quarter rail/fender repairs

[SeaWhisper]

Must be that time of the year. I'm also having to replace my rub rails. 45 years old. I pulled out and painted the hull and the bottom.

[Angela]

Ang, I think the cross sections of the ones I bought from SAMS were not symmetrical, so making two from one design (side) may not look right, and if they do add to lift, it may cause a list.

Bobk

Now that you mention that, yes, I do recall that from my close-up examination and measurement of them, and I'm sure I would have noticed that as soon as I got them off and on the dock. Thanks for the reminder!

[davidwigler]

I need a set too.

[jim rosenthal]

I've decided to go with rails made by Tom Slane. There are two boats in his shop right now which were made in the same molds as Blue Note, which means a better fit and less work on this end when they arrive. With any luck, I can get them on in the next few weeks and get her into the water. I may only change the stbd one, which is beyond salvage. If the port one isn't rotten, I will leave that one for next winter. Details to follow/film at eleven etc.

[jim rosenthal]

I finished getting the starboard rub rail off yesterday. They are held on by bronze or brass bolts, most of which were either corroded or stuck. One came out. Some I was able to cut off using the Fein saw and then push through- hopefully I can vacuum up the fragments. There are four left which I will need to drill out. I will then clean up the holes and fill them with thickened epoxy.

I also sanded off all the paint and caulk. If the new rails fit closely, the plan is to paint them before attaching them to the boat with epoxy and screws. I don't know whether I will just leave the screws in there and close up the holes with resin, or take them out and then fill the holes up. Then the stainless rub trim will go back on, after I clean it up downstairs on the wire wheel and buffer.

I was able to get the rest of the rail off fairly quickly- the fan shaped cutting blade on the Fein saw works well for this and I masked off the areas above and below the rail so they didn't get dinged up. So far, so good.

The marina crew was able to do the bottom and also detail the boat, by rolling back the cover, so when the rail replacement is completed, she will essentially be ready to go back in. I have a few more things to do, like tighten the engine mounts, but overall she is closer to launch than I expected, given this unforeseen delay.

[q240z]

Excellent!
I always wondered why Hatteras used wood on the rub rails.

[jim rosenthal]

I have no idea. I suppose it was easy to do. They probably had no idea these boats would be running around in forty years. During my ownership of Blue Note, I have replaced a lot of the aft bulkhead (wood), am now doing the rub rails (also wood) and have done almost no fiberglass work at all, the only exception being that curve at the top of the rear buttress that cracks on most 36Cs. And there is a fix for that which seems to last quite a long time. If I've had trouble with her, wood seems to be a frequent element in it.

One of my friends had a similar boat to mine and replaced the entire aft bulkhead, which was a formidable job, but at least it's done. Mine contains substantial sections replaced by Coosa board, all holding up nicely, but sooner or later I will have to do more of it. Hopefully later.

I don't know when Hatteras dispensed with structural external wood, but it was a good day for them when they did. I wish it had been before 1971, that is certain.

[Reelin]

I have a 1965 41C sportfish. Just replaced my port side rail/fender. In my case I found it loose while prepping the boat this spring. All of the bronze fastener heads had rotted off and the wood was pretty soft. I took it to General Wood Craft in New London, CT and they told me it was teak? I thought it may have been mahogany. I used teak to replace it and fortunately the old one was in good enough shape to use as a template to set the saw up to cut the angles and shape the rail. The teak was pricey, but they tell me I should never have to worry about it for the rest of my lifetime and I have enough material left to make a second one plus a few other scraps. The teak ended up costing me $340, but it came out pretty nice. Awlgriped and installed this weekend.

[Avenger]

During my ownership of Blue Note, I have replaced a lot of the aft bulkhead (wood), am now doing the rub rails (also wood) and have done almost no fiberglass work at all, the only exception being that curve at the top of the rear buttress that cracks on most 36Cs. And there is a fix for that which seems to last quite a long time.

So what is this fix? Mine is cracked on one side and when I fix it, I'd like to only do it once.

[jim rosenthal]

Basically, you open up the apex of the curve, and fill it with epoxy and silica, I think I used. I will have to see if I have any notes on it, or I can ask Tom, because I think I followed his recommendation. The area is hollow, there are two fiberglass skins, so it isn't stable enough to resist motion and cracks. What I can't remember is if I used Coosa board in there, too; let me see if I can figure that out and I will post it. It's been a few years and it's still free of cracks.