Have been thinking about adding a bow pulpit and maybe life lines to my Sun Cat. Was wondering what the rest of you Sun Cat owners think about this idea. I'm not as light on my feet as I once was and would not enjoy falling off the boat. Going forward to get the sail down or set the anchor is getting a little harder every year. What are your ideas on this, good or bad idea.
ROGER
As I'm about to turn 60 and expect to be sailing alone O think that a bow pulpit AND lifelines are a great idea.
Sign me up!
Susan
hoddinr can speak to this. His Sun Cat has a bow pulpit that goes all the way around the boat *<:o)
Where are you Ron?
Right here! Yes, and yes! When Jerry and Hutch saw my custom stainless rails, they fell off their chairs. They loved it. They said if the factory built them it would be at least a $5000 option, so it wasn't feasible economically to gear up to build them.
Going to try to post a photo of Nomad with the rails.
Ron
Good. It worked.
I think the rails saved my butt a couple of weeks ago when a foot slipped off the gunnel going forward. The rail hits me about knee height, and it kept my right leg on board. It works up by the mast and handling the anchor pretty well too.
A bow pulpit could be found at a marine salvage yard that would fit, and you can buy stainless stacions and life lines to connect them.
Go for it.
Ron
Wow, Ron...I really like that.
Looks good and very safe.
Hmm, marine salvage yard.......
Looks great Ron, thanks a lot for the picture. As for finding something in a salvage yard, not much of a chance here in Iowa. The picture helped me visualize what the Sun Cat would look like with bow pulpit and maybe life lines back to the cockpit. I'll be doing some looking for parts and deciding how to go about this project, maybe this winter. Thanks everyone for the ideas and have a great summer out there sailing.
ROGER
There are a couple of them in Florida (at least). One is in Ft. Lauderdale, and one is in Clearwater - Don's Salvage.
I think that's where the rail that I have came from. It had originally been on the bow of a big motor cruiser, but it was gradually worked into fitting the SunCat by a very talented metal worker - previous owner - Dennis Marshall. He said it took over a week of gradual shaping, hoping it wouldn't break or crease.
Good luck with your project.
Ron
Ron, when you get a chance can you post a few more pictures of the bow pulpit and lifelines?
Different angles and the such.
Thanks,
Susan
Although not a salvage outfit, marine-surplus.com carries bow rails it buys at pennies on the dollar from boat manufacturers that are changing their lines or going belly up.
Also, I've seen the work Dennis Marshall did on Ron's Sun Cat and it is a thing of beauty!
Bob
Hi Susan,
My SunCat rails do not have life lines - they are a solid rail system from bow to the rear of the cockpit. Here's another photo.
Ron
Wow, thats very interesting.
How did you decide how much foward rake to give the stanchions?
Hi Susan,
As I said previously, I didn't design or build the rail system. It was found in a yacht salvage yard - off the foredeck of a large power yacht. Then the PO spent a week gradually bending and making it fit.
The attached photo gives a good idea how it looks.
Ron
The rails look very good, but I do have a question. Will those rails hinder you from entering/exiting onto a dock?
The docks I use vary a lot in height, so going over a rail down to a low dock might not work for me. In fact, I'm in process of adding quick release pins to my lifelines to make it easier to get on/off the boat.
Just a thought.
Ron
No they are easy to step over back in the cockpit. Very low there.
Ron
I have seen and used Ron's Sun Cat's hand rails. Not only are they easy to step over but they offer a very convenient hand hold, Far superior to grab than a life line and much stronger. If one could find a rail from a powerboat that could be easily modified it would be a great addition. Dennis the P.O. of Nomad really did a remarkable job.
Tom L.
Have looked on the internet and have not found anything that looks like it would work for a bow pulpit for a sun cat. A new pulpit for a Com-Pac 16 is about $200, have no idea if this would work on a Sun-Cat at all. I'll be at the CLR the end of this month and there will be at least one 16 there that I can check out. There just aren't any use boat parts any were close by here in Iowa.
ROGER
Let me know what consensus is regarding a 16 bow pulpit in a SunCat.
Personally I think it is overkill. I have a Horizon Day Cat, and don't feel like I need any lifelines or rails. Since you don't have a jib, when do you really ever have to leave the cockpit. I would worry about tripping over some of that.
Rob
In my view it's not overkill!!
Leave the cockpit to add fenders/dock lines maybe land a fish??? Maybe not land a fish.
Docking maneuver, very convenient and safer to have a handrail to steady yourself when stepping from dock to boat and boat to dock?? The only other hand hold is the shroud.
Anchoring, very convenient and safer to have a pulpit??
Jam at the peak or throat halyard, very convenient to have a hand rail as you move forward??
I don't think most of us com-pacters realize how narrow the side deck is on a Sun Cat. It is very Narrow and easy to slip off. The rail gives your lower leg something to wedge against. Walking on the cabin top is risky with that big old main flailing about.
When it comes to docking the hand rail is a great deal of help especially after I turned 70. I don't jump to well between boat and dock as I did in the past.
I don't think it would be worth 5K but the reworking of an existing power boat rail is doable. I agree it doesn't fit the character of a Cat Boat but it is too functional to ignore. These Cat Boats don't really resemble a traditional Cat anyway from the min keel to the S.S. blocks and hardware. There is no jib to deal with so the rail is never in the way of sails like it might be on a sloop.
Tom L.
Thanks Tom, you put it very well. I have all my lines run to the cockpit to keep me from having to go forward, but in my world something always gets jammed or hung up. Those side decks also seem to be getting narrower every year, are they shrinking maybe. You had to mention about turning 70, witch is coming up in a few months, anybody know how to stop that problem. Anchoring is another good reason for a bow pulpit, I now anchor and eat lunch and maybe take a short nap on many occasions. I have talked too some that don't want to complicate there boats and keep them simple, then there's me that hangs every thing on there boat trying to make it hopefully easier to sail. Every body set your boat up the best way you know how and get out there and have a great time enjoying your boat.
ROGER
One reason I wanted this SunCat with the rail system was to hang fenders from. It's perfect height and when they're hung vertically with a 3/8" inch line they are easy to put on and take off and don't interfere with going forward as they would if hung from the hand rails.
I intend to do some canal trips and have done a few river trips where fenders are almost in constant use.
Nomad also came with some huge fenders that were used on Dennis' previous boat a Sabre 36.
I'm also 70 years old now and not quite as nimble as some of you younger fellers. So it helps me, and that's why I like it.
Ron