rubrails on bow

[schoonerdog]

Given the great variety of flotsam in the water, has anyone ever tried putting up a vinyl rub rail along the edge of their bow? Vinyl with a stainless cap or just vinyl to serve as a protective sacrifical leading edge. I've seen Maxingout jury rigged something when encountering lots of debris in the Indian Ocean, but most of the time you wouldn't see it coming, especially at night. Here in the Chesapeake and certainly along the ICW floating barely submerged logs and pilings are a given.

People construct false foam bows and we're planning on putting a bulk head forward just aft of the bow filled with foam to serve that purpose, but your still talking about repairing a broken fiberglass bow upon impact vs a rubrail. Specifically I'm thinking a vinyl rub rail along the bow, through bolted above the water line and then glued below the water line.

BTW, one feature that's already served us very well are two very large stainless steel U bolts extending from the front top of the bow for sea anchors. A drunken sailor tried leaving his slip across from us and came slamming into our boat, no damage to us, but I'm sure a nice line across his paint as a reminder.

[Amgine]

It's an interesting thought, though.

On wooden vessels there are two kinds of stems - true stem posts and false stems. In the latter a stem piece is glued over the hood ends, and it's not actually integral so it can be removed/replaced if damaged. In a way, this is a form of rub rail. I've seen one of these being replaced in Port Townsend, a sort of sacrificial "stem shoe" if I can coin the phrase.

On a monohull in the PNW most of the forward damage from logs seems to be on the bows rather than the stem itself. Probably because when heeled it's the bows which are broadest, and it's hard to see under the genoa. But it's one possible reason I've never seen this. The other is bobstays.

The fishing boats here (I should mention that due to an agressive lumbering industry there is a *lot* of wood in the water in these parts, and everyone goes cautious at springs) have handsome vertical wood staving or additional metal plates at the stem.

[bill352]

Originally Posted by Amgine

On wooden vessels there are two kinds of stems - true stem posts and false stems. In the latter a stem piece is glued over the hood ends, and it's not actually integral so it can be removed/replaced if damaged. In a way, this is a form of rub rail. I've seen one of these being replaced in Port Townsend, a sort of sacrificial "stem shoe" if I can coin the phrase.

I think this is called a "cutwater", but I may be wrong.

[Amgine]

It can be a cutwater, but the specific design I was referring to is where the inner stem is beveled to receive the planking instead of rebating for the hood ends. This is then covered by an outer, false stem.

Any structure at the bow designed to ease the boat's passage is generically a cutwater, including those monstrous bow bulbs.

[skipperaris]

Go for it schoonerdog!
It is a very good idea.
I got myself a stainless steel plate draped over the edge of my bow three years ago, fixed with nuts and bolts through into the anchor well.
My reason was to be able to come away from a pier when tied along side and pressed on to it by the wind without having to have someone holding a fender for me to prevent damage to my gel coat.

I have done this many times and it works very well. Hardly a scratch on the s/steel.