Spacer between grab rail and cabin top

[Mark Williamson]

I have a wood spacer (.25" x 1.5" x 5'3") between my grab rails and cabin top (see photo).  I think this might have been added by a previous owner.  It's rotting and I'm wondering whether to do away with it or replace it with nylon.  Does anyone know what originally went here (if anything)?

[Ryan]

I have a rubbery gasket type material under my grab rail.  It looks original but is deteriorating as well.  I am considering just seating the grab rail with 3m 5200 and that should last the remaining lift expectancy of the boat.  If you come up with anything can you post back here.  

[joel]

Hi Mark;

My Kelt has a plastic or nylon strip under the rail, pretty sure it's original.  It's degraded and badly chipped in spots, I'll replace with a strip from plastic shop.  Probably 1/8 or 3/16 thick. I can measure if you like.

Regards

Joel

[Mark Williamson]

Well I figured out why I had the spacer between the rail and the cabin trunk.  A previous owner had pulled it up and cut all of the small screws holding the flat plate to a shorter length and put nuts on the back.  He left the screws on the ends.  The spacer was there to hold them off the cabin trunk.  The holes in the cabin trunk were filled in.  I assume this was done because they were leaking.  I removed all the small screws and replaced the spacer with a rubber auto/rv seal (3/16 x 1.25").  In thinking about it afterwards I would probably leave out the seal and attach the flat plate and rail directly to the cabin trunk using some 5200 or the like to seal the bolt holes.  I don't know that any kind of gasket is needed and the one I used is probably 2/16" thicker than it should be.