Rub Rail & Caulking Maintenance Questions

S

Solesurfer

New member
Hey Everyone,
I just pulled my CD25 out of the water to conclude this year's season. As I tucked it into its parking space and looked it over once more, I noticed some issues that needed to be addressed. I'm having a hard time trying to find what exactly I'm looking for.

The first and most major thing is that I noticed my rub rail had popped off.

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I pulled the rubber portion off and saw that the metal rail was secured to the boat with a weird flat headed screw(no head). It looks like the main post of the screws are made of plastic.

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From the inside it seems like they are secured with 5200 or something like that. Where would I go to get new securing screws? Does the rub rail need any other maintenance or can I just wipe it down and re-secure it?

Secondly I have a cable cover that needs to be replaced. What is the proper name of this thing?

cadPVnl.jpg


Lastly I noticed that the caulking all around the cockpit seems to be cracked and looks pretty horrible.

vUcN0RD.jpg
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What would you recommend doing to fix this? Can I cut it out and re-caulk? What would be the best product to use?

I've owned the boat for about 4 years now and I've been slowly learning more and more about maintaining it. This is the first time I've ever dealt with these issues. I can't wait till I get to the point where everything is more or less figured out.

Thank you,
Tom
 
The rail is held on with pop rivets. The inside has either some sealant or epoxy over it. The best way is to go around and replace all (at least those you can get hold of with bolts. Your choice of covering back up. There are several types of nuts to use from nylox to acorn, or plain. Epoxy, or sealant, and paint/gel coat over.

The boot--but I just got one made a cut in it and then used "Rescue" silicone tape to seal it shut, rather than try and de rig, re rig.

Take the old sealant out, and use 4000. It will not deteriorate as this has.
 
I posted some detail on my rub rail repair here:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?p=267126#267126

Before tackling it, I searched "rub rail" here on the forum and found a few good reports that had very useful information. I would have had a much harder time getting started without the helpful posts of other C-Brats. Most fix it with machine screws, as did I.

So, if you want to see other reports, just search "rub rail" (in addition to what you'll get here in this thread).
 
Sunbeam":2hl18rwy said:
I posted some detail on my rub rail repair here:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?p=267126#267126

Before tackling it, I searched "rub rail" here on the forum and found a few good reports that had very useful information. I would have had a much harder time getting started without the helpful posts of other C-Brats. Most fix it with machine screws, as did I.

So, if you want to see other reports, just search "rub rail" (in addition to what you'll get here in this thread).
Click to expand...

That is an excellent post. I should have used the search function before posting. Thank you.
 
Well a new thread can be helpful too! There is some good info already here though - I read through it before starting mine.
 
Here are a couple of references.

First, the rub rail: Rub Rail Repair. This discusses what you need to do.

Second, the caulking. For some reason I removed the cockpit floor, which required a re-caulk. Described in this post: Gas Tank Repair. The re-caulk is at the end of the post. Also some pics of what was involved with pictures under Journey On, page 3.

I'd leave well enough alone on the caulk cracking. It does that only on the surface.

Boris
 
Here is the cheapest identical transom boot that I found.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Outboard-Transo ... 11?vxp=mtr

I'm not sure if there are more listed on Ebay. I had my boat completely apart, so rethreading the cables wasn't an issue. What was important was finding the same boot so that the holes lined up so that I didn't need to drill additional holes to match a new pattern. These are the ones. They are made in Thailand and are natural rubber, so they aren't very UV resistant (as your picture shows).

Since rethreading the cables through a new boot would be a big project, I would suggest getting the identical boot so that you can use the same plastic ring without rethreading the cables through a new ring. Slice the rubber boot and install it with the slice at the bottom. Then use black zip ties on the several narrow "waist points" on the boot so that the slice isn't noticeable.

Also, enlarge the little hole at the end of the boot so that it isn't stressed by the amount of cables passing through. Mine wasn't and that's what started it splitting apart. Use a little UV rubber protector and you are good for another 15 years.
http://www.pbsboatstore.com/Flitz-MAP40 ... fgodajMETA

Mark
 
I'm in the process of replacing the rivets in my C-Dory 25 rub rail. I wonder if there are any suggestions on how to reach the back/in side of the boat, especially around the head. Or any other place that's hard to reach. If you have got that far.

Boris
 
There weren't any areas that were *too* hard to reach on mine (22 so not quite the same as your 25), but a few things I did:

1) Removed engine controls at helm (couldn't reach the ones behind it otherwise).

2) Emptied out area under galley counter (so I could crawl in).

Another thing I have found helpful for past projects (although I didn't need to for this one) was to remove the sink and/or stove from the galley counter, which makes it so I can reach right in without crawling in from below.
 
Just a few comments on repairing your rub rails.

First, it's not a easy job. In one way or another, it's taken me a couple of months, both spending time thinking about what to do and then doing it. I only spend half the day on the boat, I do have a life no matter what Judy thinks.

Second, there's removing the rivets. That's the hard part. Some (a couple) knock out of the hole. That's easy. Some drill right out, because the mandrel, the iron rod which expands the rivet, is missing. Some you have to drill out the mandrel, which isn't easy because it's made of drill rod or something as hard. Some have the mandrel sticking out of the rivet head and you have to take a grinder and knock off the head. Don't use a small hand grinder, but a right angle grinder; that mandrel is tough. And then there are those that when you drill out the mandrel the rest of the rivet stays on the drill bit and pulls right out.

Third, there's the bolts the factory installed. Some are stainless with a mild iron nut. Those I removed by grinding off the head and punching the remains out. Some are SS and have a SS nut; those I left.

And last but not least are getting the replacements in. There are 2 kinds. For the holes where I could reach both sides, I used a #10 SS machine screw and a nylon washer against the aluminum rub rail, with SS #12 washers and nylock nuts as appropriate. Sealed those holes with 3M 4000. Where I couldn't reach the inside, I filled the holes with thickened epoxy, drilled a guide hole and used #10 self tapping screws in place of the bolts.

I don't understand what the factory was thinking, there are 3 different fasteners used and removing those I removed was the hardest part of the job. Deciding how to do the various job was the next hardest. For better or worse, it's done now. Except replacing the plastic rub rail.

Boris
 
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