Teakwood coachroof grab rails.

[Alma]

One of the design features I LOVE about Shaw's 323 is the coachroof handholds.

Mounting the teakwood on those molded risers solves a few design issues:

Cascading water on the coachroof must go UP those risers before the water can leak down the mounting holes.

The woods shape and its laying against those risers also handles sheer loads on the grab rails so much better than the all wood ones that are begging to flop over with any load loosening the bedding (or worse).

A single plank is so much easier to maintain than the complex curves of the all wood grab rails that look pretty at the boatshow...

If you've ever contemplated sanding and varnishing or oiling a pair of ordinary handholds you know what a tedious job it is.

Well I broke one.
I don't remember doing it but I try NEVER to blame crew for breaking things aboard ALMA.

If something gets broken it is because it is:

tired and in need of replacement long before failure...

a poor design that challenges one to make a better soultion.

because the captain failed to let the crew know how to use the equipment.

So now opportunity arises to ELIMINATE MORE WOOD ON ALMA!!!!!!

I absolutely LOVE the oval-shaped stainless steel handrails adorning the Island Piglet boats.

It is elegant, strong, maintenance free, and the oval shape conforms to the grip of a loose-footed sailor and adds to her strength to HOLD ON.

I bet the complex countour of the 323's handhold would make a home made oval shaped rail difficult to fab.
The oval is just where it needs to be to fight bending the tube.

Has anyone replaced their handholds with ANYTHING BESIDES WOOD?

[Last Resort]

I replaced the teak toe rails on my 31-2 with PlasTeak.com, and love them, as have many others who don't even realize they're not wood till they're on the boat, and even not then sometimes. Mine came straight, but I had NO problems bending them to the shapes needed to install them, and don't see any reason why you couldn't do the same with yours (if they can make them long enough for you purpose). And you keep the same look of the teak, but with NONE of the work .   

[m_boone]

Here's a link to a supplier of oval stainless tubing:

https://www.timelesstube.com/product/oval-tube/

Not sure how you would bend them to contour though. There is a little shop in Riverside, NJ that does centerless grinding and other tube work. PM me if you want their contact info.

Here's an image of an IP grab rail. Those would be purddy!

[Alma]

Yes! That's what I want.

[Dolce_Vita]

Only thing I can think of is to fill them with sand before bending.  This should keep them from buckling.

[Alma]

I tried to remove one of the exterior grab rails and the screw must have a nut on the inside under the hull liner.

Has anyone gotten them off without making a mess out of the hull liner?

[Dolce_Vita]

I've never had ours off, but a PO did replace them, and there are ugly rough holes hacked in the cabin roof liner. He then shot them full of spray foam, so all I can see is the tip of the bolt protruding from the foam.

[Alma]

8-32? Fender washers? 'glass backing plates?

I'm going to grind the heads off and fix from above unless someone else has better idea.

Thanks Ed!

[Alma]

I got the wood off today without hacking uo the hull liner.

I have 1/4"-3/8" thickness of deck before I hit the old screw that is double nutted and stuck right against the inner liner. There is no way to get to the backside without hacking up the inside liner.

Now I just need to source the wood and figure how to attach it in blind holes.

[m_boone]

Here's a picture with the headliner removed on Blue Sky. Looks like the grab rail fasteners are under the interior liner which go up the sides and partially onto the overhead. I see why you want to tackle this from above.

I'm looking forward to hearing yours and other's suggestions. I think that expansion screws or anchors glued in might be strong enough for a firm hold.