Rub Rail Project

[John Stone]

As part of the year’s projects—along with installing an inboard, folding propeller, fuel tank, LED nav lights, and relocating the distribution panel—it’s also time to design and install a rub rail. I’ve sailed the FR for 5 years without one.

The basic plan is a rub-rail made of iroko, topped with bronze half oval, about 30’ per side. Through bolted about 2” below the gunwale. Extends from transom to just aft of the sprit-shroud tangs. I kept the original 3/4”bronze 1/2 oval—about 75’ of it. It will be screwed into the iroko. The idea is to have a robust rail with good standoff. Iroko bedded with butyl around holes and the rest with long pot life Sikaflex.

Three 12:1 scarfs per side. Resorcinol as the adhesive. Iroko painted white. I cut some short profiles from scrap pine. 15 degree bevels on each side. One is 1.25” thick and the other is 1” thick. Since the rail is one piece and not scribed it has to be able to bend along the curve of the topside. The 1.25” looks right. Strong, robust, meaningful, proportional to boat. Absolutely has to be water tight. Probably need to make a long mock up to see what works without breaking.

[S/V Ethan Grey]

...Following.

John, I just want to stop by your place and hang out for a day or so checking out all the cool projects you've done. Thanks for all the inspiration.

[John Stone]

...Following.

John, I just want to stop by your place and hang out for a day or so checking out all the cool projects you've done. Thanks for all the inspiration.

David, that a very nice thing to say. I appreciate it. Glad our efforts are of some value to you. Come on by for a sail after I get her back into the water....

[abutkus03]

How are you cutting you scarfs? I watched a You Tube video show own to do it using a mitre saw, but first you need to build a proper jib. Redoing the rub rails on my CD 25.

[Steve Laume]

A router ramp will be much easier than trying to hold long pieces in a miter saw jig. I don't think bending them cold is going to be a problem. I did similar pieces of CD-14 gunnels that had a lot tighter bends than a CD-36 , with no issues. You just start clamping and fastening as you go. This is a job where a helper actually can help.

Rub rails are good, Steve.

[John Stone]

How are you cutting you scarfs? I watched a You Tube video show own to do it using a mitre saw, but first you need to build a proper jib. Redoing the rub rails on my CD 25.

Hi Al
Steve L is right. The router jig is probably the best way for an amateur to
create precise scarfs. I have made maybe two dozen 10:1 scarfs with a home built router jig as described in Fred P. Bingham’s Book Boat Joinery and Cabinetmaking Simplified. . The book is useful but not a stand alone set of instructions. It’s kind of pedestrian in its approach. But, it gives insights into a lot of different boat related wood working projects. The instructions for building the jig were a little thin but even with a single cell brain I managed to figured it out. It has worked pretty well. Takes about 20-30 min from set up to completing the cut of a set of matching scarfs.

Here is the link on our website to some scarfs I cut for the bulwarks. They were my first.

Scroll down to 16 June and 14 Aug 2013 entries for pictures and narrative.

http://www.farreachvoyages.com/dailylog ... aug13.html

[gates_cliff]

was at my boat today getting ready to refinish the rubrails with Cetol gloss. I had taken off all the brass pieces and filled eahc screw hole with a teak bung. BTW, as suggested by John a year or so ago! However, I noticed that the very front of the starboard side has the tip worn/broken off. In the 10 plus years I've owned KatieGirl I never noticed it before. I don't think there's a need to remove the whole rail as I think I could cut a scarf a few inches back and craft a new piece to glue and reattach to the full. I'd want to go back to beyond the first screw/bolt that attches the whole pirce to the full. I don't see this as a big project but I'm not certain if the rubrails are through bolted to the hull. It's so far forward i wasn't able to see where/how it's attached. Anyone know how the originial rubrails were attached? Thanks

[John Stone]

Cliff
On my 36 the teak part of the rub rail was screwed horizontally into the overlapping hull deck joint. There is a diagram of that in the CD 36 owner’s manual. Can’t say for certain it’s that same way in your boat but it’s a good place to start.

[Walter Hobbs]

Cliff,
I'm doing similar rub rail repair on my '77 CD 27. A badly worn piece at the portside aft quarter and at portside forward leading end. I plan on scarfing in a new piece of teak at each section. I have disassembled the aft section, it was fastened to the hull by large ( maybe 2 1/2 inch # 12) stainless screws placed horizontally under the bungs. I ripped a new piece of teak 1 inch by 1 inch but it looks a little wide. I plan to rip another 1/8 inch off and then attempt the scarf. The forward piece looks like it may extend under the forward shroud anchor. I don't know the proper term. Thankfully these are end pieces so they only need a scarf on one end.

[gates_cliff]

Thanks John and Walter,

That's the info I needed. I didn't think to look through the owners manual, duh, obvious first step! I've come to rely on this board, maybe a bit too much.

Thanks again.