So we've finally started working on things we want to have on the boat rather than things that are required to have on the boat. The drop leaf table in the main cabin is very nice, but heavy and takes up quite a bit of space. Plus, while a nice place to eat at the dock or at anchor, it's not so good while underway, especially while healed over. It does, however, do a good job separating the floor space and provides a place to secure gear/sails. It would be great to be able to continue doing this, but in a lighter, less bulky way. How about a rail using the same attachment points on the floor as the table? We looked in to having a rail fabricated - either stainless or carbon fiber - but the prices we high and higher. Then we figured how about schedule 80 PVC? Over the lengths needed that stuff is pretty strong (and about $20). We just needed a way to attach to the floor. Enter Cris' machine shop guys who had some spare stainless steel tubes and flat bar they could weld together. We made the flat bar the same profile as the bases of the table (same hole pattern too) and the vertical tubes are about 18", enough to handle the horizontal load on the PVC.
The stainless tubes fit nicely within the inside diameter of the PVC pipe. We took a grinder to the corners of the flat bar to smooth them out so we don't risk catching them on something (i.e., a sail).
Bases before grinding and paint.
Added some flat black paint - and suddenly $20 of PVC looks a lot like $2,000 of carbon fiber...
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