Professional BoatBuilder - February-March 2018

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 45

the canvas top. Stainless steel ball lock pins at each end

of the bars make removal easy. When in place, the bars

reinforce the back bow of the top by connecting it to the

windshield.  e permanently mounted leather-covered

grab bar across the back top bow gives passengers some-

thing substantial to hang onto while under way, and hang-

ing on won’t torture the reinforced back bow of the top as

much when the boarding bars are mounted.

About the Author: Bruce Pfund was technical editor of

Professional BoatBuilder from 1989 to 2012. Bruce Pfund/

Special Projects LLC o ers consulting and inspection services

for marine composites and coatings.

I mentioned that I look for good ideas and elegant solu-

tions to persistent problems during my time on the docks,

and I found some at this year’s shows. Here are two exam-

ples, one very simple, and one that’s handsome and no doubt

a bit expensive.

23.  is spring-tensioned latch compresses the gasket
    around this hatch’s perimeter to ensure a watertight com-
    partment. Surface mounted, it would
    be a shin ripper, but its simple
    recessed pocket keeps it out of harm’s
    way. And unlike other recessed latch
    hardware I saw, this recess was big
    enough so the latch could be operated
    while wearing gloves.


24.  ese leather-covered grab
    bars are a handsome, e ective passen-
    ger-boarding solution. Even if wet,
    the bars won’t be slippery to grip, and
    people coming aboard won’t touch

Simple, Smart Solutions

23.

24.

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