WANTED - Teak Handrails for 1978 E27

[chrisoelder]

Hey! I am looking for some nice teak handrails for my 1978 E27. Currently I have those ugly black ones and would love to get some teak on my deck.

I am located in Marina Del Rey, LA, CA

Thanks!

 

[toddster]

Teak handrails seem to be available all over the web for not much money - but they all seem to measure something like 10 1/16" on-center. My 70's E-boat handrails are 14" on center. Not a big deal if you don't mind drilling new holes in the boat. Unless you need them to match up with the perfectly good handrails on the inside of the boat. (And if you don't have inside handrails, I highly recommend them!)

I'm starting to get the feeling that this is something that will have to be custom-made.

I'm also toying with the idea of resurfacing the old ones with epoxy and just painting them. I don't think they'll end up looking any worse...

 

[kapnkd]

Hey! I am looking for some nice teak handrails for my 1978 E27. Currently I have those ugly black ones and would love to get some teak on my deck.

I am located in Marina Del Rey, LA, CA

Thanks!

I replaced the handrails on my ‘73 32 with PlasTeak. ...No more cleaning, sanding and varnish work. 3 seasons now and they look great. ...Food for thought.

I still have my old rails but had to had to cut them to send to the PlasTeak company for a pattern. Can’t remember where I made the cut but I can check the length of them when I get back home in 3 weeks. (Might be long enough for your 27???? - What length do you need?)

Below photo shows the new PlasTeak rail...which I highly recommend as an option.

 

[chrisoelder]

Thank you all for the suggestions!

@toddster I would like to install handrails that would go on the ceiling of my cabin, actually on my todo list. Would you suggested I buy a set (inside and on the deck)? I would love the deck handrail to match the holes already drilled.

Next time im down at the boat i will take some measurements to share with y'all! @kapnkd


@kapnkd Those rails look awesome! I would also love to hear how to replaced your hatch, its another thing on my list to do.

Thanks!

Chris

 

[Loren Beach]

Blasphemy.......?

Plastic Hand Rails ?
Heresy !!

(almost time to post up a link to the Python sketch "no one expects the Spanish Inquisition")

 

[kapnkd]

Thank you all for the suggestions!

@toddster I would like to install handrails that would go on the ceiling of my cabin, actually on my todo list. Would you suggested I buy a set (inside and on the deck)? I would love the deck handrail to match the holes already drilled.

Next time im down at the boat i will take some measurements to share with y'all! @kapnkd


@kapnkd Those rails look awesome! I would also love to hear how to replaced your hatch, its another thing on my list to do.

Thanks!

Chris

Thanks for the compliment Chris. For sure if you want rails inside the cabin you want to line up the holes and secure both top and bottom together for a stronger tighter fit. The top rails originally were only simply threaded into the fiberglass cabin top. When we replaced them, we went through and secured the rails with a nice looking finish nut on the inside of the cabin top. I’ll take a photo and send it when I get back home.

You’re referring to the main salon hatch I’m sure. Here’s my email to contact me and I’ll email you back with the details of the project and photos. It was a bit involved to do but worth it.
kkdiehl0427@sbcglobal.net

 

[chrisoelder]

Plastic Hand Rails ?
Heresy !!

(almost time to post up a link to the Python sketch "no one expects the Spanish Inquisition")

HAHAH! I know, its terrible. What an injustice to the beauty of my E27!

 

[chrisoelder]

Thanks for the compliment Chris. For sure if you want rails inside the cabin you want to line up the holes and secure both top and bottom together for a stronger tighter fit. The top rails originally were only simply threaded into the fiberglass cabin top. When we replaced them, we went through and secured the rails with a nice looking finish nut on the inside of the cabin top. I’ll take a photo and send it when I get back home.

I think this might be the best route for me. I am going to have to take some measurements to make sure that i can fit the handrails in the cabin. Especially since it would run into the head along the starboard deck handrail.

 

[kapnkd]

Plastic Hand Rails ?
Heresy !!

