounted theirs in the glass, then it must have been another kind of boat I was looking at.

Pete
 
An alternative approach is to fit a handrail to the aft edge of the spray hood. When I got a semi-kit spray hood from Martex I paid an extra £100 for one of these in ss. I find that one hand on this lets me step out of the cockpit and reach a handrail in front of the hood with my other hand before letting go. It's also quite good for giving a bit of stability while standing in the cockpit when things are bouncy.
 
pandos said:
Not sure that HR screens contain curved sections, certainly the older type is made up of flat sections, fitted together at angles.
Click to expand...

Don't know how old you're talking, but the triangular side sections of my 1990 HR windscreen are certainly curved. Take a closer look at yours!
 
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