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Bending the teak rub rail and screwing it to the boat.

  • July 10, 2013 8:44 PM
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    Message # 1337859
    Deleted user

    Hi

    In a storm in Olympia's West Bay Marina my W32 Polaris heeled over and pushed the fenders underneath the cheap galvanized dock structure and then ruined the lower teak rub rail from three feet aft of the scuppers to the aft lower shroud . I had some long blanks fabricated (with drip slot), but never got to install them as they are pretty close to the curvature of the starboard aft end. Will that bend cause the fabricated teak rail to split? I do not have the equipment to work with very long pieces of wood. In fact I prefer to farm that work out.

    Any suggestion? Can teak be steam bent? Teak is pretty stiff.  If it can be steam bent, I'll make a steam box out of an old pipe and cook them in there to subdue that stuff.

    If I do not get any answer before the Oak Harbor NW Rendezvous, i'll show up without the boat and  I will  try to pick Bud's brain as to how the factory did it. In any case I will report on it here to you 

    P.S. Westsail did not through bolt the rail. They added fungicidal bedding compound and used SS sheetmetal screws, as the rub rail is more of a cosmetic application. I have seen massive rub rails, on W32s, but I like fenders still after the last mishap..

    Last modified: July 10, 2013 8:59 PM | Deleted user
  • July 10, 2013 9:54 PM
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    Reply # 1337913 on 1337859
    Anonymous member

    Ahoy Michael,

    I have replaced a section of the rub rail in the same area.  I was able to bend it in place.  It has now been there for 9 years, 9 months with no sign of trouble.  I affixed it just as Westsail had.  That is, no through bolts, although  I did use wood screws instead of sheetmetal screws.

    Good luck,  Dave
  • July 11, 2013 1:40 PM
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    Reply # 1338468 on 1337859
    Deleted user

    Thanks Dave.

    I never heard of steam bending teak and I was worried that pressing the strip in place on the aft end would be difficult because there is the alignment/matchup issue. The ends are angled so that when the boat passes and scrapes something, it won't hang up; vertical joints do not look right.

    It is only a minor thing, but then screws could also cause splits in the teak strip.

    Take care,

    Mike
  • July 12, 2013 4:14 AM
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    Reply # 1338806 on 1337859
    Anonymous member
    I just replaced almost the exact same length of teak rubrail in the exact same area (portside) for the exact same reason.

    Well, I didn't but my local carpenter did.  He didn't have any problem curving the piece to match the old sheer line.  After laying down the caulking he started at the aft end, screwing it down (wood screws) while his helper held it in the proper position curving it as necessary while more screws were added down the length.
  • July 12, 2013 2:22 PM
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    Reply # 1339163 on 1337859
    Anonymous member
    Mike is correct. 

    Start at the end of the boat where there is the most curvature, and you have the longest piece of rubrail to work with. Drill and temporarily insert the screws, moving along with another person holding the long end and bending up or down as needed.  When you have all of the holes drilled, then remove the screws and clean up the chips.  Now you can caulk and permanently install the rubrail, using the same sequence.

    That's the way we did it originally.
  • July 13, 2013 4:17 AM
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    Reply # 1339379 on 1337859
    Anonymous member
    Thanks Bud, 

    I forgot the part about how he prefit the rubrail first, temporarily screwing it in place.  After the entire strip was in place he removed it and THEN caulked it.

    All in all, yours was a much better description of the process.