weekender rub rails

[shellback]

comment please:
could the rub rails be fitted after the hull has been glassed ?
it occurs to me that the rub rail could fend off a brush with a wharf
and be easier to fix without a coating of glass.
thanks
Bill

[Russ Sylvester]

Absolutely! As a matter that is exactly how I did mine. The other reason I mounted them after glassing was that I wanted a continous run to the gunwales without breaking for the lower rubrail. Also for the reason you mentioned so that they can replace them easily after they get too banged up for re-finishing and trust me they get banged.

[Knut]

I did NOT attach the rubrails after glassing and based on the experience I can tell that the next one I build will be glassed (and painted?) before attaching rubrails.

The upper rubrail I have protected with a plastic rubrail from WestMarine (after damaging the original well painted wooden one a few times). I am very satisfied with this solution since I have no worries when mooring and it looks like new after a few sail-trips.

[capt jake]

Mine were attached after the glassing but prior to the painting.  I varnished them and masked them off for the paint.

[Barry Pyeatt]

I attached the upper rails before glassing the hull, but am leaving the lower rails unattached until after glassing and painting the hull.  I will finish them off and then attach them.
The upper rails on my hull are double 1 X 2 with the plywood captured between them.  I fully expect that the outer rails will need to be replaced at some point.  But I have allowed for that to happen.  
Installing a rub strip along the outer top rail will indeed cut down substantially on the wear.  And it will be sacrificed many times before the rail itself would need to be replaced.  
For an alternative, you might also consider the new "plastic" recycled wood products that are designed for outdoor deck use.  They accept paint and should be very long wearing in this application.  They can be shaped with woodworking tools.  One other possible advantage, they bend easily.

[tdrown]

This is my plan. I put glass on both sides of the hull Sunday and I have a few more coats of resin and the gel coat. The 16' Oak strips I ripped will be put on after glassing. If you have read any previous descusions on them, they are sacrificial, and if they wear too much for your liking you can just replace them. This of course will be a significantly easier process if the glass does not run right up to it or over it. By the way my 16' Oak for some reason does not reach all the way and I'll need to scarf joint an extension or something of that sort, also I will not need to thin them or steam bend them as suggested in a previous discusion, they are suspicously easy on taking that curve.

[High C]

One thing about the "sacrificial" nature of the rubrails, how can they be removed after the seats are glassed in place?  The seats cutoff access to the rubrail screws.  I've just done my rubrails and am about to do the seats, and I sure hate to cover up those screws forever, but I can't think of any alternative.  

[Anonymous]

You'll probably never have to remove the lower rails.  It is the upper rail that takes most of the abuse.

[High C]

I think you're right, guest, and I have made the upper rails easy to remove with that in mind.  

Here's hoping on those lowers!

[Knut]

I guess some will have aesthetic reasons for NOT using a plastic type dedicated rubrail along the upper one. (The lower rubrail will hardly anytime touch anything and will stay nice with a coat of paint).

With the wear experienced after a few launches (and the beat up look of scraped paint) I decided to protect the upper rubrail with a professional type plastic rail. When I hear about sacrificial upper rubrails and the trouble of actually removing and replacing it, I am very surprised that the looks become that important. How it looks when the upper wooden rubrail is finished and ready for replacement is another question.

The plastic rubrail (covering the normal wooden rubrail of the plans) seem to be everlasting. There is no dent or mark in them at all after a few launches. Looks entirely like new! They are also designed to take an impact and dampening the blow.

You make your own choices, of course, and you may view  things differently than I do, but I would not even dream of being without the plastic protection. Especially after having tried both alternatives. Just as an input for consideration.

[Mark Hughes]

I'm keeping the upper rubrail permanent, and screwing a sacrificial strip on to it from the outside that can be easily removed when it becomes dinged beyond repair. Not that I will ever need to replace it, as I'm sure I won't hit anything!