'Back rails'

[Carrie]

I don't know the proper name, but I'd like to get a rail or guard welded onto the counter of the boat I'm buying. It's a trad and I'm afraid my dog will fall off and/or trip me over, so just something along the end.

Can anyone tell me the proper name for this?

I read a thread on welding on boats - is it far enough from the engine to be safe? (excuse my ignorance)

 

Also, I will be starting off from Banbury. Anyone recommend a place that could do this work? Thanks.

[stuart]

Welding on boats is fine as long as you take sensible approach. Disconnect all the batteries (probably worth doing it at the battery rather than the master switch as you may have other equipment connected that bypasses the master switch), dont forget the engine starter battery.

 

If your welding an outside surface, then most of the paint will be burnt away and dont forget to remove any internal trim/insulation as this may catch fire!

[Richard Bustens]

Carrie

 

I know where you are coming from, but dont forget anything you do there is going to make it difficult for you to get on and off.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Richard Bustens

[Bones]

I don't know the proper name, but I'd like to get a rail or guard welded onto the counter of the boat I'm buying. It's a trad and I'm afraid my dog will fall off and/or trip me over, so just something along the end.

Can anyone tell me the proper name for this?

I read a thread on welding on boats - is it far enough from the engine to be safe? (excuse my ignorance)

 

Also, I will be starting off from Banbury. Anyone recommend a place that could do this work? Thanks.

 

are you going south down the oxford canal? There is a guy in Thrupp who I can recommend...

[Carrie]

Thanks for your thoughts on this

 

Richard, I realise I may be a bit restricted with this. Guess I'm just getting a bit jumpy as I've never driven a trad, only cruiser sterns.

Bones I am heading South to begin with. If you could send me a contact name, I'd be grateful....

[DaveR]

The Bensham has removable rails in two sockets either side of the tiller.

 

Great idea as they are easily removed for access and storage.

[DHutch]

Yeah, or do like maffi, and have removeable seats with a dog-leg.

- So they can be turned round to hang over the back when not in use.

- Then returned to the other possition when your crusing about the place.

 

 

Daniel

[tony collins]

I don't know the proper name, but I'd like to get a rail or guard welded onto the counter of the boat I'm buying. It's a trad and I'm afraid my dog will fall off and/or trip me over, so just something along the end.

Can anyone tell me the proper name for this?

I read a thread on welding on boats - is it far enough from the engine to be safe? (excuse my ignorance)

 

Also, I will be starting off from Banbury. Anyone recommend a place that could do this work? Thanks.

 

 

I think if you ask your builder for "Taff Rails" he will know what you mean.

 

Tony

[Richard Bustens]

I thought Carrie wanted something more enclosed to stop the dog from falling in.?

[Carrie]

Well, if I have a rail, I can have a canvas stretched around it to stop said dog from falling.

 

Taff rails eh? Cheers!

 

As for Maffi's set up - is there a pic floating about that I can look at? Maffi - you there?

[Liam]

Hi Carrie,

 

Here's a pic of some pretty standard taff rails, which you could attach some form of canvas too, which like you say, would stop your dog from taking a dip. It would also pretect your lower half from the wind and the rain

 

 

And, this is the only picture I can find of Maffi's stern plan...

 

[charles123]

Hi Carrie,

 

Here's a pic of some pretty standard taff rails, which you could attach some form of canvas too, which like you say, would stop your dog from taking a dip. It would also pretect your lower half from the wind and the rain

 

 

And, this is the only picture I can find of Maffi's stern plan...

 

 

You migt well have problems fitting them to an existing boat if you wanted to have them welded in place because of the proximity of the diesel tank.

 

You could have them fabricated and then drill and tap them then bolt through where the socket attach to the cants above the counter

 

Charles

[Cafnod]

Hi Carrie

Our previous boat (Wilson trad) had taff rails added later, vertical tube with a heavy box section top that went right around the rear rather in two short lengths. There were also fold back gates incorporated into the front posts. When the back doors were open it held the gates closed, this was to stop the prev owners children falling in the water. The whole lot had plastic mesh around it.

