Handrails - remove them all together or keep them?

[Danibug]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I suspect I don't have nearly as much sailing experience as you, but on my boat I need the handrails. i've seen someone with 60 years' sailling experience use them.

We aren't THAT experienced...Just a few years of sailing, but alright in physics.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I have them on both sides of the cabin as well and have used them there also.

If someone has them and uses them...then they should stay...that was my point.(which is pretty simple and logical and a pretty well proven technique in the design world))

A lot of things on boats get put places because it's easier or cheaper to put them there or it looks better than where they actually are far better for their intended purpose.

So if they are in the wrong spot, moving them to a more useful spot is a no brainer in my book...totally getting rid of them is a bit trickier... everyone need good handholds aboard most vessels....just the "yachttie" teaky things aren't always in the best locations (but they look great in the sales brochures).

[rigormortis]

I have stanchions with lifelines (newly replaced wire) but no hand rails. Had'em before on a 42 footer but my 1988 42 footer now never had them. I did install a couple of grab handles on the hard dodger and went from there to the mast with a jackline, about waist level. It works well as a hand hold in easy times and is convenient to hook into in nasty times. I used flat webbing for a while, along the deck but it flaps like hell and is annoying to me. Mind you, I am easily annoyed but I prefer a 10 mm line for my jackline, both sides to the mast and a single to the headstay--decklevel.
If I had them, I wouldn't use handrails mounted on the cabin--too low to stoop for aging wanderer.

Pete.
Tried to attach a pic but cannot for some reason.

[Krogensailor]

Leave em. Paint em brown.

[sartorst]

In mild weather mine were used as a toe rail or tie down more than anything, But when things were getting bad,I was wishing for hand rails all the way to the pointy end, that 10ft expanse of deck without rails was cause for a pause/planed belly crawl spider man like act! I have been of the mind set to add more not remove you should be able to move about the boat inside and out moving from one hand hold to another and life lines dont do it for me at some point it becomes a matter how long can you hold on to a 1/8 wire ?

[Bash]

I generally stay out of CF threads where the OP specifies which answers he will find acceptable, but in case the OP actually wants to learn something: those things labelled "bunhuggers" are more appropriately called a "mast pulpit."

Sometime you gotta learn your way around inside the box before you can think outside it.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by WaterJunkie

This is a great question for your insurance company and your lawyer. If someone is ever injured on your boat and can prove you removed the rails, god help you.

.

Really?!?!?!? Does anyone actually go through life thinking like this?

[Krogensailor]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Really?!?!?!? Does anyone actually go through life thinking like this?

LAWYERS! And folks who need an excuse to not go sailing.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by rigormortis

[...] jackline, about waist level. It works well as a hand hold in easy times and is convenient to hook into in nasty times. I used flat webbing for a while, along the deck but it flaps like hell and is annoying to me.

I find that if I put some twists in the jackline it doesn't flap nearly as bad. The twists also make it easier to grab the jackline when clipping on.

Another colloquial term for mast pulpits is "Granny Bars".

On my boat I don't use the handrails often, but when I do I'm glad they're there. As has been mentioned, I also lash stuff to them, and occasionally store sail ties there.

[Danibug]

Originally Posted by Bash

I generally stay out of CF threads where the OP specifies which answers he will find acceptable, but in case the OP actually wants to learn something: those things labelled "bunhuggers" are more appropriately called a "mast pulpit."

Sometime you gotta learn your way around inside the box before you can think outside it.

Oh come now, it would seem most people generally lean one way when they ask a question unless they are completely clueless but that doesn't mean they won't find opposing answers acceptable.

But you are right, the underlining point of my question was yearning to learn the technical term for "bunhugger". I have often wondered why I get so many strange looks in the marina when discussing them with fellow sailors.

Now that we have that cleared up can I proceed outside of the box?

[Krogensailor]

I like bunhuggers. I'm gonna put some on my boat.

[sailcruiser]

I happen to be tied up next to a Westsail 32 that removed his. Here is a pic:




Hope this helps! I would miss mine but to each their own.
SC

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Danibug

Oh come now, it would seem most people generally lean one way when they ask a question unless they are completely clueless but that doesn't mean they won't find opposing answers acceptable.

Take a look at how you've responded to some of the input you're receiving, especially in Post #21. You've implied that those who find handrails useful are unable to think outside the box, and that they are overly cautious to the point where they'll counsel you to wear bubble wrap when sailing. You also invented an emerging "consensus" among Westsail 32 owners that the handrails should be removed.

Seeking advice is not the same thing as looking for an argument. Regardless, you'll get no argument from me; if you want to modify your boat, be my guest. I've never yet seen a Westsail 32 that couldn't benefit from losing weight.

[southernupdate]

Never heard the term 'bunhuggers' before, I refer to them as zimmerframes
As for the handrails, keep them, I say. If not for grabbing onto yourself, they are great for lashing odd bits of gear to. On our 40 footer we replaced the wooden ones with matt finished stainless.

[Danibug]

Originally Posted by Bash

Take a look at how you've responded to some of the input you're receiving, especially in Post #21. You've implied that those who find handrails useful are unable to think outside the box, and that they are overly cautious to the point where they'll counsel you to wear bubble wrap when sailing. You also invented an emerging "consensus" among Westsail 32 owners that the handrails should be removed.

I'm sorry, I don't really think post #21 implies that those who find handrails useful are unable to think outside of the box. I'm quite sure that many people who like handrails (the majority here) are also capable of thinking outside of the box. What I was saying is often times in response to an "out of the box" or unfamiliar idea or question there can be a knee jerk reaction for people to say or recite what they have heard for all times without really taking a good hard look at what is being asked. Like for example saying that removing handrails will make a boat less safe, well that may or may not be true, it just depends.

And saying or implying that a boat will be safer with handrails, or needs this that or the other to be safe to me is walking a fine line of being so called "safe" and being overprotective. When you start saying things like "the handrails should stay because they make the boat safer" then I have to go onto to question why stop there? In that line of thinking why stop at just the handrails that are original to the boat, why not add more, adding more will probably make it safer right? Or is there a magic number, a magic placement of the handrails that make the ones in the original design the best? The comment about the bubble wrap is merely to show how slippery a slope this way of thinking can be.

And the consensus formed about Westsail owners is only from those that have commented here on the thread and on another group on Facebook I am on. I asked the same question there and overwhelmingly everyone says to keep the handrails except the 2 out of 3 Westsail 32 owners that said they had removed them and don't miss them or are about to remove them (have wanted to a long while).

Lastly in all honesty I was looking for everyone personal opinions on this topic. I do love a good debate but I didn't start this out to be that way and certainly not an argument, simply a nice discussion about handrails. I was surprised to hear actually from a few who are ok without the handrails and not surprised at all that most people use their handrails a lot and for other things as well. The thread so far is great and very helpful to me, and I will keep all those proponents of handrails in mind when I'm out sailing without the handrails and try to earnestly evaluate the safety of the boat after they are removed, because I certainly don't want to be foolish and endanger myself by removing them. Which was the reason for this thread.