Fitting new toerails and grabrails

Worn wooden toerails, coachroof grab handles and rubbing strakes are a common problems for many owners of older boats. Most of these will originally have been teak, although lesser quality timber may subsequently have been substituted on some boats.

Fortunately these are easy DIY repairs, providing you know a few tricks. In many cases removing the old toerail or grabrail may prove the biggest challenge. If the fastenings are bolts it’s generally a two person job, one of whom will be inside the boat, often