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  1. #1

    thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    plenty has been written and discussed on this site concerning the fabricating and usefullness of the spray rail. seems to me that from what I learned here of others experiences and my own research is that the fabrication is such a P.I.T.A that the project is never undertaken or costs so much in money and time so as to make the results tainted some what by the cost. lets say the amortizing of the cost to build the rails would take at least 10 years to pay off in terms of fuel saved/speed and general satisfaction. if the cost and time to construct the rails was substantially reduced that would change the entire equasion.
    the construction of the rails generally speaking seems to always be laminating wood veneers along the hull and fastening at various points during lamination. if the rail could be cut from lexan the only prep for install would be removal of paint on the fibreglass, glueing and bolting. with lexan fashioned spray rails any lenght of rail could be added at anytime as the profile could be continuously maintained and th same fastening schedule maintained also. with an appropriate bevel, the rails could be butt seamed anywhere facilitating installation in manageable lenghts and replacement if damaged. even if you wanted a modified bottom to the rail, the rail could be installed with the stock profile and ground to shape after installation. the key here is lexan polycarbonate. its almost an indestructable product. a reasonably powerfull (220v+) band saw with jig could produce the shape in little time.
    does anyone have any knowlege of of this being tried? seems reasonable to me.
    russ

  2. #2

    Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    I would think that whether it makes sense depends on your objectives. If you want to knock down spray, it may be worth it...but if you are looking for more "lift"...there are better ways to go about it...bigger trim tabs or blocks that allow the stock tabs to extend further down or adding downward facing wedges to the hull all come to mind...or a custom swim platform that acts as a hull extension to add more planing surface. I'm going to try the extender blocks on the tabs at nest haul out.
    Dave
    "Saraswati" - 1980 53MY
    Galesville, MD

  3. #3

    Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    I have no experience with these, but ran across them a few years back: http://www.thesmartrail.com/

    Anyone have them?
    Formally Top Hatt and Tails
    1980 53MY

  4. #4

    Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    Interesting, I wonder how the M-3000 lifting rails at the rear would compare to our stock lifting rails?
    Dave
    "Saraswati" - 1980 53MY
    Galesville, MD

  5. #5

    Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    Friend who installed spray rails on his 58 calls it a waste of money in every respect.
    Mike P
    San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Kent Island MD; San Antonio TX
    1980 53MY "Brigadoon"

  6. #6

    Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    I purchased rails from Hamilton Marine 5 or so years ago. It took one day with a helper to install them. Better done in the summer when the plastic composite is softer and easier to shape to the hull. 5200 and 3" long screws at 6" intervals did the trick, they haven't fallen off. I tapered the first 10' of the rails down to 1" as my buddy didn't and they made his boat pound a little. A skill saw with a carbide tipped blade easily cut the material.
    As for their performance speed wise I don't know maybe a 1/2 to 1 mph difference. However they do work great for spray I probably have the driest riding 42c out there. The downside is hauling the boat is a hassle, someone has to go in the water and set blocks to keep the cradle straps off the rails

  7. #7

    Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    Quote Originally Posted by daniel r morrison View Post
    I purchased rails from Hamilton Marine 5 or so years ago. It took one day with a helper to install them. Better done in the summer when the plastic composite is softer and easier to shape to the hull. 5200 and 3" long screws at 6" intervals did the trick, they haven't fallen off. I tapered the first 10' of the rails down to 1" as my buddy didn't and they made his boat pound a little. A skill saw with a carbide tipped blade easily cut the material.
    As for their performance speed wise I don't know maybe a 1/2 to 1 mph difference. However they do work great for spray I probably have the driest riding 42c out there. The downside is hauling the boat is a hassle, someone has to go in the water and set blocks to keep the cradle straps off the rails

    Thats where the rail blocks come in handy.... ws
    Last edited by yachtsmanbill; 01-17-2010 at 06:41 PM.
    yachtsmanWILLY

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  8. #8

    Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    Yachtsmanbill's spray rails look like what a rail should. the "smart rail" is extruded pvc in a shape that, I believe, could never hold the incredible pressures developed by a 15+ ton vessel moving through the water and getting and staying on plane. the smart rail may be useful as spray reduction but adding to a planing surface in a significant way to actually provide lift seems a bit much for such a relatively thin piece of pvc. sure the adhesive of the smart rail holds it to the hull but there must be substantial deflection under the water at speed. the lexan is as strong or stronger than the fibreglass hull and you are not limited as to shape.
    as for the suggestion of larger trim tabs, adding length aft of the transom has obvious limitations becouse of engineering as well as physical distance and adding width is not really usefull due to the modified vee shape at the stern. however trim tabs, i believe do not of themselves cause lift. the hull shape itself causes lift and the trim tab modifies the hulls response to that dynamic force. for example; trim tabs cannot "lift" a bow, the hull merely assumes it natural position in relation to the water, the trim tabs can lower the bow but they have not added to the planing surface that the vessel has available to it to ride up and over the water.
    with custom profiles cut into lexan you could trap water under the hull at certain points along the water line and release it at other points, similar to the negative chine on some planing craft.
    a question for Mike P, could you elaborate on your friends negative experience. way was he so dissatisfied?
    Russ

  9. Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    "I purchased rails from Hamilton Marine 5 or so years ago. "

    Ditto for me on that post...screws and 5200 on the forward ten feet of my 48ft 1972 Hatteras YF. My cousin and I added these with my boat in the water and it took maybe two hours (maximum) a side....the solid PVC rails will bend to any Hatteras Hull shape without difficulty...the PVC is flexible analogous to PVC pipe versus copper pipe. I got a few bolt fasteners thru the hull where there was space inside but bolts were more trouble than they are worth...

    "..the "smart rail" is extruded pvc in a shape that, I believe, could never hold the incredible pressures developed by a 15+ ton vessel moving through the water and getting and staying on plane.."

    This seems backasswards to me. A 25 foot lightweight boat moving at 40 knots, for example, would exert MUCH greater stress than a heaver, slower vessel. The force exerted is exclusively due to the water pressure against the area of interest....and that pressure is closely related to speed.....that's why a boat pounds in heavy seas at fast speeds but much less so a slower speed. In other words at dockside, there is no pressure....

    "... I tapered the first 10' of the rails down to 1" as my buddy didn't and they made his boat pound a little..."

    I strongly suspect this is water and waves slapping against the sprayrails not pounding as we usually know it....unless this is referenced to a real light/fast boat. In any case, the relative down angle of the spray rail determines how easily water will be contained under there and create that "slap" sound...analogoues to Hatteras built in ones.
    Rob Brueckner
    former 1972 48ft YF, 'Lazy Days'
    Boating isn't a matter of life and death: it's more important than that.

  10. #10

    Re: thoughts on spray/lifting rails

    You are absolutely right, a 15 ton boat pounding because of rails is absurd perhaps I should have said an annoying thumping instead. One more thing, I haven't had much success with bottom paint sticking to the pvc rails. I am unfamiliar with smart rails, the pvc ones I installed are about 31/2" wide, how does that compare with smart rails

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