Bow Rail Gate?

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ABfish

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2015
Messages
334
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Dirty Deeds
Vessel Make
Maritimo 48
I store kayaks on the front deck, and I would like to make it easier to lift them aboard. My favorite kayak is a 14 ft. Perception that weighs about 60 lbs., so the lift over the bow rail is significant.

Does anyone have pics of a bow rail gate, or removable section, that would allow one section of top rail to be pivoted or removed? I can't find much on the web, other than lifeline gates for sailboats. My rail is stainless tubing, approximately 1 inch in diameter.
 
The Ranger Tugs that I have chartered have those, but they come built that way, not aftermarket. They might give you ideas though.
BD
 
We had gates in our bow rails. They would always work loose continuously so I got rid of them. My wife would catch her hand on the fittings and they weakened the rails.
 
A different method, but just FYI if it may help: I have a 20 ft long outrigger canoe that is very unwieldy to deal with getting over the rail. I bought a set of small suction cups for $20. Attach one to the bow of the craft, one on the stern with a line on each and it lifts out of the water easily. The suction cups have amazing lift capacity as long as the lift force is vertical. Sideways pull will slide them off.
 
My Eastbay has a maybe 20" section in the rails that has a collar that slides back (spring loaded). There are additional stanchions to reinforce the sides. The section of the rail there is straight, so the hinging piece folds back nicely. There's a tab welded into the top of the rail for collar to catch when it's hinged open. I don't have a more detailed picture.

For the bow, however, there's not likely many straight enough sections to make as clean a folding arrangement. That and a few pictures online of your boat show slanted stanchions on the bow, which would make it more work to add support that didn't look awkward.

Would a job like that require removing the whole rail, or could they do the work while it was still on the boat? All that welding/grinding near fiberglass would make me wonder...

I bring our toys up from the stern and walk them up the gunwales. I've never liked dragging things over the rails.
 

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Here is what I did on my MS. See Fwd Rail Mod for details.

http://dkloeber.wixsite.com/bacchus/projects-pg-2

I have since made up a chain section that I can install when doing canal trips when I want frequent access via the "gate". Even with the quick connect pins removal is a little more work than I wanted when approaching a dock or wall.
 
wkearney99 said:
My Eastbay has a maybe 20" section in the rails that has a collar that slides back (spring loaded). There are additional stanchions to reinforce the sides. The section of the rail there is straight, so the hinging piece folds back nicely. There's a tab welded into the top of the rail for collar to catch when it's hinged open. I don't have a more detailed picture.

For the bow, however, there's not likely many straight enough sections to make as clean a folding arrangement. That and a few pictures online of your boat show slanted stanchions on the bow, which would make it more work to add support that didn't look awkward.

Would a job like that require removing the whole rail, or could they do the work while it was still on the boat? All that welding/grinding near fiberglass would make me wonder...

I bring our toys up from the stern and walk them up the gunwales. I've never liked dragging things over the rails.
Click to expand...

Thanks, WK and others. That's what I was looking for.

I can walk the kayaks up the gunwales, but that involves holding up a 60 lbs. boat with one hand, while using the other hand for hanging on to the handrails. It's easier with my smaller boat, which weighs around 35 lbs., but that one does not paddle nearly as well.

I'll have the rail modified when I haul the boat. Should be an easy job with a portable TIG welder. That's a clean process, particularly when working with stainless, that produces little splatter or sparks.
 
I should have clarified, when moving them that way it's a two-man job. Either my wife or son, to help avoid dragging it.
 
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