How to Add Interior Teak Hand Rails?

[matt2]

I am hoping someone might have experience in adding interior teak hand rails to the interior cabin top.

How do you ensure they are strong enough to withstand the strain of people swinging on them when there is a bit of weather.

Do you drill completely through the cabin top and then counter sink them and cover with fibreglass?

[CalebD]

The interior cabin teak hand rails on our Tartan 27' are secured by through bolting them from what is known as an 'eye brow' strip of teak on the cabin side/top. Teak bungs are used to cover the holes for the screws and bedding compound is used to keep everything outside secured to the deck.

[KeelHaulin]

There are lots of ways to do this; but I would try not to put holes through the skin of the deck if possible. Best to try and minimize the amount of fasteners that penetrate the deck; to minimize leaks.

You might consider gluing/glassing down some plywood pads beneath the headliner so you can fasten wood screws into them without going through the deck. 2 heavy gauge wood screws per attachment point (between loops) would probably be enough holding power.

[kaluvic]

What is the make-up/construction, of your cabin top?
Do you have a removable head liner?

[djodenda]

When I did this on my Catalina 27, I "matched" the hand rails in the cabin with the ones on the cabin top.

The factory installed handrails on the cabin top were through bolted at the ends and screwed into the cabin top at each loop.

So, I got new bolts for the ends that were long enough to go through both the outside and the new inside rails.

I replaced the intermediate screws with bolts that extended through both handrails

I replaced the bungs on all the holes.

Looked and worked well.

Good luck

[kaluvic]

Originally Posted by djodenda

When I did this on my Catalina 27, I "matched" the hand rails in the cabin with the ones on the cabin top.

The factory installed handrails on the cabin top were through bolted at the ends and screwed into the cabin top at each loop.

So, I got new bolts for the ends that were long enough to go through both the outside and the new inside rails.

I replaced the intermediate screws with bolts that extended through both handrails

I replaced the bungs on all the holes.

Looked and worked well.

Good luck

Excellent idea

[matt2]

Thanks, good idea.