Bent Bowrail and opinions needed

[270win]

My boat has a pretty bad (to me anyway) bend in it and I'm thinking about a few options to solve the problem. Here is a pic of the bend in the rail.

I had been thinking about having it repaired back to original, but the front also has two kinks in it where someone bend the farthest forward section and than bent it back straight...it looks okay but I'm sure the strength is totally compromised.

I was also thinking about completely replacing it with this kind of rail.

Here are two side profile shots, do you think that the shorter rail will add to the appearance? Or should I go factory?

I'll be adding an extended platform from swimplatforms.com to replace that ridiculous ladder. If you're not in good shape there is NO WAY you can get out of the water with that ladder!

Anyway, thanks in advance for the input!

 

[Hampton]

I can't see the pics at work, but before I replaced it, I would try to reshape it. There is an extremely talented professional in town who builds, from scratch, complete towers for huge fishing boats. He told me to do it myself and save tons of money. Secure the area by propping it up with 2 X 4's over a towel to protect the deck and to avoid stressing mounting points.

Apply pressure/weight in the appropriate spots in the appropriate directions. I wouldn't pound on it too much. If you can take it off to do the work without too much trouble, that may be better, but I'm guessing that it would be way more trouble and could lead to leaks. I can't imagine it being weakened, but like I said, I can't see the photos.

If it's beyond recognition, may be better to take it to a pro.

 

[270win]

I've seen some people post up the same idea on straightening it, I'm sure it's a relatively easy fix as it's not that bad of a bend. I was just thinking it could be a good opportunity to clean up the boat's lines and fix the rail too. I was mainly concerned about the leaks from stressing the mounting points...I might be able to do it, but I'm not sure I want to take the chance.

 

[fwebster]

There isn't enough of a bend in your rail to have stretched the metal, so I think you can straighten it. You will need to construct a mandrel or wood backing then apply some force but stainless tubing will bend.

Do not try to jack against the deck of the boat but try to construct a clamping method where you sandwich the bend between mandrels and apply pressure with bolts or all thread rod so th e pressure is parallel to the bend. You may have to take 2 or more passes at it with different shaped wooden backing blocks, but take your time and you should get a passable result.

Don't worry about minor scratches. You can work them out with wet or dry paper and rubbing compound designed for metal polishing.

 

[270win]

There isn't enough of a bend in your rail to have stretched the metal, so I think you can straighten it. You will need to construct a mandrel or wood backing then apply some force but stainless tubing will bend.

Do not try to jack against the deck of the boat but try to construct a clamping method where you sandwich the bend between mandrels and apply pressure with bolts or all thread rod so th e pressure is parallel to the bend. You may have to take 2 or more passes at it with different shaped wooden backing blocks, but take your time and you should get a passable result.

Don't worry about minor scratches. You can work them out with wet or dry paper and rubbing compound designed for metal polishing.

Any ideas what it would cost to replace it with a thicker railing? It feels pretty flimsy which is a big part of why it got bent in the first place. That's also what was attractive about a shorter railing. They seem to feel more substantial.

 

[Hampton]

My thought on that is that next time, it will not give like a bumper but it will pull fittings out and crack gel/fiberglass. I don't think I'd opt for a stiffer rail unless it was de-forming from every day use.

 

[katricol]

The shorter rail will provide even less of a safety factor than the rail you have. I would'nt sacrifice safety for "looks"....ric

 

[J Levine]

been there and done that:

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21975&highlight=bent+bow+rail

Mine looks pretty good given what it went through, most people would not notice it unless they were look for it, of coures it pisses me off everytime I look out the windshield at it

 

[FORDCLINTON]

I took a bent aluminum mast to a blacksmith in Green Bay, WI about thirty years ago. He straightened it in a half an hour and you can fix your rail the same way he did. Take some blocks of wood with a couple of notches in them, to keep them from sliding. Duct tape them in place above where the deflection in the rail starts to bend down. Buy a steel channel about 6' long from a scrap yard. Now wrap the rail in tape to prevent it from getting scratched. The final step is get 10 big c clamps to pull the rail up tight toward the channel. You will have to over flex it to get it to spring back perfectly straight.

 

[270win]

been there and done that:

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21975&highlight=bent+bow+rail

Mine looks pretty good given what it went through, most people would not notice it unless they were look for it, of coures it pisses me off everytime I look out the windshield at it

That's my concern...little details like that drive me NUTS!!!!:wow:

 

[270win]

Okay so the thicker railing is a bad idea. I'd rather the railing bend than the deck get damaged...I don't know, everytime some dock-hand tries to grab the railing I get tense, you really can't use it to handle the boat like that because it flexes pretty easily.

I was also thinking a shorter rail might have less leverage and therefore be less likely to cause damage to the deck...but it's not just about appearance. Sometimes I wonder if just completely removing it might not be the best thing.