What's the point of a toe rail?

demonboy

demonboy

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We're currently looking at either replacing or removing our teak deck altogether. I've been looking at boat deck designs and like the clean look of those without a toe (cat) rail. Since all my toerail does is collect dirty water and create horrible yellow stains down my topsides through the toe-rail drains, it got me thinking: what is the point of a toe-rail? Is it purely aesthetic? Would I be short-sighted to remove mine?
 
They can be a point to brace against when healing over, to attach blocks too (e.g. barber haulers), to gather rain water (Rival water tank fillers are positioned for this), cover/seal a deck to hull joint.
 
demonboy said:
what is the point of a toe-rail?
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None whatsoever if you only ever sail with roller furling on both sails, never set spinnakers or pole out the jib, and never ever leave the cockpit under sail.

Damn handy at keeping you on the boat in more sporty conditions if the above does not apply.
 
IMHO the prime reason for a toe rail is the stop anyone sliding under the lower section of the safety lines if anyone were to slip on a wet deck.

Toe rails are not only used on boats but all kinds of elevated walkways like scaffolding on the sides of building
 
guernseyman said:
The clue is in the name. I had a blind spot once, as a young boy, wondering what spokes were for on a bicycle wheel.
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Thanks for the useful answer. No, really.

None whatsoever if you only ever sail with roller furling on both sails, never set spinnakers or pole out the jib, and never ever leave the cockpit under sail.
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I never use the toe-rail for any of these reasons. My toe-rail is wooden, not aluminium, so I don't clip blocks or the like to it. Any line I run from outside (spinnaker or preventer) is run through fairleads or blocks attached to bow-roller. The only time it's used is when we're healed over and I'm winching at 30 degrees from outside the cockpit, so that's the only reason so far given in this thread for keeping it, or at least having it amidships (we're centre cockpit).

I've noticed on some modern boats they have 'half' toe-rails that stop before the anchor locker and many racing boats have none.
 
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flaming said:
None whatsoever if you only ever sail with roller furling on both sails, never set spinnakers or pole out the jib, and never ever leave the cockpit under sail.

Damn handy at keeping you on the boat in more sporty conditions if the above does not apply.
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And you forgot to say that, even if your entire boat is set up so that you "never" have to work on the foredeck, some day a SNAFU will occur which needs you to go forward, and it is in the way of things that it will occur in lumpy conditions making you want a toerail.
 
demonboy said:
Thanks for the useful answer. No, really.



I never use the toe-rail for any of these reasons. My toe-rail is wooden, not aluminium, so I don't clip blocks or the like to it. Any line I run from outside (spinnaker or preventer) is run through fairleads or blocks attached to bow-roller. The only time it's used is when we're healed over and I'm winching at 30 degrees from outside the cockpit, so that's the only reason so far given in this thread for keeping it, or at least having it amidships (we're centre cockpit).

I've noticed on some modern boats they have 'half' toe-rails that stop before the anchor locker and many racing boats have none.
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Racing boats don't have them because the crew is generally obliged to sit on the rail and having a toe rail would make life very awkward for them. If it wasn't for this they would have them because they're great for keeping all sorts of things, from people to screwdrivers, from going over the side.
 
Great for attaching a block for a Genoa sheet! Also, whilst struggling to grab my mooring with a boat hook the other day, I pulled the pick up buoy onto the foredeck and chucked the boat hook behind me to get a better grip on the rope - then realised what I'd done! I turned round to find the said boat hook nestling against the (good side) of the toe-rail. I really like toe-rails!
 
Without a toe-rail I'd be scared stiff of sliding under the guard-rails if moving about on deck under way. And as others have said, they can stop tools or other bits and pieces landing in the water!

You might like to note that the HSE REQUIRE toe-boards (same thing as toe-rails, really) for scaffolding (http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/scaffold.htm, about halfway down the page, just under "Precautions and Inspection").
 
Hal Roth describes getting rid of his toe rail and fastening nice bronze angles/stanchion bases to which he bolted a small bulwark about 3inches deep......in his book "After 50,000 miles"
 
Speak to Oyster before removal. Toe rail is often used as spreader for bolts holding hull/deck mouldings together. Standard on 435 seems to be aluminium holed rail, teak rails perhaps goes with teak deck option. They will know what you might "uncover". I am surprised Oyster don't have deck scuppers to drain below waterline like quality boats.
 
Woodlouse said:
Racing boats don't have them because the crew is generally obliged to sit on the rail and having a toe rail would make life very awkward for them.
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+1 - I've been rail meat on a cruiser / racer with standard aluminium toe-rails and bloody uncomfortable they were too!

It seems to be reasonably common for racy boats to have no toe-rails amidships where the ballast sits, but to have them forward of the mast where they can be of use to the crew working on the foredeck.

Pete
 
Yes, ISAF rules require them forward of the mast. Certainly, it is more comfortable to sit out without a toe rail, but you do need a fairly tight harness line if you are to overcome the continuous feeling of sliding unr the bottom guard wire and get to sleep on longish races!

Sailing on boats without toe rails reminds me why they are comforting and useful to have, particularly when cruising lightly crewed. A friend managed to slide straight under the wires of a Refelx 38 while winching - he did hand the winch handle to another crew member as he departed! I have solved the problem by retaining my toe rails and recruiting other people to sit, complaining, on the rail!
 
You can use it to tie fenders to.

IMG_1059_zps9641f0dd.jpg


Saves stretched guard wires.
 
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