Ignorant Rub rail question

[island808]

I have a new to me 2002 and the rub rail has been replaced previous to me owning it. (scrape marks around current rub rail.

I tracked down my water infiltration to the seam under the rub rail. I poked at the seam and there's only about 1/8" of caulk in the seam which has deteriorated to where I can pull it out in strips. I can slide a utility blade all the way through the seam with ease.

I'm reading about how hard it is to replace rub rail. I'm confused. My rub rail is just a piece of rubber. It has the same cross section of what I've seen from bwy, but it is not hard to pop on or off, its more or less inner tube... Just thick. Clips on to the bolts. Very flexible.

Is the factory style rub rail more of a vinyl?

Also, I find conflicting recommendations. Is the rub rail glued, not glued, top only or top and bottom?

Would it work with my rubber type to 4200 it or would it just stretch and rip caulk?

I was going to pull out as much of the old caulk as possible with a hook and maybe wire brush and just caulk it best I could, leaving my rub rail to be clip on only.

I'm terribly ignorant when it comes to boats. Am I way off base?

Thanks

[RobertB]

I do not believe you should depend on the rub rail to seal the deck to hull joint. I imagine the proper fix is a bit more involved - remove the rub rail, remove the deck to hull fasteners, spread apart the deck and hull (enough to clean the joint and apply sealant), clean/prep the joint, apply new sealant, bolt down the deck to the hull, and then install a new rub rail. As far as the proper adhesive for the rub rail, you need to check with the manufacturer/supplier. I do not think 4200 or 5200 is the right product - but I believe SikaFlex will have the proper adhesive (check out Jamestown Distributes). The main issue I believe in installing the rub rail is stretching it to the proper length - best done on a warm day.

[island808]

Ill research to find the right sealant.

What does the stretch do? Does it smooth out the fresh vinyl or perform another task.

Ill pop the hull and see how that goes. If its huge ill just seal and save the hull splitting for a "winter project".

[fdeoreo]

Island808,

I hope I am not offending anybody but just to let you know the reason for the stretch as I understand it is that the aftermarket dealer of all things Macgregor only sells it in 50 foot lengths and 54 feet is the actual length needed. Therefore, you are lucky enough to find all kinds of great help in past posts, you tube videos etc... of those who have been there and done that to help you to make a rubrail that is too short fit the boat. Welcome to the joy of Macgregor ownership!!

francis joshua

[island808]

Thanks... My rubrail is relatively new, but the seam is bad all the way around the boat.

No problem unbolting the seam and cleaning, but unfortunately not a good drying day. Tarped the boat and put up the blower fans.

Reqding on that what was it, sealtex or w/e (cant read back on my cell phone)
Seems like a good cheaper sealant adhesive.

Pretty glad they bolt these things. I'd hate to be drilling a couple hundred rivets.

Dont know if a drill driver would have worked, but a pair of vice grips and my battery op impact took those things out quick.

Used non marring scrapers (basically a set of wood chisels cast in plastic) to use as wedges to spread the hull enough to clean. Luckily all of the old caulk was just hanging in by gravity.

The bolt heads werent caulked at all. Wonder if thats what infiltrated and killed the caulk or if it was just age.

[DaveB]

Take the rub rail off, scrape off old sealant with utility knife, tork all hull to deck bolts, sand the flange with 7inch rotary disk 36 grit, center the 50 ft. rub rail at Bow (BWY were you buy rub rail) , apply 3m 5200 7 day cure about 1/6 inch thick around the deck seam, have some means like a comealong to attach to both sides of rub rail, do this on a warm 80 degree day to stretch this, Clamp end of rub rails to flange at stern, leave it stretch aft for 4 days. After 4days you will have about 2ft past the stern and can cut the left over and wrap around the stern using 5200 7 day cure.
There are utube demonstrations on the macx but they try to seal the rub rail, this is not necessary and can create problems in future removal. Just seal the joint and tork down the bolts.
Dave

I do not believe you should depend on the rub rail to seal the deck to hull joint. I imagine the proper fix is a bit more involved - remove the rub rail, remove the deck to hull fasteners, spread apart the deck and hull (enough to clean the joint and apply sealant), clean/prep the joint, apply new sealant, bolt down the deck to the hull, and then install a new rub rail. As far as the proper adhesive for the rub rail, you need to check with the manufacturer/supplier. I do not think 4200 or 5200 is the right product - but I believe SikaFlex will have the proper adhesive (check out Jamestown Distributes). The main issue I believe in installing the rub rail is stretching it to the proper length - best done on a warm day.

[island808]

Thqnks for the rundown.

Thats what im doin. Just finished prepping. Going to wait till better light and a bit more drying.
My rubrail is more or less removable. Probably not tight enough, but it seems like it would and has stayed on fine against bumps. I can pull it off and let it hang as long as i dont pull the very tip off the bow. The bow also has fresh caulk as far back as the aft side of the anchor locker so, hopefully i wont have problems there. Ive only got one leak.. But best to do the whole thing, not band aid it.


Rub rail seems to work and i think ill leave it as such untill i see problems with it. I did find a small 1/4 inch ding that may pierce the rail. Ill investigate further in the light.