Bavaria Yacht Info

Member Forums => Modifications & Equipment => Topic started by: joakey on March 13 2020, 16:11

Title: 2007 BAV47 Replace teak toe rail with Aluminum?
Post by: joakey on March 13 2020, 16:11
Has anyone gone through the trouble of removing the teak capping on the gunwale/toerail of their Bavaria?  I have a leak in fore cleat into storage locker and a couple of stanchion mounts that need work and while I like the look of the teak, I'd just find it far more practical to have an aluminum toe rail that I can better lash down deck items (like fuel tanks on a long passage) and attaching snatch blocks.

I've found one US aluminum toe rail supplier that even has a part that's listed as Bavaria 51 - https://crestaluminum.com/toerail.htm.  Then there's Goiot and others.  I'm uncertain if Bavaria has ever had this as an option for purchase and therefore their own parts (or supplier) that fits well with the deck bonding joint that's used in my model.

Anyone have any experience with this project?
Title: Re: 2007 BAV47 Replace teak toe rail with Aluminum?
Post by: ICENI on March 24 2020, 11:38
Sorry, I am not answering your question directly.   If you go for aluminuim toerail, please DO fasten it with screws that are well countersunk.

I had an experience in a harbour in the South Ionian where we were moored in a bad storm.   The stupid harbourmaster put us adjacent to a flat bottomed motor cruiser.   At the height of the storm (Midnight through to the early hours) had me and my crew frantically holding off the mad bouncing boat in driving rain.   The screws attaching the toerail on the side of this boat ripped the side of my boat down to the laminate in several places.   One of the fender ropes was frayed so badly by one of the screws that we lost the fender.   An absolute nightmare.

In the morning, the harbourmaster arrived with the owner of this cruiser demanding 500 Euros from us for the damage to the cruiser!   Later when the authorities came to photograph the incident, I was asked "what damage".   The damage to the cruiser was cruiser was the loss of  three of these offending screws!

The outcome was a day arguing and photocopying insurance documents in the port police office.   I refused to pay the demanded money and subsecuently informed my insurance company of the incident formally.

One replaced stanchion and gellcoat repairs done by myself was the outcome.   My insurance no claim bonus was left intact.

Good luck with your new toerail and I hope you get the leak sorted out, but please bear in mind what stupid, badly fitted self tapping screws can do by way of damage to other boats.