Grab Handle
Another no brainer but, a very necessary one! In
one of my previous "Tips & Stuff" about installing a swim grid, not just for
swimming but for safety as well (re-boarding device!), there was one component
missing. Every boat of course will be different in how the grid is
attached and where it is attached, so it may or may not need this "device", a
Grab Handle! When I first installed my grid I thought there would be
enough "stuff" to grab to pull myself up onto the grid, not so. What I
needed was a decent handle to get a grip on, and not just for myself, but the
wee ones as well.
Kevin from Harbercraft had a handle installed on his
1925 but for me, it just wasn't in an easy place to get hold of and then to climb up on the swim
grid. So, with a whole bunch of help from Jeff at Captain's Corner in
Salmon Arm, we came up with the perfect handle for my application and, as Kevin
is reading this he is no doubt ordering one for himself!
The
install of it is pretty easy, the most important thing being to measure 8 times
and then drill only once, or twice in the case of my handle. Unlike
fibreglass that can
at least be filled if you screw up on a hole, holes in aluminum are a bit
tougher to hide. It is only 2 holes but, you know Murphy's Law when your
doing these things! Figure out where you want to put it, measure between the
handle studs, centre to centre, and then do the same on the hull, at least 3 or
4 times! Although aesthetics don't mean squat to some anglers, I still
like to have a nice looking boat so, keep looking for the handle that will
fit right and look right on your boat.
I'm guessing that some installs are done the way they
are because it may be alot simpler than installing the right way or in the
right place.
In the case of my boat it was a major pain in the sphincter to get to those
bolts that were wayyyyyyyy back in the hull but, with a little help from the
wife and alot of 
sweat
from me, I managed to reach those elusive bolts. After I drilled
the hole I painted up the bare aluminum in the holes and, put some Marine Goop
on the base of both handle studs and stuffed a little around the holes just for
good measure. I then gave both of the studs a liberal coating of Thread
Lock, even though I was going to Ny-Lock nuts over top of flat washers. Do
you actually think I want to have to go through all this again just because they
loosened up? I don't think so! So, with the the wife pushing on the
handle from the outside I worked the ratchet/wrench from the inside and got the
nasty part of the job done.
Even I have to say the job turned out damn fine, looks
good and, it works even better! Don't skimp on the safety stuff when
equipping your boat, especially when you have kids out with you in the boat.
Nothing worse than pulling the arms out of some 6 year old in an attempt to get
them back on board the boat.
