Stainless Steel Rub Rail

steves · **Joined:** 01 Nov 2006 10:53 **Posts:** 35

Has anyone solved how to keep the stainless steel rub rail screws in? They screw into the bedding between the hull and the deck and any ding to the rub rail can cause the screws to pull out. When I removed the port bow rub rail to fix a leak at the hull to deck joint, I took out the screws holding the deck down and the deck popped up. There was minimal bedding in this area. I also had to replace a section of teak tow rail that was damaged by hitting a piling. This is where the rub rail was kinked causing the screws to pull out.

Maineiac · **Posted:** 24 Jul 2019 12:32

I'm getting to that. I've removed and dug out aged bedding compound the entire port side of the boat. Screw lengths varied from 1" to 1.25" all #8. I bought a box of each in #10. To make it permanent, I suppose you could west system (with 407) the entire thing, drill and put the screws in. I was thinking more along the lines of polysulfide, but now you have me thinkng about it. We'll see. I'll post when I get to that chore.

clay123 · **Joined:** 03 Jul 2017 11:52 **Posts:** 66

Mine is off at the moment. Thinking I'll touch up the seam with some thickened epoxy and where it looks like screw threads are stripped either go next size up or squeeze in some epoxy into the hole and redrill.

conch · **Joined:** 21 Jan 2010 12:57 **Posts:** 168

An item on my “to do” list right up near the top has been fabricating and installing a real rub rail like the one shown on “Lunacy”. Sailboats are not the easiest craft to maneuver when docking: having the ability to use a piling as a pivot point w/o fear of damaging the hull is a great feature.

Maineiac · **Posted:** 29 Jul 2019 15:03

Seems like I've seen at least one with the rub rail down on the hull a ways where it might do more good. The stainless really isn't a "rub rail," but rather a cap over the hull deck joint gap. That one looks very nice, though.

Maineiac · **Posted:** 05 Aug 2019 13:12

I ended up cleaning out all the loose stuff from the hull/deck joint, taping it above and below to minimize the mess, and putting in a solid bead of Boat Life caulk. Then fingering it to make sure it was pushed into all voids. Peel the tape off after about 1/2 hour. The danger is that many of the screws are 1" and many are 1.5". The originals are #8 and I went to #10, which doesn't present the head unacceptably proud of the stainless rail. YOU wouldn't notice it. If you try 1.5", screw slowly and set your drill to let go early. I had 2 of the 1.5" STOP at 1.2" and it was hell to get them out. They must've cut into aluminum or something. I snapped the head of one off. So did someone at the factory when the boat came off the production line. I didn't notice it until I was taking everything apart. If you bottom out a 1.5" screw, just back them out of the caulk slowly if they're not going to go, and put in a 1" screw. All seemed to take very well, and the polysulfide makes a pretty good substrate. I think thickened epoxy would add too much work, too much picking and grinding touch up, and you STILL wouldn't know if you needed 1" or 1.5" screws and I doubt it would help much. The stainless rail went back in just fine, all screws bound up acceptably when seated.

Maineiac · **Posted:** 10 Aug 2019 20:49

The long ones might be 1.25". Easy to snap off a head. Be careful. I did it all in Boat Life and everything bit nicely.

Tartan37.com

Stainless Steel Rub Rail

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