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I scored an excellent condition original bow rail for for my skiff. Can someone please post some pictures of how they are typically mounted. From pictures and research I've done, it would appear as though the front post (T-post) that supports the front portion of the rail, is typically mounted just behind the front navigation light and the anchor ropeline. This bow rail came with the foot supports at each support leg and also stainless fittings to tap into both gunnels.
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Right on. Sorry for the late response. Anyway, I am under the impression that my skiff is a 1973 currituck 16. I picked it up back in may and have been slowly restoring it and converting it to a center console. I recently picked up an original Montauk bow rail and would like to install it.
Ive included a few pics in this post to provide a bit of details and how I intend to install them, but wanted to make sure Im not drilling into foam and run the risk of the rail eventually coming off. I've got the boats layout from this site and it is identical to the boat I have. Anyway, hope someone can chime in and provide some details for the installation. Thank you.
There are two considerations for installing a bow rail onto a 1973 Boston Whaler 16 Currituck model boat. First, you need to look at the wood locating diagram so you can determine where the wood backing is locating on the interior gunwales. Second, did you buy the bow rail off of a Montauk 17 or a Montauk 16? These are two different boats and the bow rails are designed differently for each. If the side vertical rails have a bend at the bottom, then the rail was designed for a later model 17 hull with the smirk; not a 16 smirkless hull.
Weatherly, according to Specialty Marine the only difference in the bow rail between Smirked & Smirkless is the front vertical post is a different length. The style they sell does have the bends in the vertical posts though.
The reason I wonder is I have a Smirkless rail I want to sell, (without the vertical bends), and it would be nice to know if it could also be used on the Smirked hulls. I can confirm they are at least correct that the front post for mine is 19 5/8" but they don't say what the Smirked front post would be.
MG56: Excellent question. Simply put, the bow rails are designed differently because the hulls are different.
A bow rail off of a smirkless hull will need modifications (a longer vertical center pole and different side vertical supports) to fit on a Smirked hull.
A bow rail off of a smirked hull will also need modifications (a shorter vertical center pole and different side vertical supports) to fit on a smirkless hull.
The OE fabricator, CMI Marine, can make new front and side vertical bow rail supports.
The smirkless hull has smaller wood backing plates so there is less room for error in the installation process. Screw the rail stanchions into a surface with no backing wood and the rail base and side stanchions will come unfastened and just make a mess of your gelcoat surface.
