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Old 17-04-2011, 08:03   #1
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Toe Rail Issues

I finally got the boat hauled and have started the exterior refit, I am going to be3 rebedding all deck hardware (chainplates, stanchions etc.) and need to divert some attention to the toe rail it is through bolted on every 3" and has 30 year old butyl tape underneath and leaks like a sieve, I had planned on removing entirely and fiberglassing the joint together as i nhave heard of people doin this with great success but a new idea has presented itself, cut the vertical aluminum strut off the toerail on the front 1/3 of the boat and fiberglass OVER the leftover toe rail then unbolt and remove rebed the back portion (genoa blocks use this section to attach to), will the aluminum present any adhesion problems? the toe rail will be cut on the red line in the picture and wrapped completly in several layers of glass, anyboday done this?
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Old 17-04-2011, 09:00   #2
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Re: toe rail issues

Sounds to me like a bad idea. Have you considered taking the toe rail off, recaulking, and then reinstalling it? If you're determined to fiberglass the joint, I'd do it with the toe rail off and then reinstall it over the new glass.
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Old 17-04-2011, 09:12   #3
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Re: Toe Rail Issues

Bad idea? No, a very bad idea.
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Old 17-04-2011, 09:39   #4
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Re: Toe Rail Issues

I would be interested in knowing why it is a bad idea? I am not trying to be argumentative. I had the same issue, the boat leaked bad through this joint. My boat had a wood toerail. I removed cleaned out the joint, fared and fiberglassed the joint, waited for a storm and spent a few hours inside the boat and it was bone dry, not even a dribble. Then I reattached the toe tail, there is a total of 160 bolts drilled through my newly fiberglassed deck. I used many tubes of 4200 (6-8 I think) and was plagued all last year by a leak in the vbirth. I still cannot track it down. I think the worst thing I did was re-attached the toe rail. Glassing over it is what I am thinking now.
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Old 18-04-2011, 14:00   #5
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Re: Toe Rail Issues

please elaborate on why this is a "very bad idea" i have heard numerous stories like captain kirks and want to be rid of this problem for good, and leaving the toe rail in as a core means the layup need only be water proof (2 layers cloth) instead of structural ( 6ish layers) then the area left exposed for the genoa blocks can be easily removed and rebedded more frequently as well.....do you think this is a bad idea from experience?
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Old 18-04-2011, 14:48   #6
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Re: Toe Rail Issues

glass will not bond well to aluminum. and it could cause the glass to start lifting. the proper way is to remove the rail then glass and then re-bed rail. also if you cut the upper flange off the toe rail you weaken the rail.
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Old 18-04-2011, 15:21   #7
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Re: Toe Rail Issues

I can't really give a great argument, but if it was my boat, I would take that rail off, glass it together, then bolt the rail back on. Alternatively, you could caulk it with butyl tape, or something more permanent. I would just glass it, so you can be done with it!
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Old 20-04-2011, 11:20   #8
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Re: Toe Rail Issues

I'd say its a bad idea as well. Dissimilar expansion rates between the glass and the aluminum, gaps between the rail and the deck which could trap water if the glass covering fractured, plus visually a real ugly repair job.

You would do better to pull the toe rail off, do the glass work and then reinstall the toe rail. It will be a bit of a PITA to do as the rail will spring into a straighter line after the bolts are out and you may have to pull it into place with a Spanish windlass or small block and tackle. But the result will be sounder, dryer and better looking.

A bit of advise, when pulling the bolts on the toerail make sure that one side is lashed to the other as much as possible to maintain the curve as much as possible while pulling the bolts out. The rail may be under considerable spring tension and as it tries to relax the bolts will be under a side load which will tend to make removing them more difficult. Do one side at a time, then you will be able to use the opposite rail as a tie down point to pull the other rail back into position as you go to replace it.

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