No RUB Rails??

[geoleo]

I have noticed that many expensive and large Catamarans do not have adequate RUb Rails. Some do not have any Rub RAILS. Why is this ? Do they always intend to travel with large crews to fend off the boat???

[Tin Tin]

Originally Posted by geoleo

I have noticed that many expensive and large Catamarans do not have adequate RUb Rails. Some do not have any Rub RAILS. Why is this ? Do they always intend to travel with large crews to fend off the boat???

No they use fenders tied to the lifelines. See this thread, all covered before

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ly-207518.html

[mikereed100]

I suspect that dings and scratches to the topsides are not covered under warranty, so there is no incentive to add cost with expensive rub rails. Some of the biggest manufacturers use untinned, non-marine wiring and brass throughulls as well, probably for the same reason. By the time problems develop, the boat is out of warranty and they are off the hook for repair costs.

[Allied39]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

I suspect that dings and scratches to the topsides are not covered under warranty, so there is no incentive to add cost with expensive rub rails. Some of the biggest manufacturers use untinned, non-marine wiring and brass throughulls as well, probably for the same reason. By the time problems develop, the boat is out of warranty and they are off the hook for repair costs.

Exactly. And to be absolutely honest the exact same applies to any boat with built in tanks, of any materiel.
I see a boat with tanks that can not be removed without a massive undertaking then the whole vessel is suspect because it was designed/built with the same thought process.

[mikedefieslife]

What do rub rails protect you against when you have a line of fenders down the sides?

Curious as my rubber rubrail was torn off beating windward almost 3 years ago now, and I've not replaced it. When docked, or docking no part of the boat should ever touch anything hard. A rubrail sticks out maybe 2cm if your lucky, fenders stick out over 20cm

[slug]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

What do rub rails protect you against when you have a line of fenders down the sides?

Curious as my rubber rubrail was torn off beating windward almost 3 years ago now, and I've not replaced it. When docked, or docking no part of the boat should ever touch anything hard. A rubrail sticks out maybe 2cm if your lucky, fenders stick out over 20cm

In Some regions like the east coast of the US boats tie up between poles

Very difficult to fend off

Rub railS are useful

[Pete7]

Plus the box moorings in the Baltic. Always fun the first time.

Pete

[Shrew]

Honestly, rub rails appear to be more like trim work to cover the seam where the hull and deck are married. At best they cover the fasteners at this joint and are not really meant to be an adequate fender system. Can they be used as such? Sure, but not really a replacement for either avoiding coming in contact with physical objects, or adequate fendering when contact is eminent.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by slug

In Some regions like the east coast of the US boats tie up between poles

Very difficult to fend off

Rub railS are useful

Of course of course. That shows my lack of knowledge concerning those regions. I'm more used to being tided up on very low pontoons, or super high concrete walls. Usually when coming alongside for fuel.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by geoleo

I have noticed that many expensive and large Catamarans do not have adequate RUb Rails. Some do not have any Rub RAILS. Why is this ? Do they always intend to travel with large crews to fend off the boat???

Come on now, haven't you ever rubbed a Cat the wrong way? Did you learn from such experience? If not, well just don't; they come with claws and sharp teeth for a reason and will assuredly have a hissy fit and will very adeptly fend you off . One never wishes to distress a cat.

[Montanan]

Don't need no stinking unsightly rub rails when one properly equips their expensive catamaran yacht with these. Brand new Michelins adding a high class appearance and come with a life time rode hazard warranty. With or without whitewalls or raised lettering, exposed or turned inside to have all black, skipper's [or Admiral's] preference.

Ready for any rub a dub dub time.

[slug]

When rubbing strakes are engineered into the hull they add substantial stiffness

This is particularly valuable on metal boats in that it prevents oil canning

On plastic boats it challenging to accommodate strakes in the mold

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Honestly, rub rails appear to be more like trim work to cover the seam where the hull and deck are married. At best they cover the fasteners at this joint and are not really meant to be an adequate fender system. Can they be used as such? Sure, but not really a replacement for either avoiding coming in contact with physical objects, or adequate fendering when contact is eminent.

A lot of newer catamarans do not have a hull / deck joint they are infusion molded as one or have vertical joins along the keel, so no need for rails to hide the joins anymore.

[NorthernMac]

Because they don’t hit stuff

[Training Wheels]

We don’t have hull/deck joints, yet we have aluminum rub rails. The rub rails are all scratched up, and don’t look very good. A friend told me I should take them off to make the boat look better. I asked him what he thought the boat would like without the rub rails, and all those scratches on the hulls!