catalinajack
Guru
We own a 1983 Defever 44. The grab bar that failed is the one that is used when descending the ladder from the fly-bridge to the aft deck. Our 12 year-old granddaughter (90 lbs.) swung on it like a monkey bar and it broke off in her hands. She crashed to the aft deck landing awkwardly. She broke two bones in her ankle cleanly requiring surgery to put it all back together.
The purpose of this posting is to warn others. The bar itself is steel and is not the problem. The mounting brackets, however, were made of pot metal, sometimes also known as white metal. Exposure to the elements for 33 years corroded and weakened the brackets such that they failed under a modest load. If there are any Defever owners with this model of grabar (or owners of other boats with this type of bar), I urge you to consider replacing it immediately even if the bar is not very old.
The purpose of this posting is to warn others. The bar itself is steel and is not the problem. The mounting brackets, however, were made of pot metal, sometimes also known as white metal. Exposure to the elements for 33 years corroded and weakened the brackets such that they failed under a modest load. If there are any Defever owners with this model of grabar (or owners of other boats with this type of bar), I urge you to consider replacing it immediately even if the bar is not very old.