Pearson 31 Toe Rail Replacement

[Alan Case]

Hi There,

Looks like my port toe rail is rotten.  It ripped off completely when docking the boat. Obviously it needs to be replaced.   I had noticed some softness, and figured it would happen eventually.  I was debating replacing all the rails, possibly with something other than teak,  however, all the other rails appear to be in much better condition.   

I'd rather not create work for myself, so replacing this section seems like the easiest solution in the short term, but I don't even know where to get a replacement teak rail.  

Any thoughts?

As an alternative I saw PlasTEAK mentioned on this forum.  Would it match well enough if I ordered something like that?  

Any advice is much appreciated!

[Daniel Hoffman]

I had my starboard toe rail come loose this year. I cleaned the holes and put urethane wood glue in. It's holding ok, but I'm trying not to step on it as much when boarding. It really needs to be taken off from under the toe rail and done over properly, but that's a job for the winter when it's on the hard. 

What is that fitting for? I don't have one on my Pearson 31-2. Now that I know how it is attached from below, I don't think I would do that. 

I'm a novice at these things and I'm sure there is good advice forthcoming from others. 

Best wishes

Daniel Hoffman

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[Alan Case]

I'll definitely need to get the teak replaced.  I think I have now discovered I will have to purchase the teak lumber and actually custom cut the wood.  That doesn't seem easy.  

[Jeff Griglack]

I would not use PlasTeak unless you are planning to replace the whole toe rail.

It shouldn't be too hard to cut a piece of teak to fit that area.  In your picture, it looks like the old piece was connected to the next section with a butt joint, and I assume there is a jagged break on the other side.  Attaching it, on the broken side, with a spline will be a lot stronger.  I would detach the section of toe rail that is not in picture, back the old in a spline, match it with the new piece (cut a little long), glue them up, and re-attach.  The curve of the deck looks pretty gentle, there, so you should just be able to push it in place while somebody screws up into it from below.  You might be able to glue the new piece on without removing the old, but you will have to be careful to not get glue on the deck.

I'm actually a little surprised this isn't through bolted (like the grab rails) with bungs.  I guess there isn't much pressure (especially upward) on this part.  My P365 has a wooden toe rail.  I'll have to check how it's attached.

I once replaced a broken section of the wooden coaming on a friend's Cape Dory 25.  I had to cut it square on both ends of the break, then cut the spline.  Then cut a matching spline in a piece of teak that was a little thicker than the original and epoxied it in place.  Then, because this was in the middle of a curved board, I used a plane to match the curve.  He sailed it for several years after that and had no problems.  Your repair should be simpler.

------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jeff Griglack             "Jabberwocky" P-365 #269

------------------------------------------------------------------
| "Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent"
|                   - Walt Kelly
| 'Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this
| world, Elwood, you must be" – she always called me Elwood –
| "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
| Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.'
|               —James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd
------------------------------------------------------------------

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[Alan Case]

Thanks Jeff,

I think you're right about keeping the teak.   Also, I'm going to remove that remaining section that didn't break off as I think it makes more sense to replace this entire section of toe rail.  That remaining portion seen in the picture is only a couple of feet long.  The section that broke off is the majority of my port toe rail - probably 12 ft. or so (I haven't yet measured this whole section of toe rail).  When I do replace the entire section, I suppose it's possible that I won't be able to find a piece of teak lumber that long.  If I can't find a long enough length, I think the spline is a good suggestion. The problem is, I have no tools or skill in that regard.  

I suppose learning new skills is all part of boat ownership!  

If you have any suggestions for where I can order a long length of teak let me know.  

Thanks,

Alan Case

"Bouree" P-31-2 

[The Gruendels]

If I were in your circumstances, and as a place to start, I'd keep both
pieces of that toe rail and take them to a shop doing millwork.  I'd ask
them for a quote to replicate the whole, original toe rail out of teak,
either in one piece or jointed. Based on that quote, I'd decide whether
and how to tackle the job myself.  Also, I think you're on the right
track with either screwing from below or thru bolting, then using bungs
on top. Either way, I'd try to be certain the whole piece was well
sealed prior to installation and well bedded in sealant.  My teak toe
rails lasted in good condition for over 30 years at the time I sold the
boat, but that did take annual maintenance in the form of touching up
nicks and applying one or two new coats.

