Bow rail bases questions

[streetglider]

I am planning on re-seating the bow rail bases on my 1994 Sea Ray Express. I was wondering if they have backing plates or just washers and nuts on the inside? Any difficulty getting to them all? Do you have any advice for me? I am new to this type of project but want to learn how to do it. I will be re-caulking the rub rails too. Thanks

 

[Lazy Daze]

It should just be washers/nuts, although the process is the same either way. I don't know your particular model to give super specific info, but the idea is the same from one model to another. Some of them will be easy to get to and may only have 'caps' covering them that you pry off (you'll see these when you take a better look), others could be inside a cupboard or behind a cupboard. Others could be harder to get to... whether up through the bilge, by taking part of the dash apart, removing seats, dismantling part of the interior or sometimes even creating/cutting a new access hole.

When you say rubrail... are you removing the insert AND the screws that hold the piece that is actually secured to the hull?

 

[streetglider]

Thanks for the information. I will see what I can get to and hopefully I won't have to cut any access holes. I was planning to use butyl tape on the bolts as a sealant as it is used in most of the videos I see. Does this seem okay to you?

I was not planning on removing the rub rail just the old caulking and then re-applying it.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Butyl is great stuff. Put it under the stanchion base, as well as around the threads/under the head.

I wouldn't bother with the caulking you're talking about. It's a waste of time to do that - that was never done from the factory for that reason. Well, I shouldn't say 'a waste', but it really doesn't do a whole lot. The caulking that is truly important is where the screws penetrate the hull - both the SS screws in the insert and the screws underneath the SS insert, holding the vinyl base to the hull.

 

[streetglider]

I don't know that it is leaking anywhere I just see the caulking coming off so I thought I should replace it. Would you recommend removing the rub rail, cleaning it up and resealing the screws?

 

[Lazy Daze]

I just see the caulking coming off

Yup. That's the exact reason it's pretty much a waste of time. First, it doesn't completely prevent water from getting behind the rubrail and it will start to peel back off in short time.

What would I recommend? Well, if I'm just sitting here a state away doing the recommending and you'll be doing all the work? Yes, start fresh since there's a chance it's never been done - remove both pieces and seal with something like Lifeseal or LifeCaulk and replace. Chalk it up to preventative maintenance and you won't have to worry about for a couple decades.

 

[streetglider]

I went down to the boat in the rain and while it doesn't appear to be leaking, I am going re-seal the rub rail.

I took another look at the bow rail and decided only three of the bases look loose. Unfortunately, they are all covered inside by upholstery and I cannot even see how to get the upholstery off. I am going to take a scope I have down and see what is up with that.

I appreciate all your replies.

 

[tdschafer]

I went down to the boat in the rain and while it doesn't appear to be leaking, I am going re-seal the rub rail.

I took another look at the bow rail and decided only three of the bases look loose. Unfortunately, they are all covered inside by upholstery and I cannot even see how to get the upholstery off. I am going to take a scope I have down and see what is up with that.

I appreciate all your replies.

That is my problem too. I have one or two loose stanchions on my bow & no visible access inside to the nuts. Not sure where to go from here.

 

[Lazy Daze]

There were some years where the headliner was glued right over the studs/nuts. Yes, grrrrrrrrr....

You may be able to slice it very carefully - just enough to reach in there to get a tool on the nut to be able to lift the stanchion enough to reseal. Or slice a little more to get better access, if you want. Then use a piece of fabric with some glue (or fabric tape) as a "backer plate" for the slice. It should end barely, if at all, visible. Another option could be to use the cover plates that Sea Ray started using in later years - the things I mentioned that snap onto the bolts - about the size of a skinny hockey puck. These are covered in matching fabric. You can likely find extra headliner fabric somewhere in the boat - where it was cut longer than needed and steal from there... then glue it on/around the hockey puck.

 

[streetglider]

I have always been amazed that boat builders, at times, seem to have little regard in their designs to foresee issues like this. I know of several items, water heaters come to mind, that are almost impossible to replace without a significant amount of work.

There is a slight gap in the area behind this upholstery. I have a scope I can use to see in there and will let you know what I find. I may have to cut the fabric!