Help please with broken handrail screw...

[Frank Langer]

The handrail on my 1984 Ericson 30+ appears to be screwed through the top of the exterior handrail through the deck and into the interior cabin handrail below. The screw has rusted through and broken off flush with the deck, so the front end of the handrail is now loose. I had considered trying to drill the rusted screw out of the deck fibreglass, but I think the dril bit will keep slipping off and damage the gelcoat. Another thought I had was to leave the old rusted one in place, and drill a new hole in the handrail close to the old one, hoping that I still hit the opposite attachment on the interior cabin handrail, and then add a teak bung and refinish the handrail.
Does anyone have any experience with this, or any suggestions?
Thanks for any advice.
Frank.

 

[maggie-k]

Hi Frank I think you will find if one is rusted they all are . On my 29 I lifted off the handrail by prying it up with gentle force and found it came out quickly with all but one of the original rusted studs, The one left in I covered in thin epoxy. The other holes were epoxied in as well The exiting studs were removed from the rail and bungs placed in the access holes. The rail was then replaced new holes drilled about an inch away from the old ones right threw the headliner inside , A hole saw was used next on the headliner to provide a 1 in. access for nuts. Covered later with a plug. If I was to do it again I would consider buying new rail sections and threwbolting the top rail to one in the interior .
Hope this helps
Eric

 

[Frank Langer]

Thanks, Eric, but...

Eric, thanks for your quick reply. I agree that it would be good to throughbolt the exterior to the interior handrail--but how can I ensure that the exterior is lined up correctly with the interior one, so as not to accidentally miss it altogether, or split it, or have a similar problem?
Thanks,
Frank.

 

[maggie-k]

Hi Frank drill the holes right threw from the exterior rail to the interior and you will have a row of holes on the liner to line up to, The interior could then be matched and drilled threw the exterior rail as a guide. Or you could hold the interior rail in place while a friend drills into it from the exterior . Does that make sense ? Yes I would be nice to have overthead rails below.
Eric

 

[Frank Langer]

Eric, thanks for your response. I think that makes sense, though doing it on my boat will be the challenge--I have a soft vinyl headliner inside the cabin that doesn't lend itself to cutting/drilling through, and it limits access to where I need to be. I'll have to figure out how to deal with that, but then it should work.
Thanks again.
Frank.