So I was back and forth on whether to just leave the 55 year old aluminum rub rail and try to "buff it out" , but I'm getting ready for gel and paint this week and decided to removed it, or should I say cut it to get it off. What a pain with the glassed over nuts. I had to cut the bolt heads off, chopped the bolts flush to the hull and that is just the way it's going to be. In hindsight I should have removed it before I started my rebuild.
Anyway, now I need a replacement and I'm pretty sure I'll go with rubber as it will provide better protection to my boat and others and won't look like hell the first time it needs to do its job.
So what would be a good replacement? I'm looking for black and flexible.
Yes removing the original rub rail is a pain, til you figure out that cutting it is the way to go.
Exact replica aluminum rail is still available which I've used with good results.
I've also used 1" stainless bull nose, and it looks good too.
My experience has been that rubber and vinyl rub rails don't hold up as well, unless they're the really good ones with stainless steel center inserts.
Esthetically, on light colored hulls and decks, stainless and aluminum blend in to the surroundings.
Whereas black rubber/vinyl stands out like an accent stripe.
Which is ok, if that's what your looking for.
A very wise man on this form once said, 'the enemy of good is better'.
Rub rail part numbers I used. Fits very well, but it is white/stainless. I highly recommend buying from Integrity Marine. I got their info from this forum.
You'll need an angle grinder to cut the screw heads off the original rub rail. The nuts and shanks will stay with the boat, and might rattle around for eternity, unless you can access the underside of the gunnels. My boat had fiberglass tabbing that closed off this joint all around. VERY difficult to access in the bow.
Good Luck!
Cam
1963 Bertram 25
1973 Boston Whaler 13 - sold!
1998 Scout 172 SF - beach taxi
Yes removing the original rub rail is a pain, til you figure out that cutting it is the way to go.
Exact replica aluminum rail is still available which I've used with good results.
I've also used 1" stainless bull nose, and it looks good too.
My experience has been that rubber and vinyl rub rails don't hold up as well, unless they're the really good ones with stainless steel center inserts.
Esthetically, on light colored hulls and decks, stainless and aluminum blend in to the surroundings.
Whereas black rubber/vinyl stands out like an accent stripe.
Which is ok, if that's what your looking for.
A very wise man on this form once said, 'the enemy of good is better'.
Good luck with the rest of your refurb.
John
Thanks.
I like the look of a metallic rub rail better than rubber/vinyl. I'm painting the hull Alexseal's Majestic Blue which is dark and above the rub rail whisper grey gelcoat. I think a solid stainless or aluminum would probably just blend right in to the gelcoat. An insert over black would probably look best giving the rail a clear definition. Maybe that's the way to go as it's much easier to replace a scarred up insert than the entire rail. Perhaps I am over thinking the fear of damaging a metallic rub rail, I've always been pretty good at the helm in tight quarters but sometimes there's no stopping a piling rub.
CamB25 wrote: ↑Nov 30th, '20, 08:16
Rub rail part numbers I used. Fits very well, but it is white/stainless. I highly recommend buying from Integrity Marine. I got their info from this forum.
You'll need an angle grinder to cut the screw heads off the original rub rail. The nuts and shanks will stay with the boat, and might rattle around for eternity, unless you can access the underside of the gunnels. My boat had fiberglass tabbing that closed off this joint all around. VERY difficult to access in the bow.
Good Luck!
Cam
Thanks for the suggestion. I will check them out. Yep, already got it off. Pain in the ass. I'm just going to shove some putty in around the bolt shafts and that should cure any rattling, though they're in their pretty good. I do appreciate the fact they glassed the underside of the cap to the hull though, as that's usually a common place for water intrusion. Saved me the hassle of doing it.
Pvc and stainless is the way to go.
Black rubber will make it look old and cheapen the restoration. They never lay flat and no matter how careful you are with the screws/bolts you can see where every one of them are
Luckily compared to the 31 rail choices for a 25 are plentiful. You can buy it locally to avoid the truck freight . The part referenced above is probably the most common profile out there and should be no issue sourcing locally . The stainless is obviously very commonly used as well.
I did the Taco rubrail kit with the plastic insert when I did a Hiliner 222 gypsy over. In that project I needed to remove the top cap to put in the new deck so I had to remove the original rub rail which on a 10 year newer boat than my Bertram looked like crap. I have to agree with some of the points presented here. You could definitely tell where the bolts were put through and in some areas I resorted to putting bolts through every hole. It did help to do the rub rail in the middle of the summer and let the plastic bake in the sun sitting on an asphalt driveway for a couple of hours stretched out.
I've been somewhat lucky with my B25 as the rubrail is in pretty good condition, there are definitely scrapes and slashes in it but for the most part it has done its duty and done very well. It seems to me the combination of high quality parts and a solid installation make a huge difference. I think part of it is the fact that they glassed the back side of the joint, nothing in this setup moves as it is well put together.
In this photo you can see where I cut the original rub rail when I notched my transom. The original rail is quite beefy and you can see the back side glass. https://photos.app.goo.gl/cqqzZJAr8iqiNLkr6
I have the same around my 28.
Didn't know it was so thick!
Mine also has minor scratches all around, but when that sailboat came onto my starboard side a few years back, it made a 10cm dent that I don't think can be repaired. Or, better, it can be, but the hassle will be defeating the benefit.
Shoutout for the original Bertram aluminum guards. Yes they are by now scuffed, scarred and in some cases pitted but they do their job which is protect the boat. A couple years ago I was T-boned by an out of control charter while at the dock in Ganges Harbour, BC. The distraught operator came by after and asked how he could make it right. My answer--get off the dock so I can finish my beer in peace. The heavy guard distributed the impact load over several feet instead of just at the point of impact. No damage.
, but I'm getting ready for gel and paint this week and decided to removed it, or should I say cut it to get it off. What a pain with the glassed over nuts. I had to cut the bolt heads off, chopped the bolts flush to the hull and that is just the way it's going to be. In hindsight I should have removed it before I started my rebuild.
