Solutions for Leaking Toerails

[GetawayMirage24]

Does anyone have any good solutions for sealing leaking aluminum toerails? I have a 1976 Mirage 24 that I bought about 8 years ago and which, believe it or not, I built while working at Mirage Yachts in Quebec in 1976 while going to University. Because I built these boats I have first hand knowledge of the construction and know that the ultimate solution is to remove the toerails, recaulk or reseal the deck/hull joint and then recaulk, reseal and reinstall the toerail. That being said, with the boat being 24 feet long and there being a bolt every 4(?) inches in the toerails I don't relish going through removing and retightening the 150+ bolts necessary to do so. Back in 1976 when I was much younger and much more flexible, crawling inside the boat to install these toerails was a bugger of a job. I can't imagine what it would be like now, and if I attempt to do so, I may never get back out again! Has anybody had any success with other solutions to reseal or recaulk leaking toerails? Fingers Crossed!!!!

[billknny]

Originally Posted by GetawayMirage24

Does anyone have any good solutions for sealing leaking aluminum toerails? I have a 1976 Mirage 24 that I bought about 8 years ago and which, believe it or not, I built while working at Mirage Yachts in Quebec in 1976 while going to University. Because I built these boats I have first hand knowledge of the construction and know that the ultimate solution is to remove the toerails, recaulk or reseal the deck/hull joint and then recaulk, reseal and reinstall the toerail. That being said, with the boat being 24 feet long and there being a bolt every 4(?) inches in the toerails I don't relish going through removing and retightening the 150+ bolts necessary to do so. Back in 1976 when I was much younger and much more flexible, crawling inside the boat to install these toerails was a bugger of a job. I can't imagine what it would be like now, and if I attempt to do so, I may never get back out again! Has anybody had any success with other solutions to reseal or recaulk leaking toerails? Fingers Crossed!!!!

I am afraid there are no other easier solutions that actually work.

One thing to always be aware of, on some boats the deck was attached to the hull with those same bolts while the hull was still in the mold. If you remove all of them, the hull and deck come undone, and getting them lined up and reattached is very, very difficult. To the point of coming close to impossible.

One thing that was sometimes done, was to rivet the hull and deck as a temporary hold to get the boat out of the mold, then count on the toenail bolts as the real mechanical strength on the joint.