Exterior Wood - Columbia Coronado 25 Owenrs Manual

5.13

Exterior Wood

If your boat has toe rail caps they are teak and are cut to the proper
shape to fit the deck, however there is some fitting and trimming left to
be done.
Start at the transom and fit the transom cap down over the toe rail (the
rail caps are dadoed out on the bottom side). Fit and fasten down
temporarily by countersinking and drilling the screw holes. The transom cap
will extend slightly beyond both sides of the transom. Cut these ends off on
approximately a 450 angle with the side rails. Place the side rail caps on
the side rail and butt them up against the transom cap. Make a line on the
side rail cap, parallel with the 450 cut on the transom cap, then cut the
side cap to fit. Once you have made the preliminary fit butt the two pieces
together and if they don't fit exactly flush a single saw cut at the joint
will, with both pieces butted together, give you the desired joint. Continue
up both sides of the rail, screwing the rail down as you go. The side caps
have a scarf joint at each end (except the aft pieces against the transom).
These are easily fitted together and keep the rail caps from splitting
lengthwise.
When you get to the bow cap, it is fitted in the same way as the side rail
caps. Some trimming out at the underside maybe needed so ii will set down
flush. This can be accomplished by laying the bow cap (it is in two pieces)
in line with the rail cap and scribing the underside. Use a sharp chisel to
remove the wood to the scribe line. When the complete rail cap has been
temporarily fastened down, lay a thin batten along the outboard edge of the
rail cap so that the edge of the batten just touches the outboard edge of the
cap. Keep the batten in a fair line and scribe a pencil line on the top of
the teak cap all the way around the deck. Then, with a belt sander, sand down
to the pencil line. This will give you an even, fair line on the outboard
side of the rail cap. Radius the top outboard edge with a hand router (1/9"
radius) to finish it off. Leave the inboard edge of the cap unfinished for
the present. Remove all the rail cap and then use Dolphinite sealant along
the edge of the fiberglass joint where the deck and hull flanges join. Use
another application in the dadoed out cavity of the rail cap. Then fasten all
rail cap to rail permanently, using stainless steel self tapping screws and
finishing off with teak plugs. When it is all fastened permanently install
nibbs (inset knees) at the inside how cap joint and the port and starboard
joints where the side caps join the transom cap. Lay the nibb on top of the
cap so the center point of the nibb is on the center joint cut.
SECTION 5
Page 25