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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Plugging a hole

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Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/27/2006 : 14:24:12

I am getting ready to install my new motor mount. The mount I am replacing is an old Fulton mount and 2 of its four holes align with the new mount and two do not so I have to drill two new holes and plug two others. Am I right in assuming I should grind down the area around the holes into a concave depression and build it up using layers of fiberglass? Or is their a simpler method? The holes are 5/16" diameter.

Joe Wergers
Utopia
Fleet 7/Oceanside, CA
78 C25 FK/SR #381

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2006 : 14:39:35

When I did mine, I simply filled in the old holes with epoxy. After it cured I used a glue (4200, I think) to attach a starboard square to the exterior of the transom where the motor mount was going. This covered up the epoxy-filled holes, so no one will see them again. I needed the 1/2 inch starboard to move the motor just little bit further back, allowing it to tilt up with no interference from the rub rail or stern pulpit. I think I got the idea from Frank Hopper. He has some good pictures of what I'm talking about with the starboard material. Good luck.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2006 : 14:54:18

On my 82 I used thickened epoxy and duct tape. Thanks to Leon I now have jars of teak dust sitting around waiting for epoxy.

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Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2006 : 15:23:08

You can use Epoxy to plug the holes and add a filler of micro ballons to make the epoxy thicker, It just depends if you want to do it the fast way or the never see the hole way.

But yes if you are going to do the repair the correct way and have some knoweage of working with resin, I would use polyester resin to fix the repair. If you just fill the holes with epoxy you have a good chance of the fiberglass over time cracking around the holes.

Any hole that you are going to be installing hardware in needs to have the edges of the hole champhered, this way the glass and gelcoat will not crack.

My fix. I would buy some polyester resign, and a thickner. I would tape one side of the hole, then thicken the resin and smear it inside of the hole to the edges, then tape the other side up and allow it to kick 15 min. after this is done you need to sand or lightly grind the area around the hole, then fill the hole and surrounding area with matching gelcoat. you don't have to be perfect, and you want the gelcoat to be about an 1/16" above the hull gelcoat. Let this dry for 2 hours, Gelcoat will shrink this is why you want to apply more than what is needed, do both sides, you need to put pva on the gelcoat to make it cure all of the way, then apply a piece of wax paper over the hole and tape it. The PVA will make the gelcoat not sticky and will give you a finished product you can sand. I would start with 400 wet and dry and move up to 600 wet and dry, get it back flush with the hull. Then its a simple compound, then wax.

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2006 : 16:50:55

fill em with Marine Tek (white) epoxy.

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Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2006 : 17:56:29

If it were me I would use the Marine Tek like Jim said. I've used it before on holes and it worked great.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2006 : 21:15:25

I have used Marine Tek since I filled my transom holes. A friend faired the keel on my 89 with it. It would be the best "squeeze and plug" solution. Straight epoxy putty stick would be too coarse.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2006 : 23:07:30

On my boat I cheated by beddeding (2) 3/4 X 3" teak backing strips between the motor mount and the hull. They covered up the extra holes and strengthened the area at the same time. ;>)

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sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2006 : 00:24:30

I made plugs with a plug cutter out of a scrap of Starboard and the 3M 5200 as the sealer. All the holes were under the Starboard of a motor mount so I didn't use a glue.

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Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2006 : 09:27:57

Thanks for all the responses. Hard to walk away from a $13, 20 minute fix. Marine-Tex sounds like the ticket. Backing plates will be adding support as well.
(Note: It's Marine-Tex, not Marine Tek.)

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.