Early Catalina 27s and Catalina 30s were not equipped with lifeline gates or gate stanchions. When the pelican hook was released, the lifeline went slack from bow to stern. Later a gate was employed with a "hinge" (and stop) in the lifeline created by the addition of an aircraft fork and eye in the wire at the aft most stanchion.

Although some early boats are not equipped with these reinforced gate stanchions, they are necessary when a hinge (or "gate") is installed in the lifeline. If a standard stanchion is used at the gate, the stanchion will bend if a crew member forward falls against the lifeline when the gate is open and not supported by the stern pulpit.

• Tubing diameter: 1"
• Deck to center of top lifeline: 24"
• Top of stanchion to center of weld for support leg: 5"
• Center to center of mounting bases at deck level: 10-1/2" (This dimension may be altered as much as +- 5/8" by simply flexing the stanchion when mounting)
• Both mounting pads are on the same plane at deck level (neither mount to the top of the toerail)
• Support leg is at an angle to the main stanchion

When used on a boat equipped with a single gate stanchion on each side of the boat (port and starboard), the stanchion pictured is the port gate. Larger boats may use two gate stanchions on each side of the boat, one forward and one aft of the gate. In that case, the pictured stanchion is used as the forward port gate stanchion as well as the aft starboard gate stanchion.