it isn't much

[adla]

but it is some progress....i finished the grab rails tonight. i just need to epoxy them and decide where i want them. i plan to be like Phil as much as i can (notice the rubrails etc etc...) so, when i do the cabin hatch- the grab rails won't be part of the deal....

here they are:

a.

[Arnie Eaton]

They look very nice. An easy way to make grab rails is to buy a board which is twice as wide as the finish rail will be tall. Then using a large foresner bit, drill four holes in line down the middle of the board. Using Adla's rails as an example, there would be a hole at the begining and ending of each cut out . Then run the whole board thru a table saw right down the middle to make two units. Cut out the middle wood on line from the top of each hole and you're done, except for sanding or rounding over of the edges. Helps if you have a band saw. I used a 3" bit, gives your hand a 1.5" clearance.

[adla]

i epoxied them...

Arnie,

i've seen that technique and started that kind of thing when i realized i might just as well use the bandsaw...there is a guy who built Devlin's (i think) Scaup, a duck boat...and he used that method to make grab rails that run the length of his boat...nice and easy super clean.

a.

[Dave R1]

Adla, very nice grab rails. Those will look great on the cabin roof.

Spend some time thinking about where you'll put them and where you'll have cleats and lines running. You'll want some place where you can walk if you need to go forward. In my case, I have two lines on each side of the hatch and a jib sheet on each side deck. So there's not a lot of places to walk anyway. That's why I left the grab rails off my boat.

If you have to step on the lines on the cabin roof, you might as well be wearing your roller skates. :shock:

Keep up the great work.

Dave

[Jan Williamson]

Adla, fun... huh? I predict your boat will be awesome. Arnie, now that's a good idea! I am considering making a small set for the tops of the bulkheads, Maybe I'll try your method.

[adla]

Thanks Jan and Dave....i have a lot of pieces ready to go on the boat but still off of it....i have been struggling with what to do with the seats and in the cabin. I don't need the holes in the center bulkhead....i fit in the cabin just fine without them and wish they weren't there...i am thinking of making some kind of locker out of them for tackle, etc...(loves to fish- likes it even better when she actually catches fish) and using the other space from the seat side for a small bit of storage. also, hate the look of the shelves and am thinking seriously about a full length cabinet in the cabin with doors and floatation on the underneath of the deck....i don't plan to sail the boat's guts out...just poke around...i like to err on the side of caution but have planned on using floatation all along....many moons ago read a bunch about it and feel the rot argument wasted on desert climate....nothing stays damp in this town...also...i have to figure out my wiring and how to hide it in...etc. etc...i have been stalking phIl gOwans again...(please don't call the police till i get it launched) .... a lot of thinking to do...I nEEd a mOAning chair...

a.

[Jan Williamson]

I ended up having to cut 4" access holes in the bulkhead right at the seat back level. (dropped some stuff back there during the wiring process) Probably not a bad thing though, now I can add deck hardware easier, and I now have some additional stowage and ventilation will be better. Nothing wrong with installing doors on your bulkhead "holes" to close things up. You could make them like the cockpit doors only have them removable instead of hinged.

I plan on lining the inside of the cabin with upholstered "floatation foam" (blue foam) using velcro, so I can take them out in wet conditions. But I want to finish installing all the cabin roof stuff first. I had to switch to larger clam cleats on the roof, thank goodness the 5200 let go of the old ones without to much destruction. So when I am done drilling and filling, I'll add the foam lining. I have my wiring clipped to a stringer under the deck. When the foam lining goes in it will be hidden. I don't have all the wiring done though, only the trolling motor. I did run the sternlight wire in with the trolling wiire though, but it is not hooked up to anything yet.