A year ago I had some repairs made to the boat, including replacement of the aluminum rub rail channel and rub rail. (Bad storm caused some damage against slip posts).
The repair included a complete replacement of the rub rail on both sides of the boat, but the replacement rub rail came in two pieces, and I have a joint on the port side about 7 feet off of the bow. Temperature changes and any contact with slip posts, etc. often causes the rub rail to move resulting in a 1-6 inch gap where the joint is. I can normally easily fix it by pulling on the rub rail with pliers and then carefully popping the rub rail back into the aluminum channel.
Does anyone have any suggestions how to stop this? Adhesives, or somehow splicing the rub rail pieces together, or ????
Thanks for any help here.
Ken Enstrom
2004 C-36 MKII #2199
Tall Rig, Wing Keel, M-35B
S/V Valkyrie - Sail Great Lakes
Ken - I read your post multiple times and I still can not visualize the problem. A photo can help next time you are near your boat.
Sail La Vie 1999 Catalina 36 MKII, M35B-17031, Coyote Point, San Mateo, CA
About Sail La Vie
Ken,
If I understand your question correctly, I think you have two choices. You could 1) pull the two ends of the vinyl insert together and put a self-tapping screw into each end to keep them there, or 2) order a new vinyl insert long enough to go around the boat completely with only one joint at the center of the transom (for a MkI) or no joint (for a MkII). Maybe others have a better idea?
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
Tom - Here is a picture of the gap problem.
Ken
Ken Enstrom
2004 C-36 MKII #2199
Tall Rig, Wing Keel, M-35B
S/V Valkyrie - Sail Great Lakes
Ken,
That's exactly how I envisioned it in my mind. If you don't want to get a new rubber insert (either one piece long enough to go around the boat completely or one larger piece for the port side to make the joint at the stem fitting), you could try using super-glue on the ends, assuming the ends are very cleanly cut and square. Otherwise my previous suggestion stands: pull the ends together and put a self-tapping screw into each piece to hold them together. It might not look the greatest, but it should hold. Hope this helps.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
Looks like the rub rail was stretched when it was inserted and with heat and time it went back to its normal shape.
Peder Sahlin
Pompano Beach, FL
1983 - C36 Standard Rig / Wing Keel
Hull #103
Can't you obtain a 2" long piece (or what ever the gap is) of the vinyl and insert that?
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B