Rub rall replacement

[scozzy]

Evening all

So long story short,while setting up a tow my pal and I had a "coming together " and shattered a 3 ft section of my rub rail.

It's a lovely Halcyon 23,circa 1974 with lots of timber,I'm pretty sure it's oak rather than teak,either way the rest of rail is in not too bad condition,so short of full replacement both sides(nuclear option) I'm thinking of breaker/reclamation yard hunt for 6-8ft section suitable before I get someone with better woodworking skills than me to scarf in old timber to keep it looking the part rather than a new,probably v expensive piece sticking out like dogs b......s!
Opinions,ideas and previous experiences and welcome !

Cheers

 

[Refueler]

Rub rail as you call it are usually with scarf joints somewhere along the hull ... so go for it ...

I had mine replaced fully on my 25ft'r ..... original was Teak .. but new is American Oak ....

 

[scozzy]

Nice one thanks,looks great! Encouraged now to do whole thing

 

[Refueler]

I considered part repair - but when we looked before moving boat to the yard - we found that the underside of the whole length strake was soft ...

When yard removed the old - it was literally like a hard outer shell with soft inside ... rotted.

The recc'd wood is Air Dried .... but that was not available at the time so we took the decision to use Kiln Dried ... the yard had a good steamer to allow the wood strakes to be bent into place ... an essential 'tool' ...

 

[Refueler]

Maybe of interest ... but I use Decking / Patio stain as the preservative for the wood ... it soaks in and reduces mould and keeps the wood looking good. Its far cheaper than any of the 'marine' products which IMHO are no better.

If you really want a 'showroom' gleam to them ... then Furniture Lacquer over the top of the stain ..... but only if you really want that 'gleam' ... best is to leave it matt finish with the stain.

 

[Stemar]

If you really want a 'showroom' gleam to them ... then Furniture Lacquer over the top of the stain ..... but only if you really want that 'gleam'

The gleam looks lovely until the rub rail does its job.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I doubt that it is oak, much more likely to be a tropical hardwood with teak being favourite. You need to identify the wood as a start. If you mismatch it then it will always show. If you get the correct wood then new will quickly weather in, even if you get a second hand piece by the time it has been reduced to a matching profile it will essentially have "new" surface exposed and will have to weather in to match.
As Refueler points out it will be well worth checking the condition of the existing 50 year old wood as a "coming together" unless exceptionally brutal shouldn't have caused so much damage, the clue is in the name "rubbing rail" it's exactly what they are intended to do, they are not ornamental embellishments.

 

[Wansworth]

M

I doubt that it is oak, much more likely to be a tropical hardwood with teak being favourite. You need to identify the wood as a start. If you mismatch it then it will always show. If you get the correct wood then new will quickly weather in, even if you get a second hand piece by the time it has been reduced to a matching profile it will essentially have "new" surface exposed and will have to weather in to match.
As Refueler points out it will be well worth checking the condition of the existing 50 year old wood as a "coming together" unless exceptionally brutal shouldn't have caused so much damage, the clue is in the name "rubbing rail" it's exactly what they are intended to do, they are not ornamental embellishments.

y father had a new Halcyon27and allthewood seemed to be of an indeterminate type heavily stained

 

[scozzy]

Thanks all for usual sound advice
food for thought, will be at boat on weekend and think I'll take a more forensic look at all areas and check for soft timber underneath, anymore than a few areas and I'll start leaning towards a replacement of all to avoid @refuelers well made point about hidden rot ..

Cheers

 

[Refueler]

The gleam looks lovely until the rub rail does its job.

Exactly - that's why I did say best not to. But Furniture Lacquer is far better for this than Varnish .... it also soaks in and is very thin .... like water.

 

[Refueler]

M

y father had a new Halcyon27and allthewood seemed to be of an indeterminate type heavily stained

As the 'good' Teak supplies dwindled and Eco warriors took on the wood industry .... Plantation or Farmed Teak took over ... because its felled at a far younger age than 'natural' Teak - it is less dense and not as hardy .... and this has led to mis-identification of the wood on many boats from the late 70's onward.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

As the 'good' Teak supplies dwindled and Eco warriors took on the wood industry .... Plantation or Farmed Teak took over ... because its felled at a far younger age than 'natural' Teak - it is less dense and not as hardy .... and this has led to mis-identification of the wood on many boats from the late 70's onward.

This one is reputedly early 70s circa 74 so I expect that it's a tropical hardwood if not teak which was still at that time readily available and not extortionate in price. However it's a sacrificial part of the boat so depending on the accountants and boat. builder finances it could be anything, best take a piece and plane it clean to show the grain which will help with identification.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

M

y father had a new Halcyon27and allthewood seemed to be of an indeterminate type heavily stained

The cockpit coamings were Afromosia, which is no longer available - it's on the CITES list. That's dark brown, very hard wearing, and does not weather like teak. The dark brown isn't stain - it's the colour of the wood. In the 60s and early 70s it was a substitute for teak, and in some ways is better.

 

[Wansworth]

The cockpit coamings were Afromosia, which is no longer available - it's on the CITES list. That's dark brown, very hard wearing, and does not weather like teak. The dark brown isn't stain - it's the colour of the wood. In the 60s and early 70s it was a substitute for teak, and in some ways is better.

Now I remember,thanks

 

[Refueler]

Being in Baltic ... my back-up plan if we could not get Oak or Teak - was to accept Pine and then stain it.

The other option was Elm - but the problem was all the Elm we saw was not straight in grain enough for slicing into strakes.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

The cockpit coamings were Afromosia, which is no longer available - it's on the CITES list. That's dark brown, very hard wearing, and does not weather like teak. The dark brown isn't stain - it's the colour of the wood. In the 60s and early 70s it was a substitute for teak, and in some ways is better.

You can still buy it. However it does vary quite a bit so matching will be difficult. Meranti might give the best option and is what I would close if renewing the entire rubbing strake.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

You can still buy it. However it does vary quite a bit so matching will be difficult. Meranti might give the best option and is what I would close if renewing the entire rubbing strake.

You can only get old stock or recycled Afromosia in the UK and EU; it's illegal to import it without a licence, and you won't get a licence. There was someone on here who posted that he had some he bought when a church was refurbished, but I can't recall who it was.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

You can only get old stock or recycled Afromosia in the UK and EU; it's illegal to import it without a licence, and you won't get a licence. There was someone on here who posted that he had some he bought when a church was refurbished, but I can't recall who it was.

I have seen it stocked in France but as you say it might have been recycled boards.

 

[ashtead]

Do they not yet make artificial teak rub rails ? I believe essential to have rails for Baltic but buying wood strakes for uk use is a tad pricey I believe .

 

[Refueler]

One possibility is to replace the wood with 'rubber' rubbing strake.

You screw the U shaped metal mount rail and then press the 'rubber' strake in to lock ... It was a consideration I had for my boat - but everyone commented that the wood looks better !!