1. I bought the kit from Blue Water Yachts which contained 50 feet of rub rail, two end caps for the stern, three tubes of 3M 5200 and one tube of 3M 4000. I would advise having an additional tube of 3M 4000 on hand for sealing around the top edge. I ultimately used one and a half tubes of 4000 sealant.
2. The rub rail pulls off the boat very easily after removing the end caps and six screws that hold the rail in place at the stern. Removing the rub rail exposes the seam where the top and bottom molds of the boat are bolted together.
3. My deck joint seam was damaged for about six or eight inches around midship on the starboard side. I cleaned the damaged area thoroughly and used six bolts to reseal the seam (two original screws in new holes and four additional screws.) I also applied 5200 to the patched area.
4. The most time-consuming step of replacing the rub rail was removing the old 5200 that remains around the perimeter of the boat from the prior installation. I used a variety of tools including utility blades, sand paper, wire brushes and in a few spots, a Dremel with a sandpaper attachment.
5. The new rub rail has to be stretched in order to fit securely. I wrapped it around the boat and used a short piece of rope tied to either end which I attached to wire rope whinch. I used another short piece of rope to attach the other end of the winch to a pole that holds a small hoist at the seawall. The winch could be attached to a tree or a very secure fence post.
6. The rub rail should then be gradually stretched and put in place around the boat seam. I applied 5200 inside the rail a few feet at a time and then positioned the rail onto the boat. Be sure to have a gallon of denatured alcohol and some rags on hand to clean up the excess adhesive.
7. The ends of the rail need to be trimmed and attached to the stern with screws. I used the six screws, three on each side, that were originally there with the prior rub rail. When the job was complete, I had about two or three feet of rub rail leftover.
8. Finally, I used the 3M 4000 to make a bead around the perimeter of the boat securing the top edge of the rub rail to the fiberglass.
9. I applied a fairly copious amount of 3M 4000 right on the nose of the bow because that seemed to me to be the most likely spot for future leaks.
10. For me, this was the first step of a very large refit (painting the boat top and bottom, changing outboards, installing new batteries, a hard dodger, etc ). It all went according to plan and the weather was cooperative.
