[Rhodes22-list] Tessilmare Radial Flexible Rub Rail

Thu Aug 25 21:29:55 EDT 2016

Thanks for this very useful write up.  I used the teco and it was a PTA.
Looked great but cost a lot more than your system and was no better in
quality.  Next time I'll use this product.
Chris
Enosis

On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 12:23 AM, Graham Stewart <gstewart8 at cogeco.ca>
wrote:

> For those who might be replacing their rub rail I thought I would post
> some notes and a picture of my boat after installing the Tessilmare Radial
> Flexible Rub Rail system.(see: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/
> userportal/show_product.do?pid=56893
>
> The system comes in two parts: a plastic track and a rubber bumper. The
> track comes in 6' lengths and the rubber rail is continuous in the length
> you choose. I ordered 55' and that worked out fine with about 3 feet extra.
>
> The primary reason I choose this system was because installing it can be
> accomplished working alone. I didn't want to have to find and then depend
> on someone to help. Unlike the more popular Tacho system the rubber rail
> does not need to be stretched during installation. In fact, I was able to
> install it alone so that worked out fine. However, the time it took was
> considerably longer than what was implied in the sales material.
>
> The track goes on with screws. It is fairly soft plastic and if the screws
> are driven in too tight the track bulges around the screw and this
> deformation shows when the rubber rail is installed. As it turned out, and
> in spite of various approaches,  I was not able to find the perfect setting
> where the screw was sufficiently tight without creating the bulge. The only
> way I could avoid the bulges in the rubber rail was to use a box cutter to
> shave off the sides of each bulge on the track. That was not difficult but
> it was time consuming. You can see in the attached picture slight dimples
> in the rubber rail where each screw is located. You only see them when you
> look along the rail with the light reflecting off the surface.
>
> They recommend screws but say that rivets could also be used. Rivets would
> compress the track much more tightly than screws and would bulge the track
> considerably more so I don't see rivets as being practical. So unlike the
> original rub rail I was not able to use rivets to install the rail and
> secure the hull/deck join at the same time. I riveted the join first and
> then installed the track with screws. I used 1 1/2" screws but should have
> used 1" screws.
>
> Screws go in easily and are spaced every 6 inches. After drilling the hole
> for the screw I squeezed a dab of sealant into the hole. I suspect that had
> little effect in creating a seal - but I can't be sure.
>
> The sales material implied that the track can be bent around corners and
> the bow without the use of heat. Once you get the kit you find out that a
> bend in excess of a 40 mm radius required the application of heat. In the
> case of the Rhodes the bow and both ends of the transom are too sharp to
> avoid using the heat. That said, it does not require a lot of heat. I used
> my heat gun on the low setting and moved it back and forward along the
> track while I slowly  bent it around the bend. However, you need to put a
> length of wire under both tabs in the track to avoid having them  lose
> their shape and make it impossible to fit the rubber rail later. I used
> pieces of coated clothes line wire and that worked perfectly.
>
> To install the rubber rail you bend it back to spread the tabs that grab
> onto the track and roll the rail forward. By the time I was finished I had
> developed the method and was progressing well but it took me a long time
> and multiple tries at first. It can be done alone. If someone is there to
> help they can manage the length of rail. I did this on a hot day and I
> suspect thaat made the rail material much more pliable. I am not sure that
> I would have been able to install the rail had it been cold.
>
> At the sharp corners a gap forms between the rubber rail and the boat so I
> filled the space with black Boat Life sealant.
>
> The kit comes with plastic caps for the end. You can either put two end
> caps on or use a join piece to end them together. I put a screw through the
> ends of the rubber rail to make sure it  did not shrink back and then
> attached the link piece with a screw. The problem I ran into, however, was
> that the upper pintel on the rudder would not clear the cap. After
> considering various options I decided to shorten the pintel pin, (or is
> that called the gudgeon?), just enough to allow the rub rail to be cleared
> and then drilled a hole in the pin so that I could secure it with a pull
> pin. That seemed to work fine.
>
> Unlike the Taco system, there is no insert that goes into the track that
> will give a two-colour look - which can be attractive.
>
> Attached is a picture of the rail attached. Not having installed the Tacho
> system I really can't say whether the Tessilmare is better or easier to
> install. Certainly the rubber rail seems beefy and should provide good
> protection.
>
>
> Graham Stewart
> Agile. R22, 1976
> Kingston Ontario Canada
>
>
>
>
>
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