Bow Railing Repair—Private Yacht, Pacific Coast
Gale
winds up to 50 knots were listing us to starboard side. Waves pounded
the bow and showered the bridge. The teak wood railing at the bow took
a beating, with a section of rail tearing away, and other bow sections
were left uplifted from the steel plate underneath, splintering the rail.
We recovered the section that was torn away; repair was possible.
The proper way of repairing the damage would
be to make new railing sections, but we did not have the time to have
them made in Costa Rica. The owner was coming in a week, and we just had
to fix what we had and make it look as good as possible with what we had.
I had a project on my hands.
I
removed the damaged sections and glued & clamped the cracked and splintered
areas with Gorilla Glue. On the section that tore off during the gale,
a chunk of wood was completely gone, requiring a wood scrap and wood putty
build-up.
A new peg was fashioned, and the peg holes
were transferred for a proper fit. When all pieces were repaired, I dry
fit the bow railing and made minor adjustments where needed.
3M
Marine Adhesive Sealant 4200 was used to glue the rail back on, and I
shaped additional brackets under the seams of the steel plate for a stronger
tie down and less flex at the steel weld.
After a final sanding, a few coats of varnish
were added to blend and finish the repaired section. It was repaired in
a few days and the bow is on stronger; it should hold better in stormy
weather.
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