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**rebel heart** · 26-03-2010, 12:16

I've got the normal set up: life lines around the boat with stanchions. Towards the stern (across the stern pulpit) it turns into pure railing where we have the BBQ, outboard mount, etc.

I want to mount some solar panels, and the way I'd like to do it I want to just put some stainless tubes across a couple sections that are currently running life lines.

Is it as easy as using a few of these, plus buying the tubes, plus having the nice guys in the canvas shop bend the stainless for me properly?

Top Slide Jaw Slide

Outside Eye End

I had someone quote me $2K to do pure rails (no life lines) aft of the gates. Seems like I could get roughly the same thing accomplished for $100-$200 in materials?

**CaptForce** · 26-03-2010, 12:20

I find it very common for people to offer a two thousand dollar price for a job that I can accomplish for two hundred. I'm sure your innovation can solve your problem with the proper simple fittings. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

**rebel heart** · 26-03-2010, 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptForce

I find it very common for people to offer a two thousand dollar price for a job that I can accomplish for two hundred. I'm sure your innovation can solve your problem with the proper simple fittings. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

I had a guy quote me $16K to "redo" my teak decks, whatever the hell that means.

**James S** · 26-03-2010, 12:33

Yeh....I don't get it, looks like you can sort it out yourself pretty darn cheap.
Have you got any pictures you can post of your stanchions.
Is it possible to make this change with out moving the cables...that eliminates the need for changing there length and not having to do new ends.

**Blue Stocking** · 26-03-2010, 12:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I had someone quote me $2K to do pure rails (no life lines) aft of the gates. Seems like I could get roughly the same thing accomplished for $100-$200 in materials?

If you are able to do stainless steel rails, properly and safely assembled and polished and passivated, from gate,thru stern rail, to gate, on a 36ft boat, for $100-200, please let me know your source, before he goes out of business.

**rebel heart** · 26-03-2010, 12:59

Quote:

If you are able to do stainless steel rails, properly and safely assembled and polished and passivated, from gate,thru stern rail, to gate, on a 36ft boat, for $100-200, please let me know your source, before he goes out of business.

I think the only difference is welding the tubes versus using the fittings? A big difference I'm sure, but you wouldn't be able to see the fittings anyway since there will be panels mounted on top of them?

cdennyb · 26-03-2010, 13:34

I have been fortunate enough to have been a certified TIG welder all my life it seems, so I purchased a really compact TIG welder/Plasma cutter which works off 120 VAC or 220 VAC and of course you either need an air supply, (dive tank) or Argon cylinder to weld the stainless (which aint easy!) so I'm able to make repairs and fabricate right on board!
You should see the extra little jobs I pick up when I drag that machine out to make a crack repair or something on board.

I second the thoughts on that 'mark up' from 200 to 2000 when it comes to "marine stuff". Makes me sick to see so many people being taken advantage of.
One time (before I got my machine for the boat) I had a crack on a bracket for the engine, took it to a local shop and the mgr said, "aint no-one around to do it, maybe we can get to it tomorrow." which didnt fit my schedule... I said, "Hey, mind if I do it myself?" which he replied, " I guess so, if you can weld."
Gave him 20$ for letting me use their machine and was done in 20 minutes.
Not too maany places will do that.
guess I got lucky.

**senormechanico** · 26-03-2010, 19:52

I was very lucky to have a neighbor (until last year) who was a retired aircraft welder.
He also didn't think any of his work was very good (but it was amazing).
I had to press money or trades into his hand.
His ss welding was always perfect.

I miss him.

**MarkJ** · 27-03-2010, 03:30

HI

To attach your solar pannels to the SS tubes one thing we were looking at (but couldnt find overseas but at available in the USA) was Lifesling mounts from the Lifesling rail mount kit.

We eventually found some custome made plastic clamps. They work fiine.

Mark

**forsailbyowner** · 27-03-2010, 04:05

To mount the toprail I would think of using the T fitting instead of jaw slides and eye ends. The tubing goes for typically around $6 ft. Don't see why a canvas guy (if he's not real busy) wouldn't run it through the crownarc for you. Mine takes about half an hour to setup as it mounts on mast but most shops have them attached to a wall.

**daddle** · 27-03-2010, 04:44

They'd do all that in Malaysia for $200. It'd be perfect too. Smooth radius fillets, passivated, perfect. No fittings unless ya want 'em. Save some jobs for when you're cruising.

**Laidback** · 27-03-2010, 05:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddle

They'd do all that in Malaysia for $200. It'd be perfect too. Smooth radius fillets, passivated, perfect. No fittings unless ya want 'em. Save some jobs for when you're cruising.

Confirm what Daddle says - most of Malaysia, all of Thailand except Phuket which has become more expensive but still WAY below the rip offs in the USA and UK.

**MarkJ** · 27-03-2010, 05:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laidback

Confirm what Daddle says - most of Malaysia, all of Thailand except Phuket which has become more expensive but still WAY below the rip offs in the USA and UK.

Hmmmm. we were quoted US$7,500 for a set of SS davits in Phuket and no one in Malaysia would touch the job or didn't have the experience to do it.
in Johore Bahru this guy from a Marine company came back to the boat with his plans for our davits, he had taken numrous photos and actually had a davit from another boat that needed a repair., .... anyway he gets onto our boat and shows us the plans and Nicolle asks (always count on a female to ask stupid questions): "Where is the pulley to lift the dinghy?"

The guy answers: "What's a dinghy??????"

So we are waiting till the USA to have SS work done. (Anyone wanna quote me for Davits for a Bene393?)

IMHO Don't plan to get Stainless Steel work done in Asia!

Mark

**daddle** · 27-03-2010, 06:11

True. Welding and fab in Asia is different than engineering and design in Asia. The former is the good deal. Gotta show them where to cut and weld.

sded · 27-03-2010, 06:37

I did it the easy way and mounted the tubing above the lifelines with bar stock, u-bolts, and rail clamps. Not hard to do, setup like in the pictures below from e-marine.
http://www.e-marine-inc.com/products...tandardkit.jpg
http://www.e-marine-inc.com/products...ages/stan4.jpg
You can buy kits from places like e-marine, but they are simple to make yourself-and a lot cheaper.
You bolt narrow bar stock across each solar panel and position the rail clamps as desired, then just clamp them to the tubing.
The tubing is u-bolted across wider bar stock that is u-bolted to the stanchions and protrudes above them.
Whole setup can be used at sea, is sturdy enough to carry the panels on passages-I took them to Mexico and back, as well as all over SoCal. And I still have the lifelines everywhere for safety.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...a/csluc008.jpg
I actually have 4 panels, and can move them all to either side as necessary