CONTINUOUSWAVE

I recently purchased a 1987 Montauk 17 that needs a little work but is in overall good shape. The rub rail is off in a about an 18-inch gap where the white backing (with black rub rail in it) has pulled away from the glass. I would love to get some ideas on how to repair it. The rest of the rail is in great shape except for this gap.

Recently I replaced the rub rail on my 1985 Sport 15. The job was not bad. The rub rail was about $260 from Specialty Marine and fits 13 through 17 classic hulls. I’m not sure how you would splice it and not have an obvious repair showing. Good luck

See the article on RUB RAIL replacement in the FAQ:
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/#Q13

For the black vinyl to become detached from the plastic receiver track is quite common. Heating the black vinyl rub rail insert with hair dryer will make it more pliable and easier to push back into the plastic receier track.

If the plastic receiver track is detached from the hull, it must be mechanically re-fastened to the hull. See the FAQ for methods to accomplish this.

If the vinyl inset is broken from the original one-piece, the best repair will be to replace the vinyl with a new one-piece.

If the plastic receiver track is broken, you can, perhaps, replace only the broken portion, but only if you are willing to accept a clearly visible joint line.

The OEM supplier--as far as I know--was never SPECIALTY MARINE. The actual OEM supplier is listed in the article linked in the FAQ, and you can buy the components of the rub rail from authorized Boston Whaler dealers.

Take a look at integritymarinecorp.com. I think they are either a subsidiary of or a cooperating corporation with Barbour Plastics, which I understand was the original Boston Whaler rub rail and flexible insert supplier. I have found them to be responsive and to have exact replacements for OEM equipment for a mid-1980s Whaler. Their web site lists the rub rails and flexible insers available.

[T]here is a [Boston Whaler boat] repair in 12/ 3 minute parts. "steve's boston whaler restoration" describes installing a rub rail in detail.

[This may be a reference to a youTube movie. Another reader --see below--took the time to search and found something at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=turAg79PcRs&feature=youtu.be which has the title "Steve's Boston Whaler Restoration Part 13 - Rubrail and CC." This is not a 3-minute presentation. The first four minutes of the recording show three people working on fastening the two-piece rub rail holder to the hull using pop rivets. Then scroll 14-minutes and 10-seconds into the presentation to see the installation of the black vinyl insert. If the recording provides more details than the article (linked above) in the FAQ about rub rail installation, I must have missed it. The now 18-year-old article in REFERENCE describes the installation quite well. It provides a cross section view of how the three parts of the rub rail are assembled, including the upside-down mounting of the larger track section. The article also gives details of the pop rivet size recommended. The article in REFERENCE also gives a 20-step detailed procedure to follow.I did not see any of that information in the recorded presentation. Perhaps some people are more easily able to understand a process if it is demonstrated visually for them than if explained in a carefully written procedure.--jimh]

Found it on my first search:
https://youtu.be/turAg79PcRs

D-

Great sleuthing. Thanks for the extra effort.