Article by Lon Zimmerman
What is a bulwark? “A bulwark is a defense. The part of a ship’s side that extends above the main deck to protect it against heavy weather.” Proper bulwarks offer secure footing on the foredeck of a heeled boat. Aluminum toerails or modest fiberglass toerails are better than nothing, but they are not a “proper bulwark.”
Prudence, my 1985 Com-Pac 23 has a 1.5 inch fiberglass toerail that caused me to worry about staying put on the foredeck. My friend Dana in the photo below is putting up the jib , she would have appreciated a proper bulwark as she worked.
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