Three thoughts on installing the rub rails on my Chester Yawl:

1) I would love to route the rub rails so that the top of the rub rails overlaps the gunwales ply ... How do I do it? Do I route the full length of the rail on a router table prior to gluing on the boat? What length of the rail do I route and how deep? leave to overlap the ply?

Or

2) Do I glue the rub rails so that the outer edge of the rail is higher than the inner edge of the gunwales ply, allowing me to plane a flush bevel, n order to have a "flat top" rub rail, rather than one that is angled downward since it conforms to the top planks?

Or

3) do I combine both options 1 and 2?

As a side but related question: having been intrigued by the epoxied rope info I read on the CLC forum treads, I am going to epoxy a piece of rope onto the stem and fair it to the keel line. Where the top meets the breast hook, should I just wrap the rub rails around or simply come flush with the rope and cut a nice curve in the rails?

Any thoughts are much appreciated.

On a different note, I like the idea of the scuppered inwales ... Instead, how could I create a "rail cap" ( not sure what the proper term is) that would overlap the rub rails, plank ply, extending inward and over a plain inwale strip. Would that look good in your expert opinion?