REPLACE STRAKING

[penpal]

My Freeman 32 Mk2 has a wood straking with rubber mounted on a metal plate that rests on the wood. Needless to say the boat being 35 years old i need to look at replacing the wood or something. The trouble is the wood os bolted into the hull and you cannot reach the bolts from inside due to the wood paneling. So I wondered whethe rit would be possible to cover the wood with a rubber moulding, something similar to the Hardys. Can anyone refer me to a contractor who maybe able to do this for me?

 

[Nick_H]

You could try this site?

seals direct

 

[tillergirl]

You can get a choice here


http://www.wilks.co.uk/

 

[nedmin]

For economy have you thought of escalator hand railing? You can pick it up for a song sec/hand and the beauty of it is you can rub your hand along it,without it getting black.Its better if you cut off one leg of the "U" shape. This can be done carefully with a very sharp stanley knife. Make sure you get the type without the metal wire re-inforcing,if its still available.If you put screws thro the rubber into your existing wood they will self-heal the holes as you tighten.You can then seal the top with black Sikaflex.My first steel boat was done with handrailing and it worked well,as well as looking good.

 

[apollo]

If its rotten, pull off the rotten stuff and use an angle grinder on the bolts from the outside.

Then fit the strakes from Wilks.

No point covering rotten wood with rubber, one day it will all fall off..


PS I take it you decided not to sell it then ????

 

[nedmin]

If its done properly it wont fall off. The benefit of escalator handrailing is it doesnt go black on your hands like the type normally used ,if done properly looks good.

 

[penpal]

Esculator hand rals, what an interesting idea, i nerver thought of that.

 

[penpal]

We got close to buying the Diva, but it did not seam a good time to get into debt, plus the marine mortgage rate had just gone up. It is a good time to buy but not a good time to increase your debt. Besides I have spent much too much on this Freeman to sale it.

 

[nedmin]

You might get some for nothing,like tyres they have a job getting rid of it ,or at least they used to.

 

[miket]

Anything you fit is going to need securing in a similar fashion to the existing timber strake. Any of the heavy looking rubber fendering will look awful on your Freeman and devalue the boat and certainly not the reverse.
Have a word with Andrew Corless at Sheridan (freeman Marine) and ask for tips, but bottom line is it is a fiddly job!