I know that is the "look" today but you just eliminated 40-60% of the market on resale. People over 60 need bow rails. Crew who enjoyed a beer or two on the run back need bow rails. Mom on the bow in a blow/rain/current... need a bow rail.
I agree. My 50 has a modified bow rail and buyers have made a full rail their criteria. I actually think it looks great w/o so if you plan to keep it, take it off. If not, beware
993 said it very well. I have been casually eyeballing sport fishers and if they don’t have a full bow rail they are ruled out.
Hopefully you never allow anyone but well coordinated, professional crew go forward. If someone falls off and it becomes known that you removed the safety rail you may open a can of worms. Nothing on a boat is as important as safety. Leave it on.
Don't do it! I guarantee that rail is going to save your, or some one else's, @%! one day. I think they , Sport Fish boats look worse with out them.
Supposedly the reason for removing the rail is so you can follow a fish that gets forward of the boat. Personally, if my mind were on a fish on line, I'd want something to keep me from walking off the boat (or a captain who'd keep it behind).
I agree with others, don't do it. Although it looks cool to not have them, is it really worth it to look a little sleeker and give up some serious safety. I anchor a lot and can't imagine that without a rail. And some of my crew are getting long in the tooth and I already worry about them AND I have a rail!
I agree. No bow rails would eliminate any boat I was looking at or I would reduce the price accordingly if it checked every other box. We have canyon fished into December and January some years and while it is not always needed, sometimes you need to go forward. With waters cooling down at that time of year, I would never go forward without rails. That’s an extreme but there are plenty of summer days when you are on the bow hauling anchor, or using a davit with a good roll on the boat. Don’t need to see the wife or dog take a plunge. I agree with Seth, if you remove the rails you should keep them in case you ever decide to sell.
Really...I had never heard that. Does not make sense to me as I have never had problem sighting a fish that runs with bow rails but then again for tournament boats in it for a payout, every possible advantage helps.
Aside from agreeing wholeheartedly with all previous suggestions to NOT do that for several good reasons, I'm also wondering if that wouldn't affect the vessel registration, and potentially the validity of an insurance claim. I believe that would be the case in Europe, but IDK about the US.
Doesn't make sense to me either. Maybe it was just an excuse for people who smashed their rails and didn't have the money to replace them.
Doubt it would effect registration, but I could definitely imagine it being an issue were someone to go off the bow after the safety rails were removed.
Those are all the safety concerns I had in the back of my mind . I did not think of the resale consequences without them I guess I'll leave them on for now because you know the first one to go in the drink without them will be ME