Dave Gruendel

formerly of "Callisto" P-27

[david.l...@gmail.com]

I’m following this discussion

 

For what it’s worth - I'm about to pull and replace my 1969 P35 toe-rails as well.

Been thinking it over and looking at how others have done this.

 

These Sailing Uma  and Refitting Athena videos offer an alternative approach I'm planning to take.

(I will be in my own backyard - not on the water)

 

Remove and fiberglass over the joint, fair/paint/etc.

Fabricate SS L-brackets to hold the new bulwark-style toe-rail. Bulwark flat stock can be ipe, mahogany, etc. I'm sure any savings over teak will be eaten up by the SS fabrications.

Brackets at the Bow, at each stanchion base, mid-deck for springs, and at the stern.  Possibly need a few more as necessary.

Base under each bracket is a 1/4 inch FG pad to spread load and keep water away from the mounting holes/fasteners.

 

Starting with the removal

https://youtu.be/O6hR8jYucw0

 

lessons learned about glass and epoxy

https://youtu.be/OwqIy1RXh8w

 

Summary, soft core repair, painting

https://youtu.be/lOvbkQ2tdXw

 

reassembling and sailing back to FLA  without lifelines and stanchions

https://youtu.be/kv7LcqXs6lI

 

On Uma they left the toe-rails off completely and just reinstalled the stanchions and lifelines on pads.

 

I will install a flat bulwark leaving a gap of about 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the deck to allow water to drain freely. 

I'm thinking the bulwark could be 5/4 (actual inch thick) wide by approx. 3 inches tall.

Current P35 toe-rail is just under 2-inches tall.  So I might want it a bit shorter…

Playing with ideas for how I install the gunnel-mounted head-sail track - want to avoid too many holes - maybe a raised pad under that strip might be enough to prevent any new leaks.  That track gets a lot of twisting torque.

 

Refitting Athena (about 10 minutes in to 15 minutes) shows the bulwark + bracket style I plan to use instead of 200 screw holes through the hull-deck joint.

https://youtu.be/QQYMnQgv-S0

 

Now I need to find folks who can make the SS brackets I need.

 

Cheers,

-DaveL

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[Daniel Hoffman]

My Pearson 31-2 has toe-rails that are attached from below by screws set into what looks like self-drilling drywall anchors. It spreads the forces better than screws, but I wager it's tricky to pre-drill just right. Finding those anchors is another issue. I was thinking about plugging the old holes and drilling new ones, using the old anchors.

Someone must have had this same set of issues before.

Dan

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[George DuBose]

When I bought Skylark, her teak toerails were oversanded and had been treated with Cetol. Many of the bungs were missing and the silicone was way past its life (25 years?). This caused hundreds of leaks and caused the hull liner to warp. I don't think any of the POs ever rebedded the chainplates, changed the packing around the rudder post or greased the bearings in the pedestal. There was a 3/8" inch difference in levels of the coaming caps, under the winches and where the POs had sanded over the years.

I bought a few pieces of teak planking, ripped them in half and had a cabinet maker cut the odd profile the lengths of the boards. On Skylark, I was dealing with 70 feet of teak. I remember buying 3/4" x 6" pieces of teak to replace the coaming caps. I think I spent around $700 for all the wood.

Skylark's deck is screwed to the inward turning flange of the topsides and that creates a 1/4" difference in levels, hence the need for a six sided shape to the teak. It wasn't hard for my cabinet maker as he had a super accurate huge tablesaw. He worked off of a sample from the original.

I used long clamps to pull the teak into the curve of the deck. I primed the teak with one Sikaflex primer and the well-cleaned deck with another primer and then throughbolted the teak onto the deck.

I don't think on a P36-1 that it would be possible to screw from the bottom as one would have limited access to fit a drill.

I don't know how long the life of Sikaflex is, but I butted Flex-i-teek against the toerail and then ran a bead of sealant over the join to further protect the Sikaflex from cleaners or ice.

Skylark is my last boat. I have spent the past 15 years tweeking her to my satisfaction and believe me, she loves the attention.

George/Skylark

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[Last Resort]

As said, if going Plasteak, you need to do them all as I did.  I had a fellow boater this year comment on how nice my teak looked and was shocked when I told him it wasn't :)  That said, I still have all my original teak toe rails up in the garage rafters free to you or anyone who can arrange to get them from me here in Southern Ontario, 30 minutes from Niagara Falls.