D&R Marine's Rub Rail Install

[Findlay]

This forum does a great job of providing information covering a wide range of subjects. I've wriiten below a "how to" install a new Rub Rail using D&R Marine's material for a DS1. The process defined below produced an installation that looks factory installed and very professional with no cutting of corners(literally).

As part of the refurbishment process of an approx. 50 year old DS1 (Hull# 95) I had to replace the subject Rub Rail (along with just about everything else on the boat). This is not a cheap process because at today's cost the rigid under rail U-Channel which comes in 4 foot sections cost $6.75 each and one needs a total of 10 sections (Cost $67.50 before shipping charges). Then one needs to purchase the Rub Rail Flexible U-Channel which fits over the rigid under channel(comes as 50 foot lenght piece), made of pvc and available in black or white, which cost $110.00 (before shipping charges). So plan to spend in total from D&R about $185-$195 for their materials.

Tools required for the installation are:

Pop Rivet Gun (with "Long" Alum. 1/8" rivets)
Plastic Hand Clamps (like vise grips sold at HD for ~$10.00, pkg of four)
Dremel or some tool to remove material from the rigid under rail sections
Heat Gun or a 1200W hair dryer (need to be able to obtain about 150-160 degrees F)
Utility knife
Clear adhesive sealant

Steps:

1.) Remove the old rub rail and any Pop rivets that were used to attach it or its old rigid under rail.
2.) Repair flange of hull/deck as needed to mount the rigid under rail channel totally around the circumference of the boat.
3.) Use Dremel or like tool to remove material for the under rail where Pop rivets or small bolts are being used to mate hull/Deck. Rigid U-channel will fit snugly over flange. Use Pop rivets space about every 8-10 inches to install. Pay particular attention to the curves at the bow and the stern corners as thier "roundness" and "radius size" will determine how the outer flexible rub rail will look when completed.
4.) Find and lightly mark center of 50 foot long flexible rub rail.
5.) Using the just created mark install about 18 inches of rub rail along each side of the bow with your mark close to the center of the bow and then clamp the material at this 18 inch point on each side. You will need to spread open the U-Channel to fit it onto the inner rigid U-channel. It's Ok if the rest of the rub rail material is layed upon the fore deck. You will have a "Bulge" of material in both the up and down direction at the bow. You should now have between the clamps what appears as a "V" with the bottom of the "V" the center of the bow.
6.) Brace the boat so it will not move.
7.) This is the tricky part.... Use your heat gun to warm the pvc from around the bow to your clamp (on say the port side). Don't let the heat gun stay in any one place too long... keep it moving so you heat the material as evenly as possible. After a minute of heating, quicky lay the heat gun aside, release the port side clamp and pull hard so that you see a slight movement of the flexible U-channnel. You will see the bulge (both high and low) at the bow slightly reduce. While keeping pull tension on the pvc channel replace the clamp and sqeeze tighten. Move to the other (starboard) side and repeat the heating and streching process. Continue process alternating between both sides until the "Bulge" is gone and the U-Channel lays flat around the bow.
8.) Now install the Flexible U-Channel that been sitting up on the fore deck by inserting a finger into the U-Channel to spread it open and then pressing it over the rigid under channel until it 'snaps' into place. Giving a slight streching pull along the lenght of the installed rub rail every 12-18 inches while installing will ensure an even install as you work down the lenght of the boat.
9.) Use almost the same procedure as used at the bow with each stern corner except that there is only one leg to pull tension upon to go around the corner. Again a "Bulge" is formed as you install the Flexible U-channel around the corner and clamp it about 12 inches along the stern. Using the heat gun and streching slowly this "Bulge" will also flatten to a nicely rounded curve (assuming that's the shape of your rigid under channel... i.e. nicely rounded).
10.) Finish installing Flexible U-Channel and cut with a utility knife each leg so they meet at the center of the stern. Then lightly rough up the rigid under channel and the inside of the Flexible U-channel before appling a clear adhesive sealant and apply a clamp on the ends of each leg until the sealant sets.

That's it... Your finished job will look very professional and have no cuts in the rub rail which can later tear. I've noted that Hamilton Marine which some users on this forum have recommended as cheaper sells its single piece pvc rub rail for $2.59/foot which at 40 feet boat circumference cost only about $104.00(before shipping charges).