Rub Rail Replacement.

RichBone · Mar 20, 2010

Check "youtube"; there's some good instructional videos on it.

Rich

Joe11688 · Mar 20, 2010

Gatorsail said:
I have a 25 ODay and the rub rail (Vinyl or plastic) to replace it.
1. Is this a two man project?
2. Do you need to use caulk while installing?
Do you cut and miter at the stern and Bow? It Does not seem flexible enough to go around the corner?

Check out this site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7amd2WxUvso

RECESS · Mar 20, 2010

I found that a good hair dryer was better than a heat gun for bending. I started at the bow and centered the first piece and worked it around with a hair dryer. There were only three places I needed my wife's help, on the bow and both sides of the stern. Makes sure you clean it really well and fill all the old holes. It helps to have two cordless drills, one with a drill bit for creating the holes through the rub rail and into the boat and one for driving the screws as you go. Caulk as you make your way back.

Clean all the old gunk off and sand

All the gunk removed and sanded

Filling all the old holes.

I did a lot of sanding, primer, and painting but once it was time to put on the new rub rail I ordered from D&R I started at the bow.

Kept working my way back with the 20 foot sections.

When I got to the stern I brought both sides around until they over lapped and cut them in place with some cardboard under to protect against the saw binding and scratching the boat.

Then I ran the rubber insert back.

I did not take a picture but I brought both sides of the rubber insert around the back and used the marine sealant to join them.

The hardest part was getting started and believing I would not screw up my boat. It was not a tough job, but I took it slow trying to think my way around any mistakes I would make.

Good luck, you will be happy once you get started.

Shoaldrafter · Mar 20, 2010

Recess ...

Recess,

Nice job and good pictures. First time I have seen red gudgeons...

Ed K
26

Tom Potter · Mar 20, 2010

Nice Job! She looks great Dave.

RECESS · Mar 20, 2010

Shoaldrafter said:
Recess,

Nice job and good pictures. First time I have seen red gudgeons...

Ed K
26

Yeah, I got tired of taping them off after 3 coats of primer and three coats of red and decided it would be faster to sand them down after I was finished. I think I am still in the act of sanding them off.

Thanks Tom, It was a lot but by far the thing that slowed me the most was getting the fear out of the way that I was going to hose up my boat. I know where Gatorsail is right now, it is a real bitch to pull the trigger and start anchoring that first piece to wrap around the bow. I had a heat gun and it heated the rail too fast. I found I liked it better to keep pressure on the rail and let my wifes nuclear hair dryer slowly let the rail make the bend around. I had her pulling on it to keep tension while I heated it.

Pat · Mar 21, 2010

RECESS said:
Yeah, I got tired of taping them off after 3 coats of primer and three coats of red and decided it would be faster to sand them down after I was finished. I think I am still in the act of sanding them off.

Thanks Tom, It was a lot but by far the thing that slowed me the most was getting the fear out of the way that I was going to hose up my boat. I know where Gatorsail is right now, it is a real bitch to pull the trigger and start anchoring that first piece to wrap around the bow. I had a heat gun and it heated the rail too fast. I found I liked it better to keep pressure on the rail and let my wifes nuclear hair dryer slowly let the rail make the bend around. I had her pulling on it to keep tension while I heated it.

Recess....great job and great photos! Our 272 LE arrived from the factory with leaks all over the place which we quickly determined with O'Day's help were from the rub rails....so before we ever sailed we had to replace the rub rails. It was exactly as described in these emails. An all day or two job, but very do-able....just take your time.....my question at the time was why would O'Day send boats to dealers with leaking rub-rails and at the time my second question was how could they leak? The answer from O'Day was that they had the sections made by the manufacturer, but sometimes they did not fit the boat right, so even though they had drilled the holes to attach them, they would take them off, and not necessarily fill the old holes...I'm sure that speeded up the replacement but meant a lot of new owners were
having to replace them immediately....They furnished the new ones and
my dealer and I stood on the dock and did the replacement O'Day Corp. should have completed in Fall River. But, I learned to do it. I agree with the bending procedures, all all of the above....just make sure you have
plenty of caulk to fill the old holes as the new ones will not always line up.
Good luck...pray for Spring... Patrick