Ideas on Bulwarks?

[whiteapeman]

Completely removed the rotten bulwarks, taffrail, blocks and covering boards on a 1999 34’ Falmouth Cutter. I’ve replaced the covering board with foam and glass and was initially going to replace the bulwarks and taffrail with composite as well, though I’m toying with the idea of not putting back a bulwark at all.

I find that my main issue with bulwarks, aside from the 100+ screw and bolt holes that attached it to the 4” outside my entire deck, is that all lines connecting to either the forward Samson posts, midship and aft cleats must go through the bulwark’s hawse holes which puts unnecessary pressure on bulwark deck attachments, especially tied up at docks in high winds/tropical storms/hurricanes, which in time creates more leaks below deck. This vessel is only 15 years old and all bulwark connections around those hawse holes leaked like a sieve when I bought it.

I’m looking to just add stanchions/lifelines and be done with it, though is there anything that I’m over looking? Perhaps a smaller, in width, bulwark so that all lines tying off the vessel run over the bulwark vs. through it? The only purpose (that I can tell) for a bulwark is more of a splash guard than anything. I see no real safety issue in removing it even for bluewater sailing. Many modern sailing vessels don't have them, though not sure if I should stick with what the designer (Lyle Hess) had in mind.