We found it useful to stop the dog falling in the water or precipitating us in, English Bull Terriers being both boisterous and stupid, a very dangerous combination in small hazardous spaces.

However the rear enclosure never gave us any problems getting on or off. The only slight hassle passing mooring ropes under the meshing, obviously you would fit a spray dodger rather than mesh but would have the same prob.

I would have thought that welding would be fine on the counter regards the diesel tank but whoever does the work will advise on that. As charles has pointed out the uprights can always be drilled and bolted anyway.

If you feel you would like to have the rails removable but want more than the security of slot in types you can use pipe flanges mounted on the base and have threaded uprights.

If you are on the south Oxford, which when we visited was a lovely tranquil cruising canal in the Autumn and winter then I would see the people at Aynho Whart, helpful, friendly and cheap with solid workmanship.

BTW Avoid Mr Grumpy at Sovreign wharf, but his diesel was VERY cheap last time I was there.

Edited June 2, 2006 by Cafnod

[Hairy-Neil]

......... It would also pretect your lower half from the wind and the rain....

 

 

Surely the whole idea of a trad stern is that the cabin protects your lower half from the wind and rain? Shut the cabin doors behind you and the heat rising from the range keeps you warm/dries you out too......

[Carrie]

Thank you! Some great advice and info there to consider.

 

Ha! the boat is currently moored with ...er Mr Grumpy I think! (well, at Sovereign Wharf) Never met the bloke, so can't comment on that

[NB Willawaw]

Carrie,

 

Looking at our trad stern, I can't imagine how you could rig something

that would stop a dog going over the side, without restricting your own access.

If you haven't had much experience with a trad, my advice would be to live with

it for a while and keep the dog restricted to the insides of the boat and the cratch

until you can determine how much space you need to swing the tiller and look alongside

when mooring etc. Then, you can get something made up if you still want to pursue it.

 

We have seats very similar to the ones shown in Liams drawing, although they have curvy

bits for ones butttocks (can I say buttocks on television - too late I just did ?).

 

Are you afraid of the dog going for a swim or chasing off down the towpath when you are moored or in a filled lock chamber ?

 

If its the former, what about a dog lifejacket ?

 

BTW I saw a trad under way on the canal the other day which had a labrador or something similar, sleeping on the back deck under the steerers feet. He had its lead wrapped around his tiller, tightly enough, to restrict the dogs options.

 

I had this cartoon-like vision of the guy putting the helm over to avoid something and the sleeping dog being yanked by the collar and hanging in midair (overactive imagination probably).

Edited June 3, 2006 by NB Willawaw

[alan_fincher]

I agree with the comment Charles has made.

 

If your fuel tank is in the back of the counter, you will certainly need to seek advice about whether welding is an option or not.

 

I understand your concerns, but personally with a trad stern, I like to be able to pick up lock crew easily without any obstructions to stop them hopping on from any angle that's convenient from the bank (or lock apron, when departing a lock). If I had bought a boat with taff rails, I think I'd fairly quickly be looking to remove them. I find them a pain, I'm afraid.

 

Alan

[Carrie]

Alan, Mark, I'm sure you're right. It probably IS just inexperience which is making me worry about something that may not even be a problem!

I'm not trying to stop the dog escaping as he is extremely sticky and doesn't disappear! I'm worried about him accidentally going over if we lurch sideways for any reason (my driving is impeccable, of course!).

He will be locked inside when we go through locks.

 

I think I'm getting over anxious as my house buyers are dragging their feet

[Baron & Mrs Boater]

Going through a bridge hole the other day, I saw a cocker spaniel just like mine running along the towpath - it was mine !

 

She has not done it before, and she was cursed - I guess I will be thinking of some form of dog fence now.

