Stratos Leaking Rubrail

[Stratos Fan]

I have a '97 Stratos 258 and have found that I have two leaks at the stern. It isn't fast and appears to be two trickles, but I have to bilge it out here and three while fishing. I removed the rubrail and found that there is a gap between the hull and the cap. I imagine the best course of action is to seal up the cap with silicone or 3M 5200 maybe, and then screw the rub rail back on with sealing the holes for those screws. Have any of you had this problem? I would appreciate any suggestions you might have to offer. Thank you.

[JR19]

A common problem among the era of boat you talking about is leaking at the rubrail screws. The most common fix is to pull back the rub rail, apply sealant and tighten the screws. Using 3M 4200 is a better option than 3M 5200. Both will protect and make a water tight seal. 5200 dries harder and has a tendency to make a permeant bond whereas 4200 you can remove the hardware if need later on down the road.

[Stratos Fan]

Yes, I did exactly that last weekend but still took in water. I pulled the rub rail again this morning and gave it a further look. That is when I found a pretty substantial void between the cap and the hull. I could run a putty knife up between the two and beinside the hull. I wnet ahead and sealed it up. I'll try for a water test tomorrow evening.

[boatinpete]

Had same problem on my FS 274. Use 4200.

[mxmike]

Also, run a good bead of clear silicon along the bottom of the rub rail rubber where it meets the hull.

[TableRock Coral]

I had a similar problem with my boat. I took it to a boat repair shop. They removed the rub rail, filled all the pop rivet holes with silicone, applied silicone to the rub rail, and re-attached it using new pop rivet locations. The old pop rivets had loosened, causing the cap to separate from the hull. You may want to install the screws in new locations, so the cap and hull can be pulled back together.

[billnorman1]

The Stratos uses screws. If they are loose or the holes are wallered out it won't seal properly. If you tighten them too much the rub rail gets a bumpy effect. Put toothpicks in the bad holes and glue them in with a waterproof glue if necessary. I'd say after a thorough hull cleaning any good sealant will do the job, shoot it under the top cap and use it to fill any gaps by spreading it with your finger or a spatula . I did mine and it works. I also hit a bolt sticking out of a piling and ripped the top cap 4 feet to the stern 3 inches above the rub rail and smashed the rub rail holder in the hull. I learned a lot about fiberglass repair. My boat ain't pretty but it gets me to the fish and back.