Screw thru the Hull - - OUCH!!

I bought my SN last year. The previous owner did some pretty stupid stuff (I'm finding out more as I go). In his attempt to fix the loose screws in the driver seat mount, he used a longer screw on starboard side than the original. Guess what, he ran it through the hull. When he noticed his error, he took it out and just replaced it with a shorter screw. When I found the hole, I put some waterproof tape over it and went with it. The tape stayed on through last season and is still on there now.

I SWEAR...I DID NOT DO THIS. (I know what you are thinking).

Now its time to fix it. So I have to:
1. Take out the driver seat.
2. cut the carpet.
3. Cut the floor.
4. Remove the foam under the floor.
5. Patch the hole from the inside. (resin and glass)
6. Fix the gel coat on the outside.

A few questions.
Is there an easier way to fix this?
When I remove the foam, do I have to put it back in? Is is there for just floatation, or does it add some structural strength?
Polyester resin would work fine here.... right?

I agree with Paul, but Id use thickened epoxy resin instead of straight epoxy. Use a high strength filler, like milled fiber. Shove as much in there as possible, then put some tape over it to keep it from running out. Once dry, sand it flat and commence with the gel repair, if youre really concerned with how it looks. It would function just fine without the gel though.

It will be harder to get epoxy to fill the entire hole without running out, and it will not be as strong as a thickened resin (assuming you use a high strength filler, as recommended). I would clean up the hole from the bottom before starting. Get any loose glass/gel out of the way before you start.

Ideally, you would glass the back side (inside) first, but I dont think I would tear up the carpet, floor and foam of a boat to patch such a small hole.

Clean it out with a small file followed by sandpaper.

I usually put thickened resin in a ziplock bag and cut the corner out... works just like pastry bag with frosting!

If the resin is thickened to the consistency of peanut butter, no worries on it running out of the hole immediately. It would seep out over time, but thats what the tape is for. One quick application is all you need.

What about marine Tex ?

Big t wrote: What about marine Tex ?

From a previous thread:

8122pbrainard wrote: Bill, Marine Tex? Give me a break!! You must have stock in the company or sell that cr*p. I wouldn't use it to plug a hole in an outhouse toilet seat. I must ask, have you ever used it? Sorry but that's my opinion!

Thanks for the tips guys, sounds like something I can do from the bottom side now.
Question about what you all are calling epoxy. Are ya'll talking about epoxy resin or could I use the Devcon 30min epoxy (glue) with some glass cut up and mixed with it?



If not could you tell me the name of the epoxy. I'm new at doing this kind of repairs

For Chri$t sake your just patching a little screw hole not the Hoover Dam.!!!!
Just fill it and be done with it.

Sorry for all the questions....but it is below the water line. I want to make sure it holds.

baitkiller wrote: gun-driver wrote: For Chri$t sake your just patching a little screw hole not the Hoover Dam.!!!! Just fill it and be done with it. Bwahhhaaaa! You forget where you are! And to whom you are addressing! You and I are going to be good friends.

Paul hasn't forgotten where he is. He's been a valuable asset to the site for quite some time. Click on his screen name and then "find members posts" and you can do some reading.

John,
BTW, do you own a Correct Craft?