[other tom]

besides doing the install on a very hot day and leaving the rub rail in the sun for 6 hours before, I was shown a good trick by some pro riggers a few years back....

Start at the transom, screw the bitter end of the rubrail in with 2-3 screws, then lay it out on the deck all along the stbd side, up to the bow, and then back down the port side. At the very bow, lay it out so that its about 4-5" short, then come back to the bitter end on the port side and tack it up with 2-3 screws. Now, go to the bow, and stretch the rubrail around the bow, and if you did it right, it should sit there under tension. drive one screw in on the very bow. Then, you can drive your screws in on 4" centers around both sides. This method avoids the drooping, hanging sags between bolts/screws. Finish it off with white silicone (if you have a white deck ) on the top gap, and black on the bottom. Use several cans of WD40 when wiping the silicone excess off....