The ends of the rub rail...

[vizwhiz]

Hello...wondering if anyone has experience replacing the rub rail on a D or S boat, and specifically, what do the two ends look like (or what are they supposed to look like)?
I have to pull mine off to do some repairs, and am planning to install a new one. One of the PO's had..."covered"?...the ends of the rub rail with putty, bondo, marinetek, or something, and I'm about to take off whatever was on there.
It is my understanding that there are three bolts (or just two?) that attach the end of the rub rail to the transom, through the base of a plastic end cap that has a cover that snaps on...is this close?

Anyone have pics of it disassembled and then during assembly please? Thanks!

 

[dawg2]

I have an 88 D. My rub rail ends in the engine area. The ends have a piece of wood trim about 1-1/2" long. The flat side butts up to the end of the rail and the other end tapers down. If you can imagine a narrow horse hoof. I will try to get a pic. It appears original and is painted with gel coat. The wood cap on mine is more of a finial and provides no structural support for fastening or holding the rub rail. The rub rail is held on by bolts in the track.

 

[finding41]

Hi Vis Wiz, I have come acrost a video on you tube of someone replacing there rub rails. Ok, I just checked. Just type rub rail into you tube. You will find a guy replacing his on his X and a bunch of other boats and videos as well.
I have seen a thread on this site somewhere too. What I got from it was, get the right size and shape to replace it with. There is a bunch of different ones out there.
Then there is a whole debate about using 3m 5200. Check mane sails site for more info on that. Good luck.

 

[dawg2]

Hi Vis Wiz, I have come acrost a video on you tube of someone replacing there rub rails. Ok, I just checked. Just type rub rail into you tube. You will find a guy replacing his on his X and a bunch of other boats and videos as well.
I have seen a thread on this site somewhere too. What I got from it was, get the right size and shape to replace it with. There is a bunch of different ones out there.
Then there is a whole debate about using 3m 5200. Check mane sails site for more info on that. Good luck.

What is the debate? I can see using on the bolts that hold the metal track but not on the rubber. The rubber pops in a channel that makes it watertight.

 

[finding41]

Oh I think 5200 is referred to as the devils glue. Yep. Just checked. Type devils glue into the search button above.
I'm with you on how the rub rail is supposed to fit and work.
I'm out at the boat tomorrow and will snap a few pictures of the motor area of my Mac 26D. It will scare you! Really! Aluminum stair noising. Yep. Nothing but the best! Oh, and some hard drying brown slop to "attempt to" waterproof.
I have done the unthinkable and used kitchen and bath silicone calk to fill the holes in the expert repair. I just wanted to sail. And stop the boat from filling with water if it looked like rain. Its all coming off this winter.

 

[dawg2]

Oh I think 5200 is referred to as the devils glue. Yep. Just checked. Type devils glue into the search button above.
I'm with you on how the rub rail is supposed to fit and work.
I'm out at the boat tomorrow and will snap a few pictures of the motor area of my Mac 26D. It will scare you! Really! Aluminum stair noising. Yep. Nothing but the best! Oh, and some hard drying brown slop to "attempt to" waterproof.
I have done the unthinkable and used kitchen and bath silicone calk to fill the holes in the expert repair. I just wanted to sail. And stop the boat from filling with water if it looked like rain. Its all coming off this winter.

Aluminum stair nosing

Gotcha. Mine still has the original aluminum channel and I assume the original rubber. I had to add silicone on the bow because there was a gap between the hull and the track. That took care of the leak I had there.

 

[vizwhiz]

The poor fit is one of the reasons I'm going to change mine - the boat had taken some damage to the stbd side and the rub rail was hanging off along part of it when I bought the boat. Didn't think much of it at the time. I'm going to be doing some repair work along two sections of the area beneath the rub rail (beneath hull/deck joint) so I decided to go ahead and remove and replace the whole rub rail so it will be pretty along with the new paint I'll have to put on the boat.
But the two ends do not look like anything standard - the guy obviously covered one of the ends in...putty of some kind...and the other is... All I know is I'm going to be pulling them off, and I'm not sure what's SUPPOSED to go there in the first place!

 

[finding41]

Here are some pictures of mine. The rub rail on the starboard side is a bit short now. I'm guessing it shrunk.
I almost forgot the plywood for a motor mount. I haven't looked at it yet.

I just noticed that there don't seem to be any fasteners holding the stair nosing on! Fun.

 

[Cruiser1]

..........But the two ends do not look like anything standard - the guy obviously covered one of the ends in...putty of some kind...and the other is... All I know is I'm going to be pulling them off, and I'm not sure what's SUPPOSED to go there in the first place!

Just went down and took a photo of the transom moulding on my boat to give you some idea. I am pretty sure that is a standard moulding for my boat (1992 26S). The moulding is made of fibreglass and is very flimsy - mine had a crack in is when I took it off to reseal the top of the transom.

The rub rail ends terminate under the top caps on the moulding and I think form memory 1 or 2 self-tapping srews in the rub rail end and another one in the underside of the moulding - the rest of the moulding is held on with pop-rivets.

 

[vizwhiz]

Thanks guys...I appreciate the help.
I think Cruiser1's look most like what I have...so do the caps just snap into place, or are they actually the two end bits of the whole molding that goes around the motor well?

I'm guessing maybe mine were cracked or broken and the PO put something on it to try to make it look smooth again. I'll check with BWYachts and see what they offer as replacements also.

finding41, looks like the older D boat had the rub rail wrapped all the way around into the motor well...I suppose that's another difference between the S and D boats I'd not noticed before...

Cruiser1, would you mind taking a few pictures of the aft portion of your boat? The stainless steel post bolted to the port gunwale looks like something my boat used to have, and I'm interested in seeing what the rest of that framing might look like...would you mind? Thanks!

 

[Cruiser1]

...so do the caps just snap into place, or are they actually the two end bits of the whole molding that goes around the motor well? ...............
Cruiser1, would you mind taking a few pictures of the aft portion of your boat? The stainless steel post bolted to the port gunwale looks like something my boat used to have, and I'm interested in seeing what the rest of that framing might look like...would you mind? Thanks!

Yes the caps are part of the moulding. If you could find someone who is wrecking old classics you may be able to pick one up OK - even if you have to repair it a bit. They are very thin and easly cracked and broken. Next time I take mine off I will layup some extra fibreglass tape on the inside edge to give it more strength.

Have a look at the photos I posted in this thread http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=143261 and let me know what it is you can't quite see in those photos. Happy to take some more shots for you as the boat is just in the back yard at the moment - and has been for FAR TOO LONG !!! :cry::cry: