Hi friends,
My C36 Mk I has the interior grab rails fastened to the cabin ceiling with through bolts that protrude outside onto the deck (the roof of the cabin). Half the fasteners are flat head screws in finishing washers, but every other one is apparently a piece of all-thread with a nut and then a cap (acorn) nut atop it. The latter arrangement sticks up a good 3/8".
The first time I viewed the new boat I stepped on one of the fasteners and it hurt. "Ow," I thought to myself. "That'll have to be fixed." I spent some time admiring the redesign on the Mk IIs with no exterior fasteners, and then left the matter aside as other things were more pressing.
Yesterday I was on deck bringing down the main in a bit of a hurry and I stepped on one of the fasteners, only it was kind of a small leap and I planted my foot hard, to stop my momentum. The thing hit in the forward part of the pad of my foot, just behind my toes, and freaking just about crippled me. Didn't break the skin but caused a nasty internal lesion and blood blister and it hurts like billy-o.
Has anyone come up with a way to reinstall the grab rails without this hazard? I doubt the strength of the screws + finish washers, but maybe a flat bar with threaded studs in the right places that presents a flat steel upper surface? Or grind out and bury the same device in epoxy below the surface of the deck? Any suggestions? I do love to barefoot on my sailboat.
Thanks
- nick
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
Haven't done it yet, but the best plan, and one I don't understand why they didn't do in the first place, is to thru-bolt the inside and outside handles together in a sandwich, with countersunk fasteners above and below. Half as many holes in the deck, half as many fasteners, no extra pokey bits.
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Nick,
I've had those handrails off, and they are almost like you describe. Every other one is a flat head machine screw, with the head in the teak (covered with a bung), and the acorn nut on deck. I like Jason's idea, but if you don't want to do that, you could reverse the machine screws. Put the flat head on deck (with a finishing washer), fill the hole in the handrail with a teak dowel, and have the acorn nut sticking out below the handrail in the cabin. Unless you are 6'6" (?) or taller, the acorn nuts in the cabin won't bother anyone. Another thought would be to use a hex nut inside the handrail. It might be tough tightening the bolt, and it might be tough getting caulking to not spin itself too thin, but it might work. Just a thought.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
Nick:
You may want to try using stainless steel barrel nuts in place of the acorn nuts. The barrel nuts have a female thread with a philips head. You would have to shorten the through bolts so they are just below surface, counter bore the fastener hole from above to match the O.D. of the barrel nut, apply locktite to the threads and sealant to the body and install. You can get them in 1/4"-20 and #10-24 sizes at West Marine. That's what I did on our boat and have had no problems with it. Just a suggestion.
Tom & Janis Grover
C36 #0949
SR/WK, M25XP
Midland, ON
Jason -- would you use the interior or exterior holes? I think it makes sense to leave the exterior rails in place on the edge of the house roof for use as toerails, but would that put the interior rails too far outboard?
tgrover if you have a picture that would really help me visualize it.
Thanks guys,
Nick
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
My 1983 boat has the exterior handrails further inboard than later models, they are just far enough outboard from the interior handles to make room for the screw holes. So the 'sandwich' plan makes more sense on my boat. If you have the exterior rails mounted on the edge of the cabintop it might be more difficult, although I don't think they are any less functional moved in 6".
It also has the handrails mounted with the screws threaded into the teak, as Tom S suggests a couple posts back, so there are only wood plugs in the thru-bolted spots.
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Nick:
I am afraid my boat is covered for the winter so I am not able to get photos of the barrel nut installation until spring, I have attached a sketch though. Hope this helps.
Tom & Janis Grover
C36 #0949
SR/WK, M25XP
Midland, ON