Vinyl/stainless rubrail

[The Way]

I need to replace the wooden rubrails on my 36' Dickerson ketch. I'm looking for white vinyl with a stainless-steel face. I want the screws/bolts to go thru the stainless face (rather than the snap-in kind, which might not last the way I dock :-)

Any suggestions would be welcome. There are so many vendors and styles I'm a bit overwhelmed.

Thanks, and fair winds,
Jack

[UNCIVILIZED]

Are you wanting to put the plastic & stainless rubrails on top of new wooden ones? As opposed to mounting them directly to your hull that is. Since I'm not sure how you'd seal rubrail bolts sufficiently well, if they penetrate the ship's skin. Given the torque, & huge number of flex cycles thaat they see. Though I'm curious to hear others responses on this, as well as on other mounting challenges. How are your current ones attached, & how well have they faired?

[The Way]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Are you wanting to put the plastic & stainless rubrails on top of new wooden ones? As opposed to mounting them directly to your hull that is. Since I'm not sure how you'd seal rubrail bolts sufficiently well, if they penetrate the ship's skin. Given the torque, & huge number of flex cycles thaat they see. Though I'm curious to hear others responses on this, as well as on other mounting challenges. How are your current ones attached, & how well have they faired?

Thanks! No, I'll remove the wooden ones as they are rotten, and thru-bolt the new rubrail to the hull. (Some vendors say to use bolts every third fastening with screws for the others, but I'll probably use all bolts.)

For sealant, I plan to use butyl, which can stretch quite a bit and still keep its seal -- much more than any other sealant. Maine Sail has a good write-up on this somewhere.

Actually I don't see how there would be a torque force -- maybe I'm missing something. I would expect the force would be mostly from pilings shoving the rubrails against the hull, so bolts and butyl should be fine.

Thanks for writing,
Jack

[UNCIVILIZED]

They see torque or sheering forces every time the boat at all moves vertically when up against something. A piling, another boat, a dock, etc.
My other concern would be in adding so many fasteners that a "tear here" line (of weakness) gets created. Though such a concern may be unwarranted, & also depends upon the construction of the hull where things are being bolted.

[The Way]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

They see torque or sheering forces every time the boat at all moves vertically when up against something. A piling, another boat, a dock, etc.
My other concern would be in adding so many fasteners that a "tear here" line (of weakness) gets created. Though such a concern may be unwarranted, & also depends upon the construction of the hull where things are being bolted.

I see what you mean about the torque now.

On the fasteners -- how else would you attach them? The ones I've seen use a fastener every 6 to 10 inches. On a 3/8-inch thick fiberglass hull, I don't think that would create a "tear hear" line.

On both issues, that's how the prefab rubrails are sold and attached, so it must be the standard practice. I'd be interested to hear of any negative experiences you've had with the torque problem or the tearing problem.

Thanks again,
Jack

[UNCIVILIZED]

I haven't had any trouble with fasteners in fiberglass per say, but it's an issue that someone else raised that I've been needing to research. As to how to attach the rubrails, I'm curious myself. Thus one of my earlier comments. Though were I adding rails myself, I'd be tempted to glue on wooden ones first, in order to have the wood act as bases, & then screw the metal strakes to them. At least until research revealed that bolting would be fine. But via the screwing to glued on wood method, there wouldn't be any way for them to leak. Ever. Plus they'd also afford a bit more distance between the boat's hull & anything which they were fending off. Since sometimes things like pilings have fasteners sticking into or off of them, etc. And can be covered in cresote or other difficult to remove substances.

[The Way]

Just bumping this thread to see if anyone else has any ideas for me.

Thanks,
Jack

[Jim Cate]

Jack, maybe I missed it, but how are the original timber strakes attached to the hull?

Jim

[The Way]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Jack, maybe I missed it, but how are the original timber strakes attached to the hull?

Jim

Hi Jim,

They are thru-bolted. I plan to remove the wooden strakes and replace them with vinyl.

Thanks,
Jack

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by The Way

Hi Jim,

They are thru-bolted. I plan to remove the wooden strakes and replace them with vinyl.

Thanks,
Jack

Then it seems that you could similarly through bolt the new strake, and with no more stress on the hull than before. Actually likely less, because the real stressor on most rubbing strakes is when they hang up on something as the boat rolls. Timber strakes are more likely to do that than are the more round ones that you are considering. I actually think you are overthinking this issue... if you can use similar size and number of through bolts, how can it be harder on the hull? And your hull is likely a lot stronger than some of the light weight production boats t hat sport the vinyl type strakes right from the factory.

Ji,

[The Way]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Then it seems that you could similarly through bolt the new strake, and with no more stress on the hull than before. Actually likely less, because the real stressor on most rubbing strakes is when they hang up on something as the boat rolls. Timber strakes are more likely to do that than are the more round ones that you are considering. I actually think you are overthinking this issue... if you can use similar size and number of through bolts, how can it be harder on the hull? And your hull is likely a lot stronger than some of the light weight production boats t hat sport the vinyl type strakes right from the factory.

Ji,

Thanks, Jim,

Actually it was Uncivilized who brought all that up. My question was in Post #1 -- looking for recommendations for vinyl/stainless rubrails.

Fair winds,
Jack

[The Way]

Originally Posted by The Way

Thanks, Jim,

Actually it was Uncivilized who brought all that up. My question was in Post #1 -- looking for recommendations for vinyl/stainless rubrails.

Fair winds,
Jack

I should have added that I'm still looking for recommendations.

Thanks,
Jack

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by The Way

Thanks, Jim,

Actually it was Uncivilized who brought all that up. My question was in Post #1 -- looking for recommendations for vinyl/stainless rubrails.

Fair winds,
Jack

Well, dang if that ain't the case! And because I know bugger all about that sort of rubbing strake hardware, I'll back out and see if someone who actually knows something steps in.

Good luck in your search, Jack!

Jim