Stainless hand-hold on dodger

[Susan Ray]

Morning. I have searched but can't find the article, with photos, showing mounting a 24" stainless hand hold on the outside of a dodger. They used stainless clamps on the inside and did not have to drill the dodger frame. Please help me locate the pictures as I am confused on the procedure for assembly. Thanks

[Phil Spicer]

Susan, try sailrite.com. They have a kit that is an add-on without drilling the dodger tubing. You will need to take your dodger tubing out of the end fittings to side the grab rail fittings on to your dodger frame. The web site shows how it all goes together. Just remember to melt a hole in the "Sunbrella" for the fittings , DO NOT JUST CUT A HOLE. (But I'm sure you know to do that)  Go to the site & type Grab rail kit. All is right there.
I just drilled holes in my frame yesterday to mount the grab rails I just made..looked atthe price at WM & went home & made my own. WM had the wrong price & the wrong size. Mine look almost as good as what you can get at WM, but at a fraction of the price.

[Susan Ray]

I have been to Sailrite and that isn't it. It was definatly on this message board with photos on a blue dodger. It looks so simple but confusing when you come to measureing where to cut through the dodger. There is no drilling involved. Thanks for your input.

[Stu Jackson]

Susan, I just don't remember that, and searched awhile.

Perhaps these will help.

[Stu Jackson]

Page 2

Susuan, I know this isn't what you had in mind.  If you download these, you may be able to read the text with an application program -- the bigger version of the file is too large to fit in the 75KB limit.  If not, email me at mraquaq@aol.com and I'll send you the files.

[Ron Hill]

Susan : Why not drill thru the dodger rails?  It also makes the dodger frame very rigid - strength of a triangle!! 
Note Stu's article - that a soldering gun does a great job of melting rather than cutting thru the sunbrilla.  I put a leather disc between the stainless side handle and the dodger sunbrilla. 
To get at those tubing clamps you still have to make a hole in the dodger and spend some more $$ on the clamps.  

[Tom Soko]

Susan,
Perhaps it wasn't on the C34 site you saw the 24" dodger grabrail, but perhaps it was on the C36 site?  I did exactly what you described, and I couldn't be happier.  Dodger frame is intact and not compromised.  Mounting clamps are very secure, and make the whole dodger stiffer.  Very handy to grab while going forward, or boarding from midships.  You can see pictures at the following site:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4288188659&code=13911531&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
Pictures #118 & 119 show the details.  Hope this helps.

[Susan Ray]

THANK YOU TOM! That was the one. It's so simple now that I see it. His boat has done every project I can imagine. I'll send pics of mine when done. Thanks all and for the tip on the soldering gun.Aloha, Susan

[Stu Jackson]

Good luck, Susan, with this one.  Should be a snap   

And thanks for your earlier lighting great pictures.