dinghy rubrail repair question

[Megunticook]

Couple days ago I returned from a wonderful trip with a beautiful afternoon sail in a 10 knot breeze. We clipped along close-hauled at 5-6 knots which is pretty much top speed for the boat.

The post-trip afterglow was considerably dampened when I went to retrieve my dinghy at the town float before heading back to my mooring. The fore starboard side rub rail had been absolutely pulverized to smithereens. I mean the wood was literally gone--just shredded to bits.

I brought it home to repair. Anybody tackle a project like this before? Any advice? I'm thinking I just splice a new piece of teak in there and attach with new fasteners. Should I also use some adhesive like Sikaflex? Which kind?

Any and all advice welcome--need to get this back in the water ASAP!

p.s. I think my mistake was tying the dinghy to the end of the town float--it swung around the corner to the short end where it looks like a couple bolts protrude. My best guess is it was bobbing up and down in that spot and whacking against one or both of those bolts for hours or possibly days. Last time I'll make that mistake.

[Frenchy]

Everything you sad - scarfing in a new piece, new fasteners and sikaflex- sound good to me. To scarf 10 to 1
lay the new piece ahead of the old 10 times its thickness, then make a mark that same distance behind the
edge of the old. Clamp or temporarily screw the two pieces together, then hand plane from the mark on the
old piece down to the edge of the new piece. Flip the top old piece over and glue. That's the way I scarfed
and epoxied plywood panels together years ago building a Lightning.
Dinghies, it seems, have a knack for getting into trouble. Recently mine floated away from the stern of
my boat while I was working below at a mooring. I came up into the cockpit to see the painter pointed
straight down . Looking up, there she was, banging against the rocks of the hurricane dike. I eventually
recovered it and discovered the 1/4" SS bolt holding the bow fitting broke.
Now it's got lots of dings in the gelcoat- something to keep me occupied this fall. - Jean

[kerrydeare]

Couple days ago I ... went to retrieve my dinghy at the town float [and] The fore starboard side rub rail had been absolutely pulverized to smithereens ... Anybody tackle a project like this before? ...

Yes, and more than once on my Dyer boats and my CD10s (plural). I don't mind admitting that I had much to learn about this process (and much good advice from the boatyard craftsmen and craftswomen).

Depending on how much involvement you want, the way to do this is with twin oak or teak woodwork joined to the GRP gunwhales with copper nailing. I would venture that no bedding compound is needed if you steam the wood and use appropriate clamping. This is a real pain and takes time, but the result is first class.

Pardon me for saying this, but judging from the pictures you posted, this boat needs quite a bit more than just a new rubrails.

[Megunticook]

Yes, and more than once on my Dyer boats and my CD10s (plural). I don't mind admitting that I had much to learn about this process (and much good advice from the boatyard craftsmen and craftswomen).

Depending on how much involvement you want, the way to do this is with twin oak or teak woodwork joined to the GRP gunwhales with copper nailing. I would venture that no bedding compound is needed if you steam the wood and use appropriate clamping. This is a real pain and takes time, but the result is first class.

Pardon me for saying this, but judging from the pictures you posted, this boat needs quite a bit more than just a new rubrails.

Thanks for the tips. Factory appears to have used bronze screws and no compound. I picked up some new screws as well as a piece of new teak which I ripped down to size on my tablesaw last night.

I hear teak is hard to bend, I don't really have a way to steam it, would soaking it help? I tested by pushing it against the fiberglass and confirming it gently by hand to the curve, it will bend that much but takes a bit of hand pressure.

Yes, the dinghy is a bit rough. It's 40 years old and I bought it last October for $150. Idea was just to have something serviceable that I wouldn't mind getting dinged up at the town float--although not to this extent! Was thinking just a little cosmetic damage.

Basically just a way to get out to the mooring and back. Originally wanted a beautiful wooden peapod but quickly realized it would be foolish to store that down on the town floats all summer, crammed in with all the other dinghies. So as long as she floats and is relatively intact I'm good.

[Steve Laume]

I was going to suggest replacing all the gunnels but I understand what dinghy docks are like.

I have installed new gunnels on a CD-14 and they cold bent just fine. Your issue is going to be making sure the scarf joint is strong enough to take the strain. Use lots of clamps and screw it to the inner or outer as you go. There is no need to use any sort of caulk. Steve.

[Megunticook]

I picked up a $13 piece of teak at Hamilton Marine and ripped it down to size. I finished it with some raw linseed oil and tried seeing how it would bend by clamping it to the rubrail on the port side. It seems to accept this degree of bend without splitting, but there's definitely some tension on it.



I don't have a way to steam this, plus I hear teak doesn't steam very well anyway.

Am I asking for trouble if I just fasten it on securely with screws? The old one was screwed about every 4 inches or so.

Or do I need to figure out a way to bend this--or get some white oak which I hear bends easier?

To be honest I just want to get this thing back in the water ASAP and I can worry about a more professional overhaul this winter. This is not meant to be a showpiece and I expect it will see more dings and scrapes down on the town float this summer/fall.

Thanks.

[kerrydeare]

... I hear teak is hard to bend, I don't really have a way to steam it, would soaking it help? I tested by pushing it against the fiberglass and confirming it gently by hand to the curve, it will bend that much but takes a bit of hand pressure ...

After a while some old salt showed me how to steam long thin pieces without a steamer (of course you need to be able to generate the steam itself).

The trick was to use the equivalent of a plastic bag or any fairly sturdy long containment system that will (1) be strong enough under strain, and (2) surround the piece you're working with. If you look up some of the boat shop videos from Jamestown Boat you will see what this entails.

As for teak, I suspect there must be a reason many folks prefer oak, but then both my CD10 boats were fitted with teak so it can be done. Maybe not by me, though.

[Megunticook]

Well, it's done and going back in the water today. Thanks to everyone for all tips and advice.

Not showroom quality by any means but serviceable. I'm sure it will get more dings and nicks at the town float this year--will fix things up over the winter.

I did a little research into the boat--built in 1988 by Winterport Boat Works. I guess that's where the original Puffin design began back in the 80's, intended as a boat tender. They are pretty ubiquitous up here in Maine. This is my first season with it, think it will be the perfect size for my Ty Senior.

[mgphl52]

Nice job! And for the intended use she looks great.