Removing Splash Rails from a F-36

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WayWeGo
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Removing Splash Rails from a F-36

Post by WayWeGo »

When our boat was hauled last winter, the splash rail on the starboard side was crushed. I had previously repaired some sections of it with fairing compound so knew it was in far from pristine shape.

While I was originally going to replace it, after talking to Bob and prowlersfish, I decided to just remove it. Having the splash rail is nice insurance against rubbing the hull against a floating dock or low piling, but it was going to be a lot of work for minimal gains.

As I began to remove it, it became obvious that it was connected to the boat by bolts coming from inside the hull and behind my fuel tanks. These are not possible to reach without removing the engines and fuel tanks, so I used a Sawzall to cut the bronze bolts next to the hull. Unfortunately, some of the bolt heads were stuck in the hull and I was not able to knock them through with a hammer and had to enlarge the holes with a drill to get the bolts out.

Once the holes were unobstructed, I drilled them slightly larger to make sure there was clean fiberglass to bond to and then used a countersink bit to chamfer the holes so water pressure would not have any chance of pushing my repair into the hull. I then sanded this area of the hull with 100 grit paper so that I had a clean and flat area to work in.
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Rail Removed.jpg
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I had an old tube of West Systems Six-10 thickened epoxy that is applied using a caulk gun and used it to fill the holes just above the level of the hull. I was hoping the epoxy was thick enough not to sag, but that was not the case, so I covered each hole with tape after applying the epoxy.
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Last edited by WayWeGo on Mon Jul 12, 2021 4:08 pm, edited 3 times in total.
1975 F-36 Convertible
Twin Chrysler 440's
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WayWeGo
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Re: Removing Splash Rails from a F-36

Post by WayWeGo »

After the epoxy had cured, I sanded each area flat and faired with a polyester fairing compound. I also went around the boat with a die grinder and a fine bit to prepare all the nicks and cracks before fairing them.

The next step was to sand and then apply tinted gelcoat to each area. I put three coats of gelcoat on, but struggled with it kicking in the cup before I finished each coat. Not to mention, that my gelcoat matching skills are somewhat lacking which became evident when I added a little too much brown tint and could not get it back to the correct color!

Even with three coats of gelcoat, I ended up sanding too much and the repairs printed through. With only a few days until launch, I bailed on the gelcoat and applied some one part poly paint that allowed me to cover the repairs and lightly sand for a barely adequate finish. At least it is just above the waterline...

After bottom painting, I taped off the boot stripe and applied primer followed by a couple coats of paint. I am quite happy with how it came out and some of the boatyard workers commented that it makes the boat look more modern.
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1975 F-36 Convertible
Twin Chrysler 440's
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prowlersfish
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Re: Removing Splash Rails from a F-36

Post by prowlersfish »

Looks good. Let us know if you find any cons to removing them.
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Re: Removing Splash Rails from a F-36

Post by Footeloose »

Hi there, Just a few comments about the F36 spray rails. I'm in the process of rebuilding the port side aft deck supports & framing, which i have completely removed, & am ready to start replacing all that. It seems i had just noticed your forum entry, & was interested, because my rails are in need of attention in the fall. Since this area is wide open, i saw the ends of screws protruding thru the hull, & realized they hold the spray rails in place! Now, based on your entry, I can see the screws forward to the back of the saddle tank. Looking at the rail on the outside, at about the area of the rear of the tank, appears a scarf joint in the rail, assuming it to be factory. What i'm thinking is that at that scarf joint, possibly, either the screws continue forward all the way, or maybe that's where the bolts you mention begin. My thought is that maybe i can remove the screws forward to the joint, & leave the forward, short part intact to be joined with a new rail back aft. Also, my boat is a 1972, so maybe that system was used on the early models, but what you saw on later ones. Just thought i'd throw out there what i discovered. Thanks, Dave'
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WayWeGo
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Re: Removing Splash Rails from a F-36

Post by WayWeGo »

Hi Dave,

There were bolts at 3-4 locations along the splash rail on both sides of our boat. The furthest back was about 6" from the transom and the furthest forward near the front of the rail. These looked to be original.

The previous owner had made some repairs to the rails, so I am not sure which screws he put in and which ones were from the factory.
1975 F-36 Convertible
Twin Chrysler 440's
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