I’m still clearing out pictures of stuff that’s been done for a while from my camera’s memory card. I wanted to switch over and talk about stainless because I’m in a bit of a bind: I can’t find two stainless rub rails, so I’m hoping to recruit assistance from readers or anybody else living near boatyards that have a Purgatory Row with unloved Chris Crafts from the 1960s to help me find some solid (not hollow-back) 1″ stainless rub rail. All of the new stuff has holes and countersinks sized for #10 or #12 screws on 6″ centers. The rub rails on my Roamer have #8 screws on 7-1/2″ centers. I don’t care how scratched up it is; I can polish it. But two 12-foot sticks (or some combination that comes close) is what I’m looking for. If you know where to find some, please let me know in the comments.
I’ve had a lot of other stainless pieces taking up space in my garage that I haven’t lost track of, so it’s been a real joy putting them back on the boat.
This is some seriously unloved stainless
The whole thing was dull, having not been polished since at least 1980, with the worst discoloration and staining at the top and bottom.
15 minutes with the Makita polisher and things were looking much brighter
I started out with brown rouge and the rough polishing pad, followed by white diamond polish and the finer, fabric buffer pad.
Two birds with one stone: the screw heads got polished to the same degree as the stainless panel
Screwing these pieces to the wooden work table is essential for safe polishing. Don’t use screws and things will go flying.
Port side, even uglier than the starboard side, and with more holes
That’s seriously ugly…scratches and some pitting, too
That’s some ugly scratches
15 minutes later after heavy application of brown rouge
A little white diamond polish and they’re looking much, much better
Next day at the boat, time to install the starboard side
Nice!
Port side looks good, but there’s a piece missing
There’s an extra hole on the starboard stainless filler piece for the salon windows, and there’s a part I sent off to the chrome shop in 2013 that just fits.
It’s stamped Made in Japan
I didn’t know the Japanese were doing high end chromed bronze sailing hardware in the late 1960s-’70s, but this step is very well done.
When you gotta get on the salon roof NOW
Frankly, I don’t think this is necessary, given that we’ve got non-skid you can use to safely get up on the salon roof. But it came with the boat, the holes were already drilled in the stainless, and I had the part rechromed, so…why not install it?
And it is a very good looking step
So that’s a wrap on these pieces of stainless. If you know of any old, abandoned Chris Crafts or ones that are being scrapped out, please let me know in the comments if you spot any solid 1″ rub rain out there!
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing Fore and Aft Bollards
1969chriscraftroamer46 