[Public-List] Removing hand rails

[Wade Wall]

Hi all,

Just wanted to give an update on the handrails and how I did it.

The bolts came out from below fairly easily. I didn't have to remove the
top hand rail bungs because it appears the nuts (at least on mine) were
fastened in with something like caulk. Rather than remove, I just left them
in place.

I cleaned the surface with alcohol, which removed the old caulk nicely. I
beveled out the bolt holes, but did not redrill the holes and epoxy. I may
come to regret this, but I was worried about getting the holes just right.
If I have to redo, I will remove the fiberglass from the top, replace the
old wood and install new handrails with new holes.

I used butyl tape to seal the holes around the bolts. Don't use too much as
it makes tightening a pain.

I put all the bolts in the lower hand rail and then screwed until above the
deck. This is to make sure all the holes line up. Make sure you mark aft,
port etc. If you don't do this, the holes likely won't line up.

I tightened like I do a tire on a car, moving from one bolt to the other
and not over tightening a single one. All the bolts snugged up great except
for one. The sealant like failed around the nut because it is spinning. I
will have to remove the top bung, remove the nut, and refit. Not really a
problem, as it is quite snug already due to the other five bolts.

I am not going to replace the inner bungs until I know the butyl is settled.

Thanks for everything.

Wade
Sophie #421