Rub Rails

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:34 am

Hello to all. Just recently became a proud owner of a 1987 B33 SF w/3208T Cats, so expect to see me around for years to come. I've been talking to a guy on the 31 site about his project to replace the rub rails on his B28, and it didn't sound anything like the horror story I was ecpecting. Anybody here try this project on a 33? I'm wondering how many through-bolts there are, which would make all the difference in how hard it is to do. I have one of those aluminum and stainless rails of misguided design on my boat, and am trying to see how big a job it is to replace. The guy with the 28 said that there were only through-bolts at the bow and at the stern corners, which were all accessible, and the rest in between were simple screws.

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:14 pm

Sean, I also have an `87 sport fish. Early this spring I needed to remove a section of rub rail on the port side, near the side air intakes. They were held by long 1/4" through bolts , about one every two feet.It appeared to me that they used this to hold the hull and deck together, although under the rubrail there were also phillips head SCREWS(no nuts) also going through the joint but not through the rubrail. It seems like they shoud have held it together with the through bolts UNDER the rubrail but this was not in fact the case. As far as access goes, I think it`s do-able , with long arms and a friend(or a long armed friend?) but on the port side you`ll have to remove the refer. and on the starboard side, I think with the couch out of the way , you can get to them.The fridge is a little odd to remove, it has a couple screws on the sides, through the cabinets and also the obvious ones along the bottom , in the front. I`m also consideing the rubrails this winter but my list is getting pretty long already and I`ll have to see how things go. It may have to wait for next winter. Regards, Frank Price `87 SF "JEANNE CLAIRE' Rowley, Ma.

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:59 pm

Why did you need to remove only a section? I talked to the Owner of Hightide Marine today about this. He said to just cut off the bolts that you can't get to. I'm not sure I like the idea of loose bolts rolling around in the bilge though. If they are really used to hold the boat together (can that be right?) then cutting them out and not replacing them wouldn't be a good thing.

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 2:39 am

Sean, I agree , it seems like they knew how to make a pretty good boat so I`m a little reluctant to change it much as far as it`s structure goes. Most boats I`ve owned in the past would through-bolt the hull- deck joint and then just screw the rubrail on. Bertram either didn`t want the rubrail moving around or fiqured that it would make a great way to hold the boat together. I`ve heard of people just sawing off the old bolts and then just screwing new rubrails on. I think that the integrity of the boat would be severly compromised to do so.It is considered bad practice to hold structural fiberglass together with only wood or sheet metal screws. Even the railings on our boats are thru-bolted. The reason I had to remove a section of my railing was to repair the gel-soat on the toe rail . It had been repaired badly at some time in the boats life and was cracking . Frank

Post by **Admin** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:00 am

Sean, if you talked to Denny over at HighTide, you may want to call him back and ask him about any questions you might have. He worked at the Bertram plant for something like 20 years, and he is probably the most knowledgeable guy were are likely to have access to. He loves these boats and likes helping their owners. He is not likely to steer you wrong or tell you to hack something that would weaken the integrity of the hull. David Sumich Bertram33.com Forum Administrator

lobsta1 · Post by **lobsta1** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:40 am

Another thing to be aware of is that the some of the rub rail bolts as well as the bowrail & cleats are all tied into the ships bonding system. At least on my 1978 B33C they are. Al 1978 33 FBC NITES OFF

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 1:32 pm

Sean, David, I`m sure the advice to cut a few bolts that weren`t accessable wasn`t bad advice. There are many bolts and screws all sharing the load and I`m sure like most of the boat, it`s over-kill. With the progression of time, these old boats , like the B 31`s and some old classic cars, some of us feel the need to make them as good as they can be, lets face it, with care, these boats should outlast us all. That`s one of the things that makes a guy like Danny at High Tide so valuable. Being able to ask a guy questions that actually helped build them is an asset that cannot be over-stated. My comments about the rubrail mounting on our boats were not meant to imply anything negative about that advice , only that as a steward of one of these things , if you really want to go that extra mile and get all the bolts, I think it`s do-able. By the way, I`ve thought about it and I think the bolts are actually more like a foot apart or less , instead of the two feet I stated earlier. Also , as Al stated, the rubrails , like all the metal in our boats, is bonded to the system and has a connecting wire at every joint in the rubrail.

Post by **Admin** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 8:23 am

BTW, my rub rails look like crap! I hope I can use this thread in the near future to replace them. David Sumich Bertram33.com Forum Administrator

TIM · Post by **TIM** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:14 pm

THIS WINTER I AM GOING TO RE-DO MY RUB RAILS. THE OWNER OF BALBOA BOAT YARD,IN N.P. CALIF. ART, DID A COMPEATE RESTORATION ON A 33 HE HAD, AND IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH THE BOAT. HE SUGGESTED THAT WE TRY THE NEW HARD WHITE PLASTIC RAILS BEING INSTALL CURRENTLY IN MIAMI ON THE NEW RIGS. HIGH TIDE MARINE HAS THEM IN STOCK. I'LL LET YOU KNOW THE DIRECTION I GO.