On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:50:23 -0500, "Glenn Ashmore"
wrote:

I am about to put saw and router to a boat buck's worth of solid surface
material. I have the galley and head counters laid out and templates made
just right but before I cut I need to figure out the salon table so I am
looking for opinions.

Some people say fiddle rails are a must and others say they just get in the
way. Rutu is designed from the beginning to be an island hopper not a world
cruiser. I could make them removable but that presents a storage problem
and puts 8 to 10 holes in the surface.

They are in the way, especially when eating or writing. Whether you
really need them or not depends on how you use the boat, and whether
or not you are prone to leaving things laying around. Our trawler has
dynamic stabilizers and we could easily get by without fiddles about
98% of the time. On the other hand they do catch things if we take an
unexpected roll.

On balance I'd be inclined to recommend them for your counter tops but
not for the salon table unless you plan to eat on it underway or use
it for food preparation.