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Old 26-03-2017, 06:39   #1
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Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

I see it every day. A boat pulls up to a dock and someone grabs a stanchion to fend it off or ease it in, or to just hold it. Or crew grab one to pull themselves up onto a boat.

They're not made for that, and here's illustrated proof of why it's a bad idea.

I'm refitting my deck, and am in the process of taking off every scrap of hardware, including the stanchions, which have not been off in 31 years.

Here's the base of one, the outboard side of the mounting flange. It's bent up a bit from repeated stress on it. I can thank the previous owner for this as I'm a bit of a nazi about not letting anyone abuse them, and have been known to bark at fuel dock employees who don't seem to know any better:



And here's where it was mounted. Dodged a bullet! Any additional bending or failure of the sealant would have resulted in water penetration into the deck.



On another one I pulled I was not so lucky and need to dig out a bit of rotted core from one bolt hole.

Even if your stanchions are mounted on a toe rail, it's just a bad idea to grab them and use them to horse the boat or yourself around. You're basically pulling on a lever that somewhere or other is going to stress some bedding in a bad way.
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Old 26-03-2017, 06:48   #2
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

You are absolutely right.
Have had to educate many well meaning dock helpers.
It's amazing how many are not aware.
Thanks for posting this!
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Old 26-03-2017, 06:54   #3
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pirate Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

I always use the shrouds.. for fending off, boarding.. and to lean against when peeing..
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Old 26-03-2017, 07:04   #4
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

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.. and to lean against when peeing..
I won't tell that to your clients with inboard shrouds, lol
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Old 26-03-2017, 07:15   #5
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pirate Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

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I won't tell that to your clients with inboard shrouds, lol
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Old 26-03-2017, 07:21   #6
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Suijin View Post
I see it every day. A boat pulls up to a dock and someone grabs a stanchion to fend it off or ease it in, or to just hold it. Or crew grab one to pull themselves up onto a boat.

They're not made for that, and here's illustrated proof of why it's a bad idea.

I'm refitting my deck, and am in the process of taking off every scrap of hardware, including the stanchions, which have not been off in 31 years.

Here's the base of one, the outboard side of the mounting flange. It's bent up a bit from repeated stress on it. I can thank the previous owner for this as I'm a bit of a nazi about not letting anyone abuse them, and have been known to bark at fuel dock employees who don't seem to know any better:



And here's where it was mounted. Dodged a bullet! Any additional bending or failure of the sealant would have resulted in water penetration into the deck.



On another one I pulled I was not so lucky and need to dig out a bit of rotted core from one bolt hole.

Even if your stanchions are mounted on a toe rail, it's just a bad idea to grab them and use them to horse the boat or yourself around. You're basically pulling on a lever that somewhere or other is going to stress some bedding in a bad way.
Have you thought of replacing the core around the bolt holes with epoxy? I drill these up to a size so that the small Dremel drum sander fits in, then use that so sand more core away, tape the bottom closed and use a syringe with syrup consistency epoxy thickened with colloidal silica to fill them. Next day, simply drill new holes through the epoxy and bed the stanchion down

Besides the overnight cure, this takes about 10 minutes per stanchion after a couple to get the tools and supplies together.
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Old 26-03-2017, 07:44   #7
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

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Have you thought of replacing the core around the bolt holes with epoxy? I drill these up to a size so that the small Dremel drum sander fits in, then use that so sand more core away, tape the bottom closed and use a syringe with syrup consistency epoxy thickened with colloidal silica to fill them. Next day, simply drill new holes through the epoxy and bed the stanchion down

Besides the overnight cure, this takes about 10 minutes per stanchion after a couple to get the tools and supplies together.
That is the plan. Unfortunately, since this is a full deck refit, we're talking about probably @ 200-300 holes (lost count lol). It's going to take awhile.

I'm going to use various diameter straight dremel routing bits, sized to the existing holes instead of oversizing the hole in the glass. Saves a step and keeps the laminate top skin as intact as possible.

I'm actually a bit irked that I've found balsa under the stanchions. I would have thought/hoped that they had cored those areas with plywood. The epoxy core will help support the core during tightening down the new fixtures and prevent compression/crushing of the core.

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Old 26-03-2017, 08:19   #8
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

A friend had little signs engraved "DO NOT LEAN ON THE LIFELINES" that he hangs facing out when docked.
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Old 26-03-2017, 08:32   #9
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Suijin View Post
I'm going to use various diameter straight dremel routing bits, sized to the existing holes instead of oversizing the hole in the glass. Saves a step and keeps the laminate top skin as intact as possible.
We have just bent a few different sizes of 16 penny nails in a L shape to dig out the coring from mounting hardware drilled holes.

Works really well and they are easy to make just the size you need.
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Old 26-03-2017, 08:35   #10
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Suijin View Post
That is the plan. Unfortunately, since this is a full deck refit, we're talking about probably @ 200-300 holes (lost count lol). It's going to take awhile.

I'm going to use various diameter straight dremel routing bits, sized to the existing holes instead of oversizing the hole in the glass. Saves a step and keeps the laminate top skin as intact as possible.

I'm actually a bit irked that I've found balsa under the stanchions. I would have thought/hoped that they had cored those areas with plywood. The epoxy core will help support the core during tightening down the new fixtures and prevent compression/crushing of the core.

FYI- When you re-bed the stanchions, and any thing else for that matter, take a countersink bit and bevel out each hole before you put on caulking. Just a little 1/8" bevel, so when you tighten down the fitting there is somewhere for caulk to go. Sorta makes an "o" ring of sealant around the hole and it'll never leak. If you need to tighten it later for some reason, get someone to hold the head of the fastener, and tighten the nut from underneath. An old man told me that decades ago (I'm the old man now...) and I've done it ever since. Never had a leak yet...
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Old 26-03-2017, 08:35   #11
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

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Ah, the skipper's privilege. Also known as "signalling the fleet".
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Old 26-03-2017, 08:36   #12
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

Great that you published this advice. Always telling people not to grab stanchions and lifelines.....just not made for that. Good luck with your project.
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Old 26-03-2017, 08:43   #13
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

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Great that you published this advice. Always telling people not to grab stanchions and lifelines.....just not made for that. Good luck with your project.
So what are they made for? I presume the answer is "something to grab onto just before you are washed overboard." So are they adequate for that, or are you just overboard hanging on to a mess of lifelines and ripped loose stanchions? Why aren't these things installed with decent bolts and backing plates?
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Old 26-03-2017, 08:51   #14
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

I know I will not be popular for this, but as devil's advocate, why are they called "lifelines"? If they are not strong enough to take a little push from a dock boy, how are they going to hold up when you need them most?
One of the advantages of a steel hull is that things like stanchion bases can easily be strong enough to take this kind of abuse.
On fibreglass hulls, I have seen stanchions bolted down with very substantial bases, and joined to solid toe rails in such a way as to be very secure.
I agree that it is not good if they bend, or flex the base flange when leaned on. Why do we accept this kind of construction? (Rhetorical question!)
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Old 26-03-2017, 08:53   #15
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Re: Don't push on stanchions! Here's why...

Stanchion bases should be thru bolted with solid ss backing plates and it really helps to drive an 7/8th (22mm for those outside the US of A) piece of ss inside for added reinforcement. This has work great on my boat for the last 15 years. I also have 1 inch ss for my lifeline forward of the cockpit. You can lean against them without worry.

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