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REPAIRING DECK HOLES
BwhalerBil	#1  Posted on 04/13/09 - 7:28 AM
Member Posts: 15 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/26/08	In the process of cleaning up transom well of my 13' sport. Former owner had several battery box strap brackets screwed to deck using plastic drywall plugs to anchor. Dremmel tool makes quick work of cleaning material out of hole. Resulting round hole of 1/4" D and 1/4" deep. The location is close to the transom wall so the area can have water. The boat as been stored inside all winter and has never been left in the water longer than 8 hours last summer. That was only about 6 times the complete season. First issue: Before cleaning the holes for patching I power washed the deck with the trailer lifted high at the bow and the transom plug open. Not the best idea but its done. Now a small amout of water is rising in the holes. Will evaporation allow this to dry out and if so how long will this take in 40F to 60F temps? Have used a heat gun and compressed air accross the top of holes. Second issue: When it is dry what is best compound for filling?
Binkie	#2  Posted on 04/13/09 - 10:54 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 2012 Comments: 0 Joined: 12/19/05	We discussed using Gorilla Glue on horizontal surfaces last year, and most were of the concensus that it would be a good filler to use. it is activated my moisture, and would completely fill any void, and the overfill could be ground off. Rich
BwhalerBil	#3  Posted on 04/13/09 - 4:33 PM
Member Posts: 15 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/26/08	Rich: Thanks for the reply. I would not have though of that as an option. Taking a closer look at the Gorilla, it might work. Will be trying it in one of the holes to see what happens. In the mean time, I have taken rolled up newspaper and made a sort of wick stuffing it in the openings. The paper is pullling the water up from the holes.
Joe Kriz	#4  Posted on 04/13/09 - 5:06 PM
Site Owner Personal Page Personal Album Photo Albums Project Albums Posts: 11433 Comments: 452 Joined: 03/18/05	Another method is using wood plugs and epoxy to fill the holes. Have the plug recessed slightly in the hole and then put a drop of gel-coat patch paste on it to match the color of the inside of the hull. This would be very hard to see when finished.
ioptfm	#5  Posted on 04/13/09 - 5:21 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 1533 Comments: 3 Joined: 10/28/06	Remember when using the Gorilla Glue that it reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally expands! Tom 1979 Sport 15'
kamie	#6  Posted on 04/13/09 - 5:56 PM
Member Personal Page Project Albums Posts: 2975 Comments: 3 Joined: 11/04/05	Forget the gorilla glue and just leave the foam to dry. Wicking the moisture is a great idea, so it time. Once dry either the wooden plugs or marine-tex or west systems, followed by gelcoat.
Binkie	#7  Posted on 04/13/09 - 8:17 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 2012 Comments: 0 Joined: 12/19/05	kamie, beg to differ but people who have tried Gorilla Glue have had good success. It is actually a product that is similar to the foam, but very hard. Wood dowels will rot in no time in damp foam, and you can`t really dry it out, an MarineTex in my opinion is a cruel joke. Its just slow curing white Bondo with a high price. Rich
whalerman	#8  Posted on 04/14/09 - 6:38 AM
Member Posts: 540 Comments: 5 Joined: 06/26/07	to get the water out or reasonably so, use a small piece of paper rolled up and place it in the hole leave some of the paper out , exposed to the air, and it will draw the moisture out. Yes it is a " wick" method. Use epoxy after its dried out, will last alot longer. THOM : 1999 Outrage 18, 2012 E-TEC 150, 2012 EZ Loader trailer
Finnegan	#9  Posted on 04/14/09 - 7:26 AM
Member Posts: 1925 Comments: 16 Joined: 05/02/08	Before anybody here can really give you the correct way to repair these holes, you will have to tell us whether they are in smooth gelcoat or non-skid deck areas. Also, are they in an area where there is plywood under the glass, as Whaler did for battery mounting areas? But in either case, it is good to wick out as much water as possible. Are you going to want matching gelcoat as the final surface treatment?
BwhalerBil	#10  Posted on 04/14/09 - 10:31 AM
Member Posts: 15 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/26/08	Finn: The boat is a1974 (35yrs) and I will clear some of your questions. It is on the nonskid deck area of the transom well. If I have some modest expanson of sealing material above the surface I have the means to smooth it out. Next even though the craft is in very nice shape for its age it is going to be a driver not a show boat. There is no plywood under the area being sealed and when finished the battery box will be straped in place over it. Main focus here, keep water from entering foam core and reasonable color blend. My idea of using newspaper rolled and stuffed in the holes is working nicely to wick fluid out. Next went to the compound shelf and found some Gorilla Glue (white drying) and started a quick test format on scrap plywood. One drop directely to dry wood. One drop to wood that had a drop of water placed down first. One drop to a area with a gas water mix placed on the wood. At about 18 hours cure time now the water glue and water gas glue appere to be the strongest set and by chance very close to the color match. Am planning top go one more day on the test board.
