ED I used 1/4X 1/2 oak molding from Home Depot for rubrails on my Chesapeake 17 It protects the boat, covers any deck/hull joint imperfections and makes a nice accent between my white hull and cedar strip deck. I wasn't concerned much about weight and as far as strenght, the Kayak already felt as strong as a brick outhouse. KM
> I'm at the stage on my Chesapeake 17 LT where I have to either add rub
> rails, or sand the edges to produce the "round over". Visually,
> either approach is OK with me. Any advice or opinions on which is the
> better route to go? (Has anyone done it one way, and then wished they had
> gone the other route? Do rails add significant strength?, If you
> round-over, do you end up with a lot of damage over time, etc.).

> By the way, the many tips on planing the sheers in earlier posts were very
> helpful, and I ended up with almost no gap at the deck/side junction.

> Thanks for any insights--Ed