Gunwale protector

[turtonr]

My newly arrived Mac had an altercation with the side of a shed due to the poor towing skills of someone who shall remain nameless. This resulted in about 12 feet of gunwale protective strip being ruined.

It appears I will have to wait about four weeks for some replacement strip. Are there any suggestions out there for some first aid enabling some much anticipated Christmes cruising and fishing.

Fortunately this occurred after the maiden voyage.

Ray the Ringer

[Divecoz]

If your just desiring to seal the seam to stop water intrusion just run a bead of silicon caulk down the length off the damaged area?
I am afraid any temporary repair will add a little work when it comes time to make the final repair but even Gorilla tape would work for awhile.
How bad did you damage the rub strip? Considering the fact that the area is a good 3 feet above the water line, can you use 3 M black ATV sealant and some duck tape to hold the strip in place until the ATV cures and then remove the tape?
3 M black ATV sealant can be found at any good auto parts store, or Auto Paint and restoration shops carry it as well as its used for glass installation on cars among other things.

[Don T]

Hello,
Don't use RTV, it won't hold and you don't want to deal with silicone on the joint later when you want to seal it permanently. Not seeing the damage I can only guess that you......oops........someone tore a chunk which then peeled back. Clean the strip and hull well (I used lacquer thinner), glue it back on using 3M 5200 (fast cure). Run a bead of sealer inside and outside of the fastener heads (so you have a good seal to the deck and it is glued well). Secure with masking tape until it sets (24hrs). Use black 5200 to mate the ends at the tear. I hope you didn't damage the hull/deck joint. Check carefully and water test before the strip goes back on.

It's a lot of work but you don't want to risk the joint integrity.

[Ivan Awfulitch]

I have a few spots on my X from where the previous owner hung the anchor and obviously let it rub against a dock post. We had the black stripes repainted and the hull detailed, so I ordered new rub strip from Bluewater Yachts and will replace it in the spring. Are there any tips/suggestions/thoughts/recommendations anyone would have for someone replacing this? I figured that someone here probably has gone down this road and may make this a little less stressful.

Thanks for any input you can give.

[pokerrick1]

Believe it or not, REPLACING the rub rail is a BEAR of a job for several people - - - first of all no way to do it in the water; must be on the trailer.

The bow end of mine is chaffed and needs work ( never mind why), and I don't want to haul it out and put it on the trailer so I have given permission to try to patch it using a rubber compound and cement - - - and then we'll see how it looks. If it's not ok (and they tell me 50/50), then we'll have to pull it out on the trailer and replace the whole thing. You cannot replace a section.

Rick

[kmclemore]

I guess if I had a smaller tear or damage to mine I'd make a mold out of plasticine (modelling clay) and then use that to form some black 5200 so that you could hardly tell it from the original. Repacing the rail is simply WAaaaayy too difficult - BTDT on a past boat, and I'll never do it again if I can avoid it.

[Don T]

Hello:
I went through a major hull / deck joint repair a while ago. Maybe this info will help you.

Here is a copy of a previous thread:

Well, I don't know what your issue is. If you are having leaks you have traced to the deck / hull seam then you will have to pull the rubrail off and reseal the joint. If the rubrail is just coming loose you can stick it back on with 3M 5200. Make sure the top edge is stuck and sealed well so water can't get in. I had to reseal my hull / deck joint 3 years ago and it was quite a job. MacGregor does not smooth or machine the fiberglass mating surfaces before assembly. In my case there were areas between the bolts where a scraggy strand or two was holding the joint 1/4" apart. The space was filled with sealer that had broken loose from all the flexing of the joint. I removed the bolts and separated sections with wood wedges so I could smooth the mating surfaces. I doubled the number of bolts 6' fore and aft of the chain plates to help close the whoop dee doos in the joint. The fiberglass had taken a set that looked like a fat guy wearing a too small button up shirt.
Lacquer thinner, 3M 5200, hacksaw blades to work through the joint to smooth and remove old sealer, Shop towels and masking tape to hold the rubrail until the 5200 set up was all that was needed.......besides a couple of weeks.

