Mark Ye Well Her Bulwarks

DIY project to make the foredeck a safer place...

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.