How to Make & Install Stanchion Poles

Working with stainless steel tubing and tubing hardware and fittings is a useful skill to have for any sailboat owner. In this video, we will demonstrate how to make and install a new stanchion pole on a boat using stanchion hardware and stainless steel tubing. What are stanchions? They’re vertical poles located around the perimeter of a sailboat and are used for installing lifelines around the boat’s deck to keep people safe.

In our video, we’re adding new stanchion poles to a boat that already had previous poles. Therefore, we have to fill in the existing holes with epoxy and then drill new ones where our new stanchion bases will be located. We show you in this video how to drill holes and install stanchion bases on your boat, but we also have a separate video on this subject as well.

In “Bedding Deck Hardware Using Through Bolts & Butyl Tape” (200505XHT), we install stanchion bases using Butyl tape instead of the gel sealant we use in this video. Both methods are valid; it’s a matter of personal preference if you’d rather use Butyl tape or a silicone sealant. If you’d rather use Butyl tape, you can watch the other video on how to do that, and then continue with this one to watch the rest of the installation of the stanchion poles.

Once all the stanchion bases are in place and sealed, it’s time to cut the stainless steel tubing to create the stanchion poles. Watch the video to see how this is done, and remember to take proper safety precautions and wear protective eyewear while cutting the tubing.