Fastening the toe rail to the hull Albin 40

[mike66]

Does anyone know how the toe rail is typically fastened to the hull of this type of Taiwan trawler? My yard owner just informed me, 3 weeks before haulout for the season, that my portside toe rail (and I'm assuming stanchions and railing) lifted up while the boat was in the travel lift slings when we launched in the spring. Fortunately it went back in place when the boat was in the water out of the slings.
I'm thinking that if the fiberglass underneath is flat then we could put her back in the slings, raise her up enough to create the gap, and go at it with the 5200. Let it all go back and wait a couple of weeks before haulout.
Thoughts?

 

[Comodave]

The yards that I hae used won’t lift on things like toe rails or spray rails, they use a block spacer to keep the slings off the rails.

 

[psneeld]

Mine was just screwed down with a sealant underneath like that on the teak deck. The sealant had gone south at least 15 year before I bought it.

 

[mike66]

Thank you both. My thoughts on the spacers, I'll talk to them.
Are the screws into wood or other some other backing material? Do you think 5200 under the toe rail would help or maybe just new/oversize screws?

 

[Comodave]

I would put new screws in and the 5200 would certainly hold them on but will you ever want to take them off? Something to consider if using 5200. Then get the lift operator to use some spacers on the slings to take the strain off the rails.

 

[psneeld]

The only reason to take the toerail off my Albin was if the teak was shattered so bad that it needed to be replaced.

5200 would be fine and would be preferable in my case (or any of the less aggressive but still adhesive sealants might actually be my choice).

 

[jleonard]

My haulout marina also always uses spacer blocks. Sometimes they just used styrofoam dock floatation blocks but they were enough to spread the slings and keep them off the toerails.

 

[psneeld]

One thing about travel lift slings hitting protrusions is the size of the travel lift. My marina had a 30 ton and an 80 ton. The 30 ton was iffy but the 80 ton usually cleared my toe rails.

It also depends on how high the travel lift piers are vs the water and of course tide deviations.

When in doubt use blocks, but after 1 or 2 lifts, you and the operator can estimate if the is the problem.

 

[Bmarler]

It’s not just the toe rail that may be damaged by lift slings. The guards (rub rails) can be damaged as well. I always make sure I’m on hand when fitting the slings to be sure they block them out properly. If they block to clear the guards, the toe rail is usually clear.

 

[psneeld]

Fortunately the rub/spray rails on my Albin may have been the strongest part of the boat. They were never an issue during lifts as they mostly used the 80 ton that had enough spread to not put much pressure on anything but the keel and chines., but I know many boats do have that issue.... My buddies 55 Viking Motor Yacht had external, flimsy, fiberglass exhaust covers that even the manufacturer supplied custom blocks to protect them on lifts.

If ya got'em, cetainly use them...it never hurts.