Rub Rail Replacement

[shank]

Happy Spring (sort of in VT). I have an 87 C22 and I'd like to replace the original beat-up, brown rub rail with the newer grey one from Catalina Direct. A guy on YouTube made it look pretty easy by soaking it on hot, soapy water and then using a screen tool to work it into the rail. Anyone have any experience or tips on installing these?

Also, I don't want to replace the track for the rub rail but it's kind of beat up and scratched and was planning on spray painting it. Do you think the paint would hold up?

Lastly, several people have posted about dried up or missing caulking around the rub rail and even some leaking through here. Do I just clean out the old dried up caulk and replace it with a silicone type caulk?

Thanks

 

[AaronD]

No personal experience here (I'm one of the people posting questions). But take a look at @CloudDiver's posts on the topic. He suggested sealing with 3M 4000 UV - probably a good choice, since this is something that will probably stay for many years, but 4000 could be removed if you ever had to (unlike 5200).

His thread is crazy long, but there are several on page 35: https://forums.sailboatowners.com/i...-of-1981-c-22-swing-keel-10580.166613/page-35

 

[T_Cat]

This is a repost of my rub rail installation on my 87...I hope it helps.
"Got it from Catalina Direct. Very easy to install. Soaked in the hottest water I could for 15 min. Drained and added new hot water with a squirt of dishwashing soap. Had a squirt bottle of water and dish soap. With the rubber still in the hot water I applied the water soap mixture to the rail and my hands. I placed the bottom of the rubber into the bottom of the rail and pressed the top in with my thumb. I kinda slide it along forcing the top into place. Just past the bow working down the other side I could feel the rubber starting to cool down and harden up. I added more scalding hot water and finished it up."

Russ

 

[Ron20324]

Ta-Dah ! Looks great, Shank.

 

[shank]

Thanks for the help guys

 

[weinie]

stretch it as you go.

 

[Doug4bass]

I have replaced 3 Catalina rub rails. (Anal)
Hot and slippery are the key. I used a pot of very hot water and Joy. I used a propane camping stove to heat the water to near boiling. With pot and rubrail on top of a ladder. Quite the show for onlookers.

Never needed a tool, but my finger tips hurt after the job...but oh my! Dont forget the screws at both ends.(Transom)
There is a top and bottom to the vinyl insert. Install it upside down and you will be doing it again.
Grey is the bomb!

 

[shank]

I finished my rub rail replacement with a new gray one ordered from Catalina Direct. It took my son and I about an hour using nothing but hot soapy water and a lot of stretching and pulling. It ended up being one of the few projects that actually took less time and effort than I expected.