How to Replace a Rub Rail

Rub rails come pre-installed on the side of many boats to prevent exterior damage to the boat whenever the boat pulls up alongside an object, such as another boat or a dock. If your rub rails have been damaged in a minor collision, or if the rub rails have worn down over the years, you may want to replace the rub rails. Keeping your rub rails in like-new condition can help protect your boat from future damage and enhance the boat's appearance.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Putty knife
• Pencil
• Drill

Instructions

1. Pull the rubber lining from the rails. To remove the rubber lining from the rails on most boats, give the lining a hard tug. Usually, the lining pops free of the rail with no tools.

2. Unscrew the rub rails from the boat. Rub rails are often held in place with standard screws. Remove them with a Phillips or flathead screwdriver, depending upon the type of head used on your particular boat.

3. Take the old rub rails off of the boat. On some boats, removing the screws is all that it takes for the rub rail to come free. If the rails have been finished with adhesive, you may have to pull hard to get the rails to come free of the side of the boat. Once free, Jamestown Distributors recommends using a putty knife to scrape off any leftover adhesive.

4. Warm up the new rub rails. Jamestown Distributors recommends soaking the rails in warm water, between 100 and 120 degrees, to warm them, or placing them out in the sun on a warm day to warm the metal.

5. Hold the first rub rail up to one side of the boat, lining it up with the top edge in the middle of that side of the boat. Drill a screw through the middle hole to hold the rub rail in place. If the rail did not come with its own screws, you can use the screws you removed from the first rail.

6. Stretch the rub rail as much as you can to pull it to the end of the front of the boat, keeping the rail lined up with the top edge of the boat and screw into place with screws every 1 to 1.5 inches. Then pull the other end of the rail toward the back of the boat, screwing into place with a screw every 1 to 1.5 inches.

7. Slide the rubber provided with the new rub rails into the new rail. For most rails, you can slide the bottom of the rubber into the rail first and then push on the top of the rubber to snap it into place all along the rail.

Tips & Warnings

• If the rubber has worn down in your rub rails, you do not have to replace the rails. Many manufacturer's make replacement rubber for the rails.

References

• Jamestown Distributors: Taco Flexible Vinyl Rub Rail Installation