Stainless Handrails

[Jon Schneider]

I'm considering replacing my somewhat worn teak handrails on my 1990 C34 with stainless. If I do this, I will do it because I actually think ss is a better look for our boats, and will modernize my Mark I.  Has anyone done this conversion?  Any hints/considerations?  Who'd did you use for the fabrication?

[Tom Soko]

Jon,
I had thought about doing the same thing for my '87 C36, but never gotten around to it.  Have you looked into ordering the handrails from CY? I would think that because they are standard items for newer boats the price would be competitive.  I'll be following this post with interest.

[Jon Schneider]

Tom, I did call/leave a message with Kent in the Catalina tech department last week.  He never got back to me, which is par for the course (you have to get these guys on the fly, and then they're great.)  I'll post any info I get from Catalina once I do reach them live.  I actually have my doubts that Catalina will be able to help, if only because the ss rails they use are for a different coachtop design (at least as far I've noticed): they're almost perfectly straight and embedded in a notch in the coachtop, compared to our arched, high-riser teak models.  That said, I'm crossing my fingers that they'll be able to help.  In the meantime, here are reliable fabricators that mates on other lists have suggested:

www.stainlessoutfitters.com/index3.htm
www.mysticstainless.com/
www.lutherswelding.com/index.html
www.rileymarine.com/handrails.html
www.topsinquality.com/

I was going to use Tops in Quality, but will probably look into Stainless Outfitters, because they will take your old teak handrails and use them as a template.  I like that method much better than relying solely on my measuring skills.

[Ron Hill]

Jon : You are wrong, Catalina can help.  The last of the MK I's with about 1200+ hull numbers have stainless hand rails installed by the factory!!

If you look in the 1995 Parts List that I posted on our web site you'll see the stainless hand rails listed on page 3.  

[Jon Schneider]

Good to know... now if I can only get them to return my call!  Actually, the stock stainless model that Catalina has isn't ideal.  When they switched to stainless, they radically reduced the number of support struts (naturally, since ss is stronger; less holes and just as secure).  If I switch to ss, I'll be looking to maintain the same strut configuration, because I don't want to try to match the non-skid where the excess holes would be.  Now that I think of it, however, that many "teeth" on a ss handrail may look strange; I'll have to figure out a way to test the aesthetics before going through with this.  Thanks for the lead.