# Project Boat: Riverhawk B52 gunnel extensions — pic attached



## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

They used "nyloboard" for the transom and seats/topsides. The rest was chop-gun. I owned a 2008 model and it was a fun boat.It ran well w/ a 20hp.


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## albrighty_then (Jan 11, 2017)

I would just rivet the vinyl rub rail on it, it probably had an aluminum rail on it originally
Custom gheenoe has them


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Too bad you tore all those pieces off, I would have glassed right over them and called it a fun Saturday project.


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## Subtraction (Dec 21, 2021)

Got a b60 that I’ve been working on. I did not want to use the crappy aluminum rub rails again. So I built small “gunnel shelves”. You could do something like this maybe and add some height you’re looking for?
I used marine grade plywood encapsulated with epoxy/glass.

Prepare yourself for a ton of work but it significantly stiffened up the sides compared to only relying upon rub rails. It’s a massive pain in the ass getting underneath and doing a fillet to glass them in.


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## Gavinbgriffin (Apr 6, 2020)

DuckNut said:


> Too bad you tore all those pieces off, I would have glassed right over them and called it a fun Saturday project.


I thought about it at first but poking into it, it was 70% rotten wood, soft. Had to. Wish I didn’t.


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## Gavinbgriffin (Apr 6, 2020)

topnative2 said:


> They used "nyloboard" for the transom and seats/topsides. The rest was chop-gun. I owned a 2008 model and it was a fun boat.It ran well w/ a 20hp.


I’ll check that out! Got the entire thing sanded down and ready to rebuild. More to come! Really appreciate your knowledge there and comment.


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## Gavinbgriffin (Apr 6, 2020)

Subtraction said:


> Got a b60 that I’ve been working on. I did not want to use the crappy aluminum rub rails again. So I built small “gunnel shelves”. You could do something like this maybe and add some height you’re looking for?
> I used marine grade plywood encapsulated with epoxy/glass.
> 
> Prepare yourself for a ton of work but it significantly stiffened up the sides compared to only relying upon rub rails. It’s a massive pain in the ass getting underneath and doing a fillet to glass them in.
> ...


That’s legit — idk how to even get into something like that hahah that looks like some serious mold work. But I wish I could do something like that. What was the process to the gunnel shelves coming out so well done? Was that a mold? TIA!


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## Gavinbgriffin (Apr 6, 2020)

Subtraction said:


> Got a b60 that I’ve been working on. I did not want to use the crappy aluminum rub rails again. So I built small “gunnel shelves”. You could do something like this maybe and add some height you’re looking for?
> I used marine grade plywood encapsulated with epoxy/glass.
> 
> Prepare yourself for a ton of work but it significantly stiffened up the sides compared to only relying upon rub rails. It’s a massive pain in the ass getting underneath and doing a fillet to glass them in.
> ...


Ahhhhh sorry I was looking at it in the wrong way. I see what you did with the cap. Smart work, I think I can do something like that.


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## Subtraction (Dec 21, 2021)

Gavinbgriffin said:


> Ahhhhh sorry I was looking at it in the wrong way. I see what you did with the cap. Smart work, I think I can do something like that.


Indeed not a mold. It’s all 3/8” and 1/4” marine plywood laminated and encapsulated with glass. Was very time consuming getting up underneath and doing a fillet of thickened epoxy and then glassing it into the hull. Went through an ungodly amount of these flap wheels. Drill works alright but if you have a die grinde that’s the way to go.

The sides of my b60 seemed very thin and really needed some support anyways so when I glasses all that in I tapered it all the way down to the chine both inside and out.

You can definitely do it!


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Gavinbgriffin said:


> Ahhhhh sorry I was looking at it in the wrong way. I see what you did with the cap. Smart work, I think I can do something like that.


Remember that the rub rail is also used as support to give some rigidity to the sides, just like the roll-over edges on less expensive boats....it is a system


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

a thought...............









Rigid Solid Rubrail | Integrity Marine |







www.integritymarinecorp.com













Toe and Spray Rails | Integrity Marine







www.integritymarinecorp.com


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## Subtraction (Dec 21, 2021)

topnative2 said:


> Remember that the rub rail is also used as support to give some rigidity to the sides, just like the roll-over edges on less expensive boats....it is a system


Indeed! My friend tackled a similar project and said he really screwed himself by removing the rubrails without bracing everything first.

I learned from his mistake and did tons of braces so that it kept its shape before I took them off. Sucked having to drill a bunch of tiny holes to screw through and affix the braces. But it is what it is and fixing those tiny holes was probably far less time consuming than trying to finagle the thing back into shape.


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