The Best Way to Replace or Repair the Wood of a Railing on a Sailboat

The best way to replace or repair the wood of a railing on a sailboat is almost always going to be ordering the replacement railing from the sailboat manufacturer.

Wood railings on sailboats serve several purposes; most are there for safety while some are only there for decoration. Broken railings can be repaired, but the integrity of the repair to a safety railing may cause it to fail at the wrong time, and an obvious repair to a decorative railing defeats the aesthetic purpose of the railing in the first place.

  1. Obtaining a Replacement

    • Finding a replacement railing can be as simple as calling the sailboat manufacturer and speaking to customer service. Just about every sailboat manufactured over the past 20 years has come off an assembly line, and the vast majority of the parts are interchangeable and stocked by the manufacturer. If you're not sure how to get in touch with the manufacturer, consult the MIC database provided below.

      If for some reason the manufacturer does not have access to a replacement railing, West Marine stores nationwide carry an excellent selection of replacement railings. Failing that, any competent wood shop or cabinet maker can fabricate a new railing for you if you bring in the damaged railing.

      Installing the new railing is simple. Align the new railing over the mounting screw holes left by the previous railing. Be sure to use a silicon sealer or caulk at the points where the railing touches the hull. Use a wooden block on the screw side of the mount to provide extra strength and screw the new railing down to the deck. Varnish to match existing railings.

    If You Must Repair

    • If you must repair a wooden railing rather than replacing it, the best way to do it is with fiberglass tape. Cut out the damaged area of the railing and cut a new piece of wood to size.

      Be sure to thoroughly sand the new joints. Using C-clamps to hold the new piece in place, apply a strip of 6-ounce fiberglass tape to each joint and coat the tape with fiberglass resin.

      Allow 24 hours to cure. The cured fiberglass tape will now be strong enough to hold the joints in place while you complete the repair. Remove the C-clamps and apply fiberglass tape and fiberglass resin to the remainder of the joints and allow another 24 hours to cure.

      Sand the new joints and apply varnish to match the original railing. Keep in mind that the railing will not have the structural integrity it did when it was original.