Wooden Boat People

By McKenzieDriftBoat.com

Bumper Rail Installation

Morning all,

I am trying to finish up my first drift boat (McKenzie) and have found answers to just about every question I have had just by perusing the forum. One I can’t find the answer too is installation of what I call the bumper rail. The 1” piece of wood that runs along the bottom outside edge of the boat to allow it to bump into obstacles without damaging the hull.

My question is if I’m going to epoxy and glass the hull when do I install the rail? If I install it after I epoxy/glass then the screws will have to penetrate the glassed hull causing future problems. If I install it before I epoxy/glass then I have to glass over and around this piece!

HELP

God Bless

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dave Z on May 20, 2010 at 11:04am

1/2" or 5/8" white oak, not pre-bevelled, Sika 291, #10 x 1-1/4" si bronze screws. Dope up 2 feet at a time and bandstrap clamp it on starting at the front, boat upside down. bevel the bottom of the chine cap after install. Before you put it on, "listen to the wood" (Roger taught me this) and find out which way it likes to bend easier.

Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Steven Miller on May 20, 2010 at 11:24am

;-) Listening is what we do to the wood before we build bows with it.

Where do you find bronze screws? I ahve found stainless and weather resistant at Lowes/Home Depot.

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Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on May 20, 2010 at 3:50pm

Silicon bronze screws from Hamilton Marine 1-800-639-2715. Now, I go to Lowes for the usual around the house stuff, but never ,ever build a boat with ordinary steel screws- or "weather resistant" screws. In the order of preference: silicon bronze, brass, stainless steel( some from the far east are crummy) galvanized(hot) and last of all standard steel.

Now if you are really on a tight budget I might scrimp. Considering the work you will be putting out getting by with cheezy screws will be penny wize and pound foolish.

The first boat I ever built was north of Thule ,Greenland while a contractor for the Army. It was a simple pram, cdx plywood, steel nails etc. After rowing it around an ice berg we got it to shore. The local eskimoes died laughing at it. They had 20' skin boats etc-hunting wallrus, polarbears and seals.

Good Luck