(almost time to post up a link to the Python sketch "no one expects the Spanish Inquisition")

Arghh ...It’s worth being strung up and flogged considering the lack of britework I’m now getting out of. ;-)))

 

[toddster]

Oddly enough, there appear to be no nuts at all on the long carriage bolts that connect my top rails to the bottom rails. They have apparently been held on there for 48 years by the opposing friction of the two counter-curved rails. On the other hand, last time I tried, I was only able to get two of the 18 carriage bolts out.

For the next try, it occurs to me that pounding on them with the punch and 3 lb sledge might have failed because the plastic cabin top flexed and absorbed the energy. So I may try instead to chain the top rail to the hydraulic floor jack. Which would probably be a destructive, can’t-go-back-now sort of affair.

Now... how to apply that much force in reverse to get them back on...

Entombing them in epoxy, though ghetto, is sounding better all the time...

The plasteak looks great though.

BTW, there is no corresponding inside rail for the last loop over the head. But there should be. I recently installed a grab rail on the bulkhead in there. Seems like an obvious need.

 

[Loren Beach]

Teak.........

Loop sizing might be different, but here is one source:

https://www.catalinadirect.com/inde...handrail-teak-7-loop-oem-c-25-c-27-prspan.htm

 

[Drewm3i]

Plastic Hand Rails ?
Heresy !!

(almost time to post up a link to the Python sketch "no one expects the Spanish Inquisition")

Yes, but how do you know if kapnkd is a witch?

 

[kapnkd]

Oddly enough, there appear to be no nuts at all on the long carriage bolts that connect my top rails to the bottom rails. They have apparently been held on there for 48 years by the opposing friction of the two counter-curved rails. On the other hand, last time I tried, I was only able to get two of the 18 carriage bolts out.

For the next try, it occurs to me that pounding on them with the punch and 3 lb sledge might have failed because the plastic cabin top flexed and absorbed the energy. So I may try instead to chain the top rail to the hydraulic floor jack. Which would probably be a destructive, can’t-go-back-now sort of affair.

Now... how to apply that much force in reverse to get them back on...

Entombing them in epoxy, though ghetto, is sounding better all the time...

The plasteak looks great though.

BTW, there is no corresponding inside rail for the last loop over the head. But there should be. I recently installed a grab rail on the bulkhead in there. Seems like an obvious need.

Not sure how Ericson fastened the outside and inside rails together as mine only had the outside rails. I remember having a rough time with several of the screws given how long they were in place. Lots of patience, determination and even 4 letter sailing vocabulary was used to finally get them out.

We’ve thought about rails for the inside and yes the head has to be separate due to the main cross support brace for the mast and bulkheads in the way.

Wonder if anyone else has encountered your problems and what they did?? Like you said, can’t turn back now but take your time, see who else replies and keep thinking about all the what if’s. It’s worked for us on a LOT of our projects. Photos would help too.

 

[kapnkd]

Yes, but how do you know if kapnkd is a witch?

ROTFL!! ...That would be “Warlock” I think, but it wasn’t the devil that made me do it - just practicality and being lazy.

I have another set of highly varnished epay wood rails that I previously made and kept in case the PlasTeak didn’t hold up. But those needed varnish again every season as the epay has so much oil in it the varnish work doesn’t last.

So so far so good with the PlasTeak giving me more time for sailing.

 

[Matt H]

I have some available if you're interested. I've added some pictures. They are currently removed from the boat.

Hey! I am looking for some nice teak handrails for my 1978 E27. Currently I have those ugly black ones and would love to get some teak on my deck.

I am located in Marina Del Rey, LA, CA

Thanks!

 

[bigd14]

If you can’t find what you need online and you have access to some basic shop tools (table saw, hole saw, jigsaw, router and sander), new rails are a pretty easy DIY job for the cost of a single teak plank. And you can customize the loop length and foot size. You find a plank of the right dimensions, layout ovals corresponding to the loops size, hole saw the ends of the ovals and jigsaw the rest of them to form the oval cutouts down the plank. Then roundover all the edges, and finally cut the plank in half and you have two handrails.