BCB sells a poly-rope that fits, but I’ve found similar sizes at home depot / lowes. There are a couple of issues.
1. The slot where the rope fits is very tight. By design. And around the transom corners and up at the bow, the slot is even tighter because the rub rail turns at a tight radius.
2. You need a block of wood and a good heavy hammer. You don’t bang hard, so a heavier hammer gives a more solid “push” which is what you want.
3. Some sort of lubrication will help. To install bike handlebar grips, I’ve used WD-40 with good results. There is also a fishing product called “tangle-free” that is just a slippery liquid you can spray on the rope / rail to make the rope slip in easier. It is just a matter of going slowly and tap-tap-tapping on the block of wood as you work the rope in. Having a helper can be a plus as he/she can pull on the rope and stretch it a bit which shrinks its diameter a bit and makes it easier to tap it in.
Leave some slop at the start/finish, cut ’em flush and after putting the covers back on you will be done. Around the bow, a stream of invectives to accompany the stream of tangle-free and tap-tap-tap will often help.
If you have the old rope, take it with you and an exact match is pretty easy to find.
