Boat Grab Bars and Door Handles

Grab bars are special safety devices that are designed to make it easier for you to get on and off a boat, and also stay safe while standing and maneuvering around the wet and slippery surfaces of your vessel. Since they are most often used when boarding a boat these handles are often referred to as boat boarding grab handles or boat grab handles. They are also crucial to safe boating when navigating through choppier and rougher waters.

Both hatch pulls and flush pull handles are a great option when a lifting handle is needed on a walking surface, like a boat deck or hatch. Walking surfaces on boats should never have trip hazards, that's what makes flush pulls and hatch pulls perfect for boats! Hatch pulls and flush pulls are recessed into the deck or mounting surface and still provide a perfect area to open a door or hatch

Flush ring pulls offer the same advantages as hatch pulls and flush pulls, they provide a point to lift and open a hatch on an area that needs to remain flush. The main difference is that flush ring pulls provide a small ring to flip up and grip while opening a door, hatch, or lid.

As there are a variety of different grab bar options out there, you may find it a little overwhelming trying to choose the very best for your boat project. To give you some help, we have put together a list of the different aspects of grab bars you need to consider when purchasing them. Be careful not to mistake door handles or grab bars for mechanical cabin door handles, or latches that are used to both open doors and hatches, and keep them closed.

The strongest and most durable grab rails and grab bars are those that are installed using a backing plate made of either aluminum, composite, or wood and through-bolts. These help to distribute the generated pull forces.

There is a huge trend in boats with open bows for boat owners and manufacturers to install grab bars that recessed into the top side of the gunwale and run them along the permitter of the boat’s bow seating. This makes it easier for you and passengers to grab hold of the grab bar regardless of where or how you are sitting down

Stainless steel boat hardware is always respected for its sharp look, durability, and corrosion resistance. That is why stainless steel is a premier material option for marine grade grab handles and door handles.

Aluminum Is another common option for boat door and grab handles. Aluminum is lighter but offers the same corrosion resistance as other materials.

Here at Boat Outfitters, we love using starboard, it is a super-strong, long-lasting, maintenance-free, and relatively inexpensive material. We can make custom starboard grab handles and bars to fit any area on your boat, and they will last forever! We often use starboard to replace worn and weathered boat grab handles. 

Boat handles and rails often deteriorate over time. When looking to replace them you can explore the many options at boatoutfitters.com. If you cant find a perfect match, we can custom replicate your grab handles and rails or any part out of marine grade starboard!

The majority of experienced and seasoned boaters follow the one hand on the boat. That is, they always have at least one hand on the boat while they are moving about, whether they are below or above decks. Therefore, when choosing locations to install safety handles, many will install them absolutely everywhere, including countertops, arches, towers, T-top supports, Bimini tops, seatbacks, and windshield frames.