Repair/replace rub-rail

I have a 25 year old fiberglass boat, and the rub-rail is pretty dinged-up and gouged. There is one place along the port side (well above waterline) where it is slightly pulled away from the hull for about a foot, and the silicone bead is pulled away from the hull on the underside of the rail.

What do I need to do here, and how urgent is it? Is this something that can be spot-repaired, or does the whole thing need to be repaired or replaced? I have no experience doing something like this. Is it something I can do myself, or would it be better to have it done by someone who knows what they're doing?

A pic would help...

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Originally Posted by ep72

A pic would help...

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I'm on the floor looking up at the rubrail. Pic is from about 4 inches away. From left to right: the shiny on the left is plastic on my garage ceiling. Silver is the rubrail. Black line is the gap where silicone bead has pulled away. Thin grey line is silicone bead. Everything to the right of that is the hull below the rubrail.


Attachment 6917

If its the kind of rail I think it is pull the center piece of rubber away and see if the screw backed out and tighten it then re seal the underside with silicone.

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Originally Posted by ep72

If its the kind of rail I think it is pull the center piece of rubber away and see if the screw backed out and tighten it then re seal the underside with silicone.

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How do you pull the rubber away? I don't want to start something I'm not equipped to finish.

The center piece should be a circular rubber piece (much like a piece of rubber fuel hose). Take a pick or small screw driver and pry it out from the edges. It will just pop right back into place. Once you have the center pulled out a bit you should see where the rail itself is screwed to the top cap.

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Originally Posted by ep72

The center piece should be a circular rubber piece (much like a piece of rubber fuel hose). Take a pick or small screw driver and pry it out from the edges. It will just pop right back into place. Once you have the center pulled out a bit you should see where the rail itself is screwed to the top cap.

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OK, I'll take a look and report back!

OK, I pried the rubber away - it's more like a strip with grooves than a hose, but it pried away just like you said, so I could see the inside of the aluminum strip from of the rubrail.

It appears to have been riveted, not screwed into the hull. Some rivets are missing, and in that area where it is separated, it appears that the rivets are not connected to the hull, for about a foot/foot-and-a-half. In other words, when I pull the aluminum rubrail strip away from the hull, the outer part of the rivet that I can see in the surface of the strip moves with the strip. It doesn't seeem to be attached to the hull in the rear. I don't know if that's because the rivet broke, or if it's because the rivet popped through the hull.

Any of that making sense? I certainly appreciate any guidance.

Yeah I follow you its the other type,a half circle with 2 ears , If the rail will push back snug to the boat drill some small pilot holes and put some screws in it, or drill out whats left of the rivet and screw it, then seal it back up with silicone.

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Originally Posted by ep72

Yeah I follow you its the other type,a half circle with 2 ears , If the rail will push back snug to the boat drill some small pilot holes and put some screws in it, or drill out whats left of the rivet and screw it, then seal it back up with silicone.

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Sorry to barrage with questions, but I'm learning here, so as long as you're willing to teach...

Do I need to be concerned about water damage behind that strip? I ask because I'm wondering what gave way - the rivet, or the hull. If the rivets broke, that seems OK. But if the rivets pulled through the hull from behind, then I've got bigger problems, don't I? It seems it won't do me any good to screw into the hull if it's damaged or broken where the rivet used to be.

Last, assuming I go ahead with this, do I just use regular stainless wood screws, and drill a pilot hole a little bigger than the hole that exists? Does it matter how long the screw is? And when you say seal it up with silicone, you mean both the screw hole and replacing the rubrail bead, correct?

I hate rivets, could be they were installed wrong, could be a little flex over the years. Drill the hole a tad smaller than the screw (if making new holes) , and reseal under the rail like it was with the silicone after everythings put back together. Broken rivets are very common to see on boats when I tear into one to redo carpet or install a LED light kit. Stainless sheet metal or wood screws are fine, length isnt a big concern 1/2", 3/4" will be fine. Use care if working on the passanger side if boat when drilling, as the trolling motor wiring runs down the gunnell.