# Recommendations for a Stern Rail Fabrication/Options



## NolaSafari (Jun 9, 2009)

After 3.5 years I am starting to seriously work on my Katrina damaged boat. The stern rail/pulpit was ripped off with many other deck items. It is now time to have a new one fabricated. Since the old one was claimed by Davey Jones my options are limitless but controlled by budget. I would like to hear about DIY options as well as quality fabricators, I can go either way it depends on what seems to work.

Thanks Jim


----------



## Gramp34 (Oct 5, 2006)

I picked up a Harbor Freight tubing roller:










It does a real nice job on 1" stainless tubing. I've gotten down to 8" or so bend radius with no kinking. (It could go tighter, but I had no need to do so.) A trick is to be rolling the tube as you crank down the upper roller to prevent a dimple on the tube surface.

If you don't have a TIG welder, you can bend up and notch the ends of the tubes where welds are needed, and pay someone to do the welding. If you can get away with standard fittings you can avoid welding:










For tubing, try different chandleries. I've found a 2 to 1 difference in price between different marine stores.

Good luck,

Tim


----------



## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

We found enough 316 stainless at a nearby junkyard to replace our bent stanchions for about $1.50 per pound. (A local hospital was doing renovations, and the pipe we bought still had the factory inkstamp, showing #316). Retail would have been closer to $10/lb. Keep your eyes open and your checkbook shut!


----------



## capttb (Dec 13, 2003)

I just happened to be in my local yacht surplus store the other day and they had a whole room full of stanchions and pulpits. It's always my first stop for expensive pieces, got a genny car for $24 I'd have paid MORE for.
http://www.minneysyachtsurplus.com/
They are pretty knowledgeable but don't think they could identify the right parts pver the phone. Some of the boats in that pile on your video must have ended in salvage somewhere near you.


----------



## NolaSafari (Jun 9, 2009)

Thanks to everyone who replied. Some good ideas here and I plan on taking advantage of them.
<o></o>
The boats in the pile ended up being crushed and carted off in dumpsters. They all had the same issue I have lifelines and stanchions pulled off or bent. Some boats were stripped by thieves and the salvage pirates tried to get anything of value the could get away with.


----------



## Brucerobs2 (Feb 5, 2009)

*Bacon and Associates*

It might also be worth a call or email to Bacon & Assoc. in Annapolis. They have tubing, rails, pulpits, new/used-you name it. THeir inventory is online at their store so they should be able to tell you what they have available that might work. A good place to look for misc. deck hardware too. You kind of have to know what you are looking for, but they have always been very helpful to me.


----------



## Val v (Aug 21, 2013)

NovaSafari, what solution did you find? I have exactly same problem. Stern pulpit got ripped out by Sandy. Appreciate any ideas.


----------



## NolaSafari (Jun 9, 2009)

Val v said:


> NovaSafari, what solution did you find? I have exactly same problem. Stern pulpit got ripped out by Sandy. Appreciate any ideas.


Val sorry to hear about your damage, Isaac finished off the boat and I sold her for salvage and bought a new one with the insurance money. The solutions I came up with I did not act on due to cost or time. You can find a few companies on the net who will fabricate a stern pulpit but they are expensive. I had little faith in the local fabrication guys and they were way overpriced. I tried to find corner stanchions but could not find a configuration that would work. My final solution which I did not act on was to just go around the stern with standard lifeline stanchions and run dual lifeline wire with a gate in the center, cheapest way to go.

Best of Luck
Jim


----------



## rbrasi (Mar 21, 2011)

Has anyone ever heard the term 'pushpit' as an alternative to 'stern pulpit'?

Edit: never mind. I looked it up. It's used all over the place. And now, back to your regularly scheduled topic.


----------



## Shinook (Jul 13, 2012)

Our boat came with the bow rail cut off and in bad shape. I tried to find used rails from other boats that would fit, tried bending one to fit, and tried mounting the old one that was cut off to fit, none of which worked. I eventually got fed up and had a local shop come make some measurements and fabricate a new one, it cost around $750 for a 27ft boat. 

You can try to find other rails to fit, but in my experience with it you'll find that something about them is off. Either the pads aren't angled correctly, one of the legs (it's always just one, isn't it?) doesn't sit in the right place, it interferes with the sail too much, etc, etc, there is always something. I'd just eat it and have someone make one for you.


----------

