Winter rail project almost finished.

S

seabeagle

New member
I've almost finished my grab rail project on my 16. The object was mainly to have a rail to grab onto when I step out of the side of the camperback and move to the rear of the boat. The camperback itself has nothing to hold on to. I incoporated in the design a simple engine guard and ladder to reach the top. Although it's strong enough to hold my 150 lbs, the top might have a future for storage of light items or a raft instead of me. I still need to clean up and polish the welds a little more and permanently mount the bases. The design might not be the most appealing to everyone but, I've been dreaming of this since I installed the camperback last July. Here's a couple of pics of it and my album has more.

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14_G.sized.jpg
 
I think that is an incredible piece of work. It doesn’t matter what some people might think or wonder about it, and truly, that is a part of its appeal in my opinion. That structure is a work of art in addition to its practical applications. I like it.
 
Nice job and I see you've become quit handy with the tubing bender and tig machine. Maybe next a tuna tower? With your tools and skills I'll bet you could easily get into Custom Radar Arch construction, dingy racks, davits and the like since you apparently like the work.
 
You do nice work and have many interesting dockside conversations in your future.
The first thing that came to mind for me was the roll cage on those mini dirt track race cars.
Also, you may want to invest in a hammock now that you have a place to hang the 2nd end.
 
Holy Guacamole - Wowie Kazowie
That's a work of art mate. Great weld points and polishing and nice bends.
I'm curious about your comment on your picture - it holds your weight but you won't make a habit of it.
Does the rail mount position on the roof of the cabin proceed through the roof or only into the roof?
I would suggest if you employed backing plates on the inside of the cabin roof and through-bolted the rail on the cabin top, you could hold your weight without exception since I'd think throughbolts would tighten her up quite smartly.
 
eNORMous":1eottmuc said:
Holy Guacamole - Wowie Kazowie
That's a work of art mate. Great weld points and polishing and nice bends.
I'm curious about your comment on your picture - it holds your weight but you won't make a habit of it.
Does the rail mount position on the roof of the cabin proceed through the roof or only into the roof?
I would suggest if you employed backing plates on the inside of the cabin roof and through-bolted the rail on the cabin top, you could hold your weight without exception since I'd think throughbolts would tighten her up quite smartly.
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All of the bolts go through and each will have a 1 1/4 " flat washer and lock nut on the back. I could make a back plate but I'll need to sand the inside of the fiberglass to make it smooth for a flush fit. As for my weight, I'm just afraid that after climbing on it repeatedly, the fiberglass will start to crack. But I do want a crow's nest up there now. :wink
 
Sea Beagle I'm curious if I may ask where are you purchasing your tubing? I've collected a big supply of ss 3/4 and 1 inch pipe and angle iron over the years (scrap from jobs) but while I had the opportunity never got any tubing. What I've priced has been ridiculously expensive.
 
marvin4239":32zklhp9 said:
Sea Beagle I'm curious if I may ask where are you purchasing your tubing? I've collected a big supply of ss 3/4 and 1 inch pipe and angle iron over the years (scrap from jobs) but while I had the opportunity never got any tubing. What I've priced has been ridiculously expensive.
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I bought all of the parts and tube from West Marine last November when they had a good sale and price matched the base mounts. Total was approx $370 for (4) 12 foot 1" tubes, (6) base mounts, and some bags of nuts and bolts. Another $550 spent for tools for the job but, they are good for other purposes.
 
Just a quick follow up. Today I finished mounting the railing and had a chance to weigh it. 25 lbs total with mounting hardware. And with it firmly mounted, my wife and I were both able to hang from the bars at the top with little flexing of the tubes. Our combined weight approx 260 lbs.
 
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