In this video, Sharon and Julian take on the formidable task of replacing their onboard toe rail batten. It's common for hardwood rails, to split and wear down over time in the marine environment. Especially if hardwood isn't being regularly oiled or varnished. You can extend the life of your rails by having a quick oil routine, but eventually, they'll wear down.
Funnily enough, toe rails are also susceptible to being kicked and stood on. If your rail has been worn down it'll always split near to where it's been countersunk, fastened and weakened.
If you're looking for an in-depth process for replacing a toe rail batten, this is the tutorial.
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TIPS AND COMMENTS
Toe Rails - Time Vs Reward
It's a fairly time-consuming task to remove and reset a toe rail. We recommend you either source a new batten or replace it with a plastic faux alternative. This way you'll increase the time in between needing to service or replace it. That said, not everyone can source hardwood locally or has the budget to go out and buy new battens.
Greying Trims And Exterior Woodwork
Yeah, it's safe to say If your exterior hardwood is looking greyer than Blackpool Pleasure Beach it's time to give it an oil.
Don't fall into the trap of sanding hardwoods like teak without protecting them afterwards. Okay, there's an old guy at the marina that tosses a bucket of saltwater over his teak once a decade but damn it looks terrible. If you don't want to go down the varnish or 2k route, then running a quick oiled rag over your woodwork once a month will suffice.
Consider A Power File
A power file is like a belt sander on steroids. If you're having issues with removing the sealant from the channel on the batten you can ramp things up with a powerfile. The channel won't be seen anyway so a few chisel marks and some bumps from a sander is only going to help the adhesive sealant bond better.
What Sealant Should I Use?
Don't worry, we've got you.
We have a juicy in-depth marine sealants guide available here.