Last edited by Don T on Mon Mar 29, 2004 10:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hello:
I did not remove the rubrail all the way. I left the two rear attachment points. Once it is pulled loose on the sides you can get it off the bow as well. Removing it is as simple as yanking it off. It's not stuck that hard. Be gentle and only use as little force needed so you don't stretch it. When reinstalling, only seal the top. The bottom has a channel that "snaps" or is secured by the protruding bolt ends and nuts. Clean the entire surface of wax and dirt including the inside of the rubrail, for good adheasion. Put the rubrail back on and position it then just lift out and seal a section at a time cleaning and taping as you go. Seal the bow first then work back. The basic theory is to glue / seal the top but leave the bottom free so water cannot accumilate. I used enough sealer on top by the bolts heads (2 beads - large outside the bolt heads, small inside at the curve) so it smooshes out then clean up with plastic tools and thinner. Leave enough sealer visible at the top joint so water cannot accumilate and freeze. It makes it easier to keep clean later. The rubrail will try to slide out of position once the sealer is in there making it slippery. I used 2" masking tape to keep it in position after I had cleaned the excess sealer from the rail / deck joint. Use the fast cure 5200 so it sets up in a couple of days.

ON EDIT:
When replacing the molding, clean the inside thoroughly to remove the mold release agent so the adhesive will stick well.

[ronacarme]

For earlier discussion on point, search "rub rail repair".
My "stitching" idea did tighten up the more or less vertical, upwardly diverging rip in the upper half of my port rub rail. Basically, I drilled holes in the rub rail along opposite sides of the rip, passed a nylon twine back and forth across the rip thru the holes, gradually tensioned the twine to pull the opposite sides of the rip close together, and finally tied off the free ends of the twine. Think lacing and tying your shoe.
I then filled the gaps between the reaches of the twine with black sealant and covered the latter with lengths of black tape to smooth and hold the sealant till it cured.
Its a temporary repair, but it lasted all summer and may just have to do so for another summer or 3 til I get around to assembling a crew to replace the rub rail with a new one. The fix looks OK from a distance, tho the rub rail tension is less than before it was damaged.
Good luck.....Ron

[Cam]

I guess if I had a smaller tear or damage to mine I'd make a mold out of plasticine (modelling clay) and then use that to form some black 5200 so that you could hardly tell it from the original. Repacing the rail is simply WAaaaayy too difficult - BTDT on a past boat, and I'll never do it again if I can avoid it.

I am wanting to repair my rub rail (6 inches or so) and i love your idea, kmclemore. A few questions: What is black 5200? Is the black 5200 like sikaflex? Where would you get it from?

Thanks, Cam

[pokerrick1]

Cam - - - why don't you PM Kevin. He will answer.

Rick

[kmclemore]

I guess if I had a smaller tear or damage to mine I'd make a mold out of plasticine (modelling clay) and then use that to form some black 5200 so that you could hardly tell it from the original. Repacing the rail is simply WAaaaayy too difficult - BTDT on a past boat, and I'll never do it again if I can avoid it.

I am wanting to repair my rub rail (6 inches or so) and i love your idea, kmclemore. A few questions: What is black 5200? Is the black 5200 like sikaflex? Where would you get it from?

Thanks, Cam

What is black 5200?
3M 5200 - a heavy-duty polyurethane adhesive. Dries to a hard, rubbery consistency. Superb for attaching things in a more-or-less permanent manner. (Use 3M 4200 if you're gonna want to attach stuff you'll need to get off later).

Is the black 5200 like sikaflex?
Yes, pretty much from what I can tell, though I've never personally used Sikaflex.

Where would you get it from?
3M Marine products are available at lots of retailers in the US - don't know about overseas, but I expect so there as well. Westmarine certainly carries them here.

[turtonr]

I have done a repair job using 30cm rubrail, Sikaflex and duck tape to hold while the Sikaflex cures.It doesn't lok too bad and should be ok until the new rubrail arrives. One question, how do the ends attach at the transom. Difficult to tell as you can't see any obvious screw holes.

Merry Xmas to all and happy sailing for those of us experiencing long summer days and Eskys filled with cold Aussie beer.

[Cam]

thanks Kevin.

[turtonr]

The plaisures all marn, Dubya