Hi there,
Getting ready to start work on my vacationer and had a question.
Has anyone put bulwarks on there boat instead of a toerail? I figured 6 inches or so would make for a little added security when going forward to tend sails.
If so, How was this done? Were the sides extended upwards or was the bulwark attached seperately?
Does it affected the handling characterisitcs too adversely? (Only thing I can think of would be more windage.)
Thanks,
Dave G.
I don't know anyone that has done it - but when I start work on the 1/2 built vacationer I have in my backyard, I plan to do something similar. I want a little more than a toe-rail. I was thinking more like 4 inches.
a.
Ahoy David,
Welcome aboard. We will have a bulwark of sorts on our boat. At the moment, I am unsure what it will look like or high the the planking may be. Our sea-dog, Miss Sheba is pretty small, and we don't want her (or myself) to fall overboard while we are under sail in rough seas, fighting our way against sharks, pirates, and lurking BYYB rogues.
I rather think a nice bulwark would look good.
Bulwarks are difficult to describe. I've always figured a bulwark was anything over 2 or 3 inches high, but a real bulwark is a thing that provides a sense of security and comfort. A true bulwark can easily support the weight of several crew, bracing a heavily loaded line or tossing their lunch over the side, without regard to the bulwark's attachment to the deck.
There are many different methods to make, attach and incorporate them into the topside aesthetics of the yacht. The easiest is to stand a 2x4 on edge, prop it up to the angle you like, scribe the bottom edge to match the deck crown and inclination you desire, trim, then thru bolt her to some hefty backing plates under the deck. A strip planked version is also very easy and you're working with much easier pieces to bend to the deck and sheer. Of course they need scuppers to shed the water that will get trapped on deck, typically mounted aft of midship at the sheer's lowest point.
The ones I like the best are removable, like seen on Scandinavian pilot craft of the 1800's. They used a series of brackets to hold up a plank (or several) stacked on edge. Each bracket was securely mounted, but the plank(s) were held with a simple pin, which could be knocked out for removing the bulwark temporarily (like when loading heavy items) The brackets also held the lowest plank off the deck about an inch, so it had a natural scupper the full length. Real clever and simple, which is best more often than not.
Most bulwarks are mounted inboard of the planking. The reason is to let the rub rail do it's job and not have a dock piling drag across the outward sloping bulwark. Many work boats had very tough bulwarks for this reason. These usually were mounted directly to frame heads that extended through the deck. These arrangements caused leaking and rotting issues, but that's the nature of the beast, when you have deck penetrations.
On Vacationer, a small bulwark may prove handy, though some thought should go into it's scale and arrangement. The double rub on the side already mimics a workboat bulwark, so additional efforts will have to be made, so as not to detract from this feature.
Another note would be paint the bulwark a dark, contrasting color or stain (if natural) Or light color if the hull is dark. This serves to hide the freeboard increase and is a common ploy used on high sided boats, which works well.