TOPIC: A boat of two halves

I am in the course of restoring my 1965 Owens 13' runsbout. I have started by stripping the old paint from inside the hull. Whilst doing this I have found the wooden transom is rotten, which isn't surprising. So I thought how the.... am I going to replace that?

Upon further investigation I found that the deck and the hull are not bonded together as I thought they would be, but that the aluminium capping is actually clamping the two together.

My immediate reaction is to remove the capping and take the deck off which will mean I can replace the transom easily. It will also make cleaning up the hull so.. much easier.

I have two reservations:

being able to get the deck back on without putting a twist in the hull or deck.

Being able to remove the rubber fender strip and then reassemble it. despite its age the rubber is still quite pliable and I think if I leave it until a warm day it should go back in OK. I've experimented with a short section across the stern and have been able to pull out and then reinsert the rubber without problem.

Has anyone separated deck from hull,is this a common practice? Also does anyone know if the rubber section is still obtainable?

I've looked on line but have not found a match yet.



The section is 1,5/16" wide and 3/4" high.

Yes to splitting the hull and yes to to buying new rub rail inserts . Removing the top is by far the best way to perform major fiberglass repairs such as transoms floors and stringers . Just remember if you split the hull to make sure it is supported across the bottom and the top . The supports dont have to be elaborate just enough to hold the shape while the top is off . I'm pretty sure others will here will share their tips and tricks very soon .

Your project is done fairly often. Sometimes referred as "popping the top" Most of the older model boats were constructed in the manner you describe, hull and topside. The rubber bumper serves two purposes, one is to hide the seam between the two parts and the other is to protect the boat from bumps and scrapes while tied to a dock. Unless you are a purest and want to put the two pieces back together the same as the factory there are several ways to re-attach the two. After you remove the top and replace the transom you can put the topside back on and glue it using 3m5200, use a bunch of pop rivets, screws with wood backing and or any combination. A word of caution though, before you remove the top put some cross member bracing inside the hull to keep it from spreading out.
I'm sure you'll get more advice on this from other members.
Here are some pictures from years back on one of the boats I removed the top on.

Cal is right. Everything must be braced well before the top is removed. I would recommend at least three cross pieces from gunwhale to gunwhale. They should be an exact fit...not so tight that they'll spring out as soon as the top is removed.

As for reinstalling the rubber molding, soak it in a washtub of really hot water for about 30 minutes.

I don't know if these guys have a matching line or not, but here is the link.
wefcorubber.com/PDF/marine/Rub-Rail%20Hull%20&%20Deck%20Joint%20Hollow.pdf
doc