Edited June 12, 2006 by Baron & Mrs Boater

[DHutch]

Going through a bridge hole the other day, I saw a cocker spaniel just like mine running along the towpath - it was mine !

Haha, pippa used to do that all the time.

- Jump off at one bridge hole, then jump back on at the next.

- We quite often used perswade her to do it infact, give her a run for a bit, then she would usally settle.

- Some times its was inapropreate, like the towpath was really busy (fishermen, etc), or the next bridge was mile and miles, which she didnt like. (she was great a the puppy-eye 'can i come back aboard' look too!)

- But then it was just a case of looking at her and give her a good firm "NOoo Pippa" and she just turned round, gave you the "Ahh, ou spoil sport" look and go back down below.

 

The only thing she really didnt like was the one time the safty valves on the HP cylinder covers lifted while she was in the engine room. They go with a right bang, frightend the livving crap out of her! Mind you, they make me jump a fair bit!!

- Oh, and the time she lepted for the shore and missed once! Then couldnt climb out!

 

 

Daniel

[Cafnod]

We were very gld of the gates and rails on the old boat, the English Bull Terrier came along too late to be socialised with other dogs unfortunately, which is sad cos he is wonderful with people but a bit boisterous with kids.

Most useful at a lock Easter before last that a group of youths were hassling us at. AND he was wagging his tail (probably in anticipation).

[Keeping Up]

Haha, pippa used to do that all the time.

- Jump off at one bridge hole, then jump back on at the next.

- We quite often used perswade her to do it infact, give her a run for a bit, then she would usally settle.

- Some times its was inapropreate, like the towpath was really busy (fishermen, etc), or the next bridge was mile and miles, which she didnt like. (she was great a the puppy-eye 'can i come back aboard' look too!)

- But then it was just a case of looking at her and give her a good firm "NOoo Pippa" and she just turned round, gave you the "Ahh, ou spoil sport" look and go back down below.

Most of our previous dogs have done this too. It doesn't work for our present two though. Molly just turns the other way to go and explore the fields, and we don't see her for hours: Telford does everything right until the boat comes into the bridge-hole to pick him up, he gets ready to jump then remembers where the boat was when he jumped off and he runs back to the previous bridge - but of course the boat isn't there any more so he just sits down and waits to be rescued!

 

One dog we had, always walked the towpath level with us and was normally perfectly behaved. One morning we passed a moored boat and she simply walked in their back doors, and emerged from their bows to carry on walking beside our boat while contentedly munching on the hot sausage that she'd acquired.

 

To stop Molly jumping off (until she learned that she's not allowed to) I attached the other end of her lead to the ring that we use for lifting the back deck. I thought that would be ideal because the lead just reached the edge of the boat so she could sit and look out quite happily but couldn't go any further. How wrong I was. She just turned around and jumped off backwards, ending up with her chin flat on the gunwales and the rest of her water-skiing along beside the boat.

[David Schweizer]

I am sure I will upset a lot of people by saying this, but all this talk of re-designing the back end of a boat to prevent the dog from jumping/falling off has given me yet another item to add to my already long list of reasons why I will never own a dog.

 

Don't get me wrong, I dont dislike dogs, it's just that catering for their needs seems to turn your life upside down. At least children eventually grow up and leave home.

Edited June 13, 2006 by David Schweizer

[Hairy-Neil]

I am sure I will upset a lot of people by saying this, but all this talk of re-designing the back end of a boat to prevent the dog from jumping/falling off has given me yet another item to add to my already long list of reasons why I will never own a dog.

 

Yeah, worst senario......you trip over the dog whilst reversing your boat, (not standing on the steerers step inside the cabin, of course) fall in and the boat continues backwards till it minces you up in the blades. BTW, this very thing occured on a school party holiday about 5 years ago, though not sure about the dog involvement, so can happen.........

[Carrie]

Ok - before, I was slightly anxious.

 

NOW I'M TERRIFIED!!!!