Winter storm blues...

[rgranger]

So this winter we had a nor'easter and the pylon in my slip on my starboard bow side came lose. No one let me know about it and my boat drifted to port and over a series of a week did this....!!! against the port pylon.

I guess I can replace the rubber rub rail but what is the best way to fill in the gouges in the fiberglass?

 

[Ken Cross]

I'm no expert, but if you search the archives there is lots of advice for gel coat and fiberglass repair. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but replacing the plastic insert in the rubrail will certainly help the appearance.

Ken

 

[jssailem]

@rgranger hard to tell from your image... Bummer that the boat tried to bump it self to death. Good thing you had bumper rails...
These rails are often a 2 part piece. An inner plastic base and a slide in plastic/vinyl (looks like rubber) bumper.

This is an example of one of the many rubrail designs that is offered by Taco Marine. Just about any chandler has a bunch of samples of the base that you can look through to find your match. You may find on inspection that the base is ok and all you need is the insert. The base is attached to the boat usually at the hull to deck joint.

Inspect the are carefully. It there was a lot of banging the screws that attach the base may have caused damage to the joint. This is a sight where water may have access to your boats protected innards. That is the worst case. Just do a good inspection inside and out.

Hope it is just the insert. It is suppose to be sacrificial changeable part of the rubrail.