2006-03-11; 08:49:28 EST
Member Since
2002-09-17
Posts: 4946
Great introduction, now for the fix. The top deck and hull come together beneath the rub rail. The fix is to remove the rubber part of the rub rail. This will expose either the plastic or aluminum (depending on year) base of the rub rail. It is most likely pop riveted in place. Drill out the heads of the rivets and you will be able to remove the base. You will notice the base piece has a lip which curls under the joint. Clean the area of any old sealant and dirt and I would recommend a final cleaning with a good solvent. Once the area is clean and dry, I would recommend sealing it with a one part polyurethane sealant like a product called NP1. It is available at most roofing supply company's and Sherwin William stores have their own brand. If you can't find it, anything that is a one part polyurethane will suffice. It is sticky like nothing else and remains pliable for twelve years in extreme weather conditions. Great for using on boats. Instead of applying it to the seam with a trailing motion, you will apply it with the nozzle facing forward, forcing sealant into the joint. I found cutting the tip off flat further down and then notching it with a V was an easy way to apply it. Place a small bead on the lip of the base and reinstall with pop rivets. You will find the old pop rivets inside the cabin for some time to come. Now for the real question. I am going to assume that you have actually sailed the boat and buried the rail enough to force water in the hull in this manner. Rain water is not likely to enter the boat through this joint. If it is, then you have a problem with a completely different fix. I hope this helps. If you need further assistance, please ask. RrrrrrrrrrummySee the original archive post