18' Gunnel Repair?

[follybob]

I have cracks/soft spots around poorly installed rod holders in the gunnels of my '77 18 footer. What is the best method to repair this? I want to avoid painting if I can.

Also- Can these gunnels be removed without a lot of cutting?

Any advice or past experiences would be welcome. Thanks!

[uncleboo]

Does yours have the sections that can be removed? Mine appear to be held in place with screws and a hefty bead of some sort of caulking. I'm sure hoping I don't have to do any cutting except for the caulking.

[Blue_Heron]

What is the best method to repair this?

The best method is to replace the rotten coring in the cap. If it's in a place where you can reach it from underneath, you can cut away the bottom laminate, remove the old coring, glue in a new core and laminate over it. It will be a royal PITA, but not as bad as removing the cap. If you can't reach it from beneath, this may not be the "best" approach anymore.
Dave

[follybob]

It **looks** like it can be removed. There is a caulk joint and some screws.... Can anyone confirm this?

[uncleboo]

I remembered this thread, but, Adam didn't have any pictures of the sections after removal. There's a picture of what it looks like under the sections.
http://www.classicseacraft.com/forum...rev=#Post85364
Sorry, forgot to count how many pics down from the top. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] I think the level of difficulty will be determined by the quality and condition of the caulk.

[deepsushi]

I removed my port gunnel to obtain access to replace my fuel fill hose. Its a pretty easy job just unscrew the screws and run a sharp utility knife along the caulk line.