Whaler Resto - pt xi - low budget rub rail

We've been lucky to get the Whaler on the water for summer.

Luckier if we could use it more than once a week!

We saw the B-52's play a while back.

The Humphrey's flotilla was packed.

We had a fun time,

but we did have a little issue.

Since we were packed in tight like sardines,

the whaler was like a barge.

Boats tied up to us and vice versa.

With no rub rail or bumpers,

we used life jackets and strategic lashing.

A headache for sure.

My dream was to whittle out mahogany rails,

and coat with the matching varnish.

The corners possibly laminated curves like a skateboard.

That would be a quick project!

Our old whaler's new owner had made a ramming push bumper on his.

Other than the shape,

and the massiveness of the dock bumpers,

I thought it was a cool idea.

We've got enough mahogany!

In actual use,

watching the rails get bashed by docks and other boats,

would be torture.

The original and aftermarket rail is an extruded aluminum,

with a white or black rubber insert,

or a single beefy L-shaped piece of rubber.

If it wasn't for the $350+ shipping price tag,

I'd consider those options.

The hull and trailer were almost that much!

What about rope?

Usually used on ancient mariner type craft...

And this ultra high-end looking yacht.

Hmmm...

By chance,

the shop guys were tossing the perfect stretch of line.

Might as well try it!

The molded rail was wide enough for a double stack.

Here's it is, 

the "how to install a rope rub rail on a boston whaler"

The first layer was glued and taped.

With Jake's finesse,

the bow and spot light wires were tucked inbetween...

Both boys helped glue on the second strip.

With 6 hands and a mile of tape,

it was easy.

This project relied on a special adhesive,

3M 5200,

which takes a day to set,

and 7 days to cure.

This was a 3-day job!

The interesting thing about this stuff,

is it doesn't dry from the sun,

but from the moisture in the air.

Which is perfect for the 34-watt bulb application.

The final touch was filling in the cracks,

creating a solid chunk of plastic and hemp.

I don't want to be the one to take this off!

Definitely more of a utilitarian work boat rail,

especially using the beat up piece of line.

Not your typical yacht club whaler!

It's a little pirate funky,

similar to an old fire hose.

We'll see how it fares over time.

The 17 ft whaler hull sucked up 3 tubes of 5200,

about $60.

Way better then the $400 + glue and screws the rubber would have taken.

This justified springing for the $100+ 4 hp kicker.

You like that school of reasoning!?

It had been one of the concerns,

getting stuck paddling against the current.

The extension allows the little outboard 

to be tucked in to the transom cutout,

instead of dangling on the edge.

A mini-bracket possible in the future.

Now to get in the water!

TP