Finnegan	#11  Posted on 04/14/09 - 5:35 PM
Member Posts: 1925 Comments: 16 Joined: 05/02/08	OK, what I do when confronted with screw holes in non-skid is to simply put screws back into them. It is impossible to match non-skid gelcoat patterns, and I have found that the screws look like they were always supposed to be there, even in show quality boats this works. I use the same size diameter screw that was originally in there if possible, to use the existing threads. In your case, you would use #14 size, maybe 3/4" or 1" long at the most. Screws should be SS phillips flat head self tapping screws. Nicely countersink the gelcoat/glass skin so the screw head fits flush, squeeze clear silicone caulking into the hole, and set the screw, wiping off excess. Seal is accomplished, and it looks great. You'll be surprised how well this works. I have used this in several of my boats, and nobody is the wiser. If you look VERY CLOSELY at this photo of my 1971 Classic Ribside 21, you can see where the original battery was installed directly in the center of the boat (enlarge photo to 100% size). Even though this was where BW reccomended the battery be, I moved it to an improved location. You can see the flat head screws set into the original holes. Looks pretty good, right? http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v42...CN1360.jpg I even had to do this in my then brand new 25 Outrage, where a dealer's mechanic installed the RPS in the wrong location, and the screw holes had to be filled. In the brand new boat, it still looked good. Good luck with your project.
BwhalerBil	#12  Posted on 04/15/09 - 6:57 AM
Member Posts: 15 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/26/08	Thank you for all the ideas. The test of Gorilla Glue has been completed on the plywood. The decision to go ahead listed below. 1. Four holes being repaired. Two are not canidates for stainless srcew insertion. 2. Two will be filled with glue. Two will have a ss flat head screw driven below recess in the deck surface, filled on the top with glue again. 3. After cure time finished for cosmedic effect. I will post some photos when complete.
jorders	#13  Posted on 05/01/09 - 11:35 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 125 Comments: 3 Joined: 07/06/06	i have been reading the threads here and have the same problem in my deck where i removed captains chairs and put in a leaning post. i need to fill the holes of the captains chairs. i am interested in the Gorrilla glue concept. which type Gorilla glue works best? there are a lot of them on the market. i particularly would like it to dry white.
jorders	#14  Posted on 05/01/09 - 11:35 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 125 Comments: 3 Joined: 07/06/06	i have been reading the threads here and have the same problem in my deck where i removed captains chairs and put in a leaning post. i need to fill the holes of the captains chairs. i am interested in the Gorrilla glue concept. which type Gorilla glue works best? there are a lot of them on the market. i particularly would like it to dry white.
NauticalLumber	#15  Posted on 05/01/09 - 1:31 PM
Member Posts: 160 Comments: 1 Joined: 01/09/08	We use West system 6/10 in a tube. Basicly it's a caulk tube with 2 chambers in it. one chamber has 105 resin & the other has 206 fast hardner. The tip of the caulk tube is about 6 inches long & has a mixing chamber, so when it comes out the very tip its mixed together. Pretty cool stuff. Follow up with gel coat patch on the top. Mike
RevengeFamily	#16  Posted on 05/01/09 - 3:38 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 192 Comments: 2 Joined: 06/21/08	I hate to break the news to everyone... But our whaler hulls will never be 100% dry. Probably not even 50% dry. I have drilled holes in the hull and had water leak for weeks and then stop. Then pull the boat into the drive way on a hot sunny summer day and two hours later after the boat warms in the sun find water dripping under the holes from an increase in pressure caused by the increase in temperature of the hull. Another example... Last fall I removed the pulpit from my 22 Revenge W/T because I had water dripping from the bottom of the stainless steel carriage bolts that bolt it in position. I turned it upside down and using a diamond blade on my 4" grinder carefully cut and removed the smaller half of the bottom side of the pulpit. Inside I found wooden blocks that Whaler had used as spacers. They were completely soaked and rotten. As a test I left the other half of the fiber glass bottom intact which left a portion of the remaining wood exposed. I stood the pulpit in the basement near my boiler for the winter in hopes that the remaining water would drain and dry. Water dripped for a few days and then stopped. Two days ago I used the grinder to open the remaining half. Sorry to say after 7 months it was still completely soaked. Granted these are 1/2" thick wood blocks, but we all know how well the foam holds water. Once the water is inside the hulls it is there until someone devizes a way to seperate the two halves of the hull and open them to air dry. I doubt that will happen thanks to the bonding that takes place between the two halves and the foam. My suggestion is to stay away from the wooden plugs. There will always be water inside to turn the wood rotten. The newspaper wick is a great idea, but just be aware that your not getting it all. Just my four cents... (increased do to inflation) Norm Edited by RevengeFamily on 05/01/09 - 3:42 PM
jorders	#17  Posted on 05/06/09 - 8:18 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 125 Comments: 3 Joined: 07/06/06	i found an epoxy putty at Home depot call Aqua Mend. it is easy to use and can be applied to wet or dry, even under water. trying it myself. same color as my hull too. john.