Wooden rubbing strake

[Laurie]

Hi everyone,

I am about to put a wood rubbing strake onto a Mk 1 GRP. It is not a replacement as there has never been one !!. Can anyone please help me with the best wood type and size, I have been told iroko or mahogany. I intend to oil it rather than varnish.

Ta.

Laurie

PS If anyone is reading this who gave their time and considerable effort at the Nottinghamshire Conference a few weeks ago, thank you for all your help and patience.

[Gerbyrne]

A timber rubbing strake looks fabulous on a boat and I put one on an old boat a few years back but it’s better not being the maximum allowable thickness (there is a rule on it) because, if you use teak or iroko or mahogany (I think mine was teak) it is otherwise very difficult to bend it to shape. My advice is do any shaping and glue up any scarfs before fitting it. Doing the shaping reduces the strength of the wood making it easier to bend. And you will find it difficult to glue a scarf on the boat rather than on the bench. I used stainless steel self tappers (well countersunk and fill the holes with plugs of the same material if you – otherwise mix a lot of sawdust in glue and fill them with that) and they did the business. I faired off the strips close to the bow so that they ended about a half inch short. Trying to get the two sides to meet at the bow is, if you get it right, fabulous. If you don’t it looks poor.

I have an old plastic rubbing strip which I removed to reduce the weight of a slightly overweight racing boat. It’s a bit scuffed but otherwise intact and, if one of my local Wayfarer chums doesn’t make up his mind soon to take it, you can have it for the cost of the postage from Dublin, Ireland.

[John1162]

I have fitted an Iroko rubbing strip in the past, made from strips cut from an old school laboratory bench. Things to watch are:
scarf any pieces before fitting and use a long scarf.
Iroko has to be degreased before gluing, failure to do so will result in any stressed joint separating.
don’t make it too thick.

[Laurie]

Thanks for your help.

Laurie
W1858

[AUTHOR]

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