"Edgar" wrote in message
...

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
...

"Nathan Branden" wrote in message
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I've been tempted to use the stainless steel bathroom handrails on
my
cabintop. They are those handrails you see in Lowes or Home Depot,
pretty sturdy bent tubing with only two welds. How will they stand
up
in a marine environment? They definitely long strong enough and
mount
over a wide area. I just think the boat store handrails are
outrageously expensive and the bathroom ones a much less expensive
and
even look better.

Nathan

Nathan,

If you own or sail a properly designed sailboat you need no hand
rails
on the cabin top. Hand rails are used only on sailboats that have
side
decks. A proper sailboat has a flush or raised deck. Instead of
walking
precariously along the side decks, on a proper sailboat you walk on
top
of the flush or raised deck. Here is a picture of a proper raised
deck
sailboat. http://www.sailboatlistings.com/sailimg/6070/SJ2003.jpg
and here's another http://captneal.homestead.com/files/stbsd.jpg
Note
the total absence of unsightly hand rails.

Wilbur Hubbard

You are risking your life if you ever need to go forward on either of
those
boats in a real blow.

In a real blow, real sailors use safety harnesses and jacklines. A
single jackline down the center of a yacht is safer than two jacklines
down the side decks of a yacht. It would not be very difficult to get
flipped over the low lifelines and be drug though the water by your
safety line on the side decks. Walking in the center of the boat keeps
you on the boat.

Wilbur Hubbard