Fitting New Gunwhale for GRP Heron

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Norfolk Heron
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:57 pm

Fitting New Gunwhale for GRP Heron

Post by Norfolk Heron »

Hello - I have a 1970s Bossoms GRP heron which I bought a few years ago as a partly restored boat. Its main issue is that it lost its gunwhales in storm - ripped off in part and then taken off completely by the previous owner. They were originally riveted on (and I assume that they were the then standard pvc with inserts)
I intend to replace with similar (Wilkes rubber in Essex make a profile (180) which looks about right at 27mm wide and about 15mm deep with an insert so that you can get some sort of fixing into it and then cover it up.
Havign looked at the original hull issues (the deck overlaps the hull by around 20mm and therefore the deck moulding stands proud about 6mm from the side of the hull - ie its not like the modern way of fixing two mouldings on a modern boat) and the fixing centres (5" or so) and the issues of trying to get up under the foredeck to fix rivets, I have been wondering about glue - there are a lot of modern grab type adhesives which moight well do the job (the hull isnt painted so it woudl be to bare grp whch will hold well) - has anyone any experience of this - in either form - or indeed another?
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jpa_wfsc
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Location: Oxford (Work) Coteswold Water Park (Sailing)

Re: Fitting New Gunwhale for GRP Heron

Post by jpa_wfsc »

I don't immediately get why a heron would have plastic or rubber strips like these on at all? Would they not be D section, wood? This one, which is perhaps the same type, seems to have what I would expect... https://tudorsc.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/heron1.jpg
and Wood would also I think look much nicer? Is there a timber inwhale that you could screw through into to secure new wood ones on? Alternatively, where the GRP is moulded over at 90 Deg, then you can use the purpose designed nut. These look a bit like wing nuts, but are designed to fit behind the gunwale, and to screw into. I can't remember what they are called to post a link for you!! ... anyone else know what they are called?
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SoggyBadger
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Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:39 pm
Location: Staffordshire

Re: Fitting New Gunwhale for GRP Heron

Post by SoggyBadger »

I totally agree with jpa_wfsc. The original gunwhales would have been wood and I can't think of any reason to use anything else as a replacement.
Best wishes


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Norfolk Heron
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:57 pm

Re: Fitting New Gunwhale for GRP Heron

Post by Norfolk Heron »

Thank you both for your thoughts on this matter. I have been out of action for a while due to health issues so havent been able to respond before but I would certainly like to give the wooden gunwhales a try. If you can think of the name of the fixing nut type affair that would be good but the principle sounds fairly straight forward and I can probably ask a fixing suppliers firm. May be a bit fidly under the deck though but unfortunately there is no inwhale. Any further comments or hints on how to fix wooden gunwhales to the grp hull always welcome
Thanks
ent228
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Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:32 pm
Location: Stoke Gabriel, On the Dart, South Devon

Re: Fitting New Gunwhale for GRP Heron

Post by ent228 »

Last year we did a similar job on a grp wayfarer. Made up the gunwale and epoxied it on. No fixing used, but a lot of tape, ropes, wedges and clamps. Do a dry run first.
Godfrey
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Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:43 pm

Re: Fitting New Gunwhale for GRP Heron

Post by Godfrey »

I just did a similar repair to a grp Gull. The D-section timber used countersunk bolts with the nut sitting behind an overhanging gunwale flange.
The wingnuts referred to are just that; Holt-Allen self-tapping wingnuts, available in at least two sizes. A lot of grp GP14s used them to secure their wooden gunwales as suggested.
Norfolk Heron
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:57 pm

Re: Fitting New Gunwhale for GRP Heron

Post by Norfolk Heron »

That sounds great - I have had a look online and found a few suppliers. Many thanks all
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