Plugging a Hole in the Hull

[s/v Jedi]

Ah, unloved boats.... I would call those more like derelict boats and their owners should be prevented from ever setting foot on a boat's deck again. This is so far away from my ideas that I never thought about it. Sure, drilling some holes sounds wise although I still feel sorry for these boats.

cheers,
Nick.

[clockwork orange]

Nick, there are many circumstances that cause a boat to become unloved, peoples lives change and their once pride and joy becomes a liability,many boats take years to sell but not every boat that is not being used is a derelict (although certainly many are).Some years ago we had a 3 year old 36ft Morgan that was repossesed by the bank that sat in a yard and filled up with water through an open hatch and destroyed all the bulkheads and berth fronts. The power boat i mentioned earlier was not exactly a derelict either,fairly modern and for sale for over $100k before filling with water,its just a mildew pit now. A nice garboard drain would have saved either one and it need not cost anything,its nothing to fear. If i were the OP i would tap the hole,countersink it and use a flat head machine screw and bed it in boatlife or 101,if you are really a nervous nellie and the inside is accessible you can use a nylock nut on the inside.
Steve.

[Fotoman]

Ok, here's the update: I plugged the hole with epoxy and a small piece of fiberglass. It was easier than I thought really. The next morning I sanded it smooth and covered it with a bit of watertight epoxy filler to make it totally invisible. Epoxy is my new friend.

[s/v Jedi]

Fotoman: well done. Now, when you need a hole again, just drill one and close it with epoxy again. Now you've done it once, you'll see that next time it's a 5 minute job and the drilling is easier than trying to find a screw under anti fouling somewhere and trying to get that out.

clockwork: I see what you mean but think epoxy is as easy to do and better than a screw.

cheers,
Nick.