When I got my Bandit, it didn't have any bow protection at all; I guess the original rub rail just went around it, but I think that's a pretty sharp turn right at the point of the bow:
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I couldn't find a replacement bow cap that would fit, so I made a new cap out of a 36" long x 1" high x 1/8" thick aluminum strap, (purchased from a Lowes hardware store). I just clamped the aluminum in the center of the strap at the point of the bow (using a thin plastic spacer to keep the clamp from marring the aluminum) and bent the strap by hand along the hull. Then I clamped it in place with a bunch of spring clamps.
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I drilled 1/8" diameter holes every 3 inches or so and fastened the aluminum to the hull with pop rivets. All done!
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I think the aluminum will hold up pretty well; even if it gets scratched up, I can steel-wool it smooth and it will still protect the hull. If it gets too ugly, I'll just drill out the pop rivet heads, punch them out, and put a new aluminum strap on...
Dave
