Sprig's Rub Rail Project

[rnummi]

Have you pulled the old rail off yet? I'm wondering if I should do this while I'm stuck on the hard. I've got the plastic insert, my existing rail is in pretty good shape, however the PO indicated there's a leak in rail below port forward port light. He squirted 5200 along a six foot stretch on "top" of rub rail.... Yeah I know...just was curious if you had already done it and the steps involved.

[Sprig1]

Hi I pulled my rub rail off. Most of the clip that holds it on cracked had to buy 24feet of that. What a pain. Try to do it on the hottest day possible. There is some really good discussion here on the board about fixing it. I haven't finished the project yet. On my boat it looks like the joint was epoxied. Someone smashed into a piling and smashed the whole joint. I'm thinking about putting an Ipe rub rail on something that will protect the boat. That's a later project.

[smacksman]

You don't have to hit the rub rail very hard to split the hull/deck joint! A very poor design on this Albin.
Just as well it is a motor boat - a sail boat's rig tension would have lifted the deck clear off in a force 5!.
Having made that critisism, I have yet to work on any boat that was perfect.

[Vic K]

As I've warned others redoing the 27 they best look under the rub rail. As Smackman said you are in for a shock if you think this is a solid strong joint. I ended up with not only replacing all the rivets and using an epoxy/silica mix as a gluing agent between the hull and deck joint. In the bow I had to add glass . That black rubber strip can hide a lot of mischief.

[rnummi]

Yikes. How hard was it to get the RR off/on? Can you effect repairs w/o drilling out rivets (if no crush damage)?

[JT48348]

Good photos. Was there 5200 between the hull deck joint? And just rivets?

[Sprig1]

Mine looks like it was factory epoxied. But how could that be. It will be the last thing I do. I'll leave it out in the rain and see where it leaks.

[rnummi]

Having no knowledge of proper marine construction, how would you "fix" the 27 deck/hull joint the "right" way? Obviously the extruded joint will get crunched by the slightest impact. Maybe reinforce by adding a solid on top and bottom of the joint (which would transfer impact force directly to the hull instead of the joint)... I'm curious how the Swedes did it on the 25.

[Vic K]

FYI: After looking at the bow damage I started working the rail back just to discover more separation. I ended up taking off the entire rail in one piece. Storing it as one was a problem I ended up tying it to the sides of the shed.
Using a epoxy/silica mixture to act as a bond in the joint I clamped until set then installed the new rivets. I replaced 120 rivets. On the bow I added glass to complete the repair. The plastic cap that acted as a receiver for the rail came off in pieces. The edge had to be rebuilt to accept the rub rail.
If you do this repair make sure you let the rub rail sit in the sun to warm it up for flexibility before you reinstall. This is a two person job.
This was a lot of work. But like the pilothouse/cabin top joint I know that it won't leak and the joints are a heck of a lot stronger than when the boat left the factory.
Good luck

Vic

[Vic K]

JT,
There was nothing I could see in the joint. It was held together by rivets. When I put the rail back on I used 5200. Not only would this secure the rail to the edge but acted as an additional sealant at the joint.
I wish I had taken more photos. If you're rebuilding/redoing a 27 you would be advised to look behind the rub rail at this joint. I can be in bumpy water now and not worry about a separation.

Vic

[rnummi]

Vic: do you think a heat gun would work? I'm under cover.

[Vic K]

I found sun was the best to heat the whole rub rail equally. Remember it shrinks in the cold and expands with heat. It's like dealing with a 60 foot snake. Definitely a job for two people and needs to be done in one shot. I thought about replacing it with something else but couldn't come up with anything that didn't cost a fortune.

Good luck,

Vic

[smacksman]

My comment sounded a bit alarmist looking back at it. I really meant that all boats have an Achillies Heel and the hull/deck joint is an Albin 27's weak point.
Once you know the weak point you can act accordingly - get fat fenders and a big ball fender at the front; use a fender board to lie to a pile; don't use the rub rail for rubbing if you can avoid it.

[rnummi]

Based upon the comments you want to mount a crystal rod all along the edge of your boat as a reminder that it just looks like a "rub" rail. It's really fine china. Who build a boat like this (even if you are rushing into production)? The only fix would be to mount a solid strip of real rub rail below the existing one extending from hull to the outer edge of the existing rub rail thus allowing the hull itself to absorb gentle impacts. Hmm there's an idea. How would you fasten the daughter strip/rub rail?

My PO ran a bead of black 5200 along a six foot stretch of the upper rail to stop leaks. Just a mess.

[smacksman]

What would look traditional would be 9" circ. 3 strand hemp lashed to the joint all round.