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Dana,

It is a real tight fit on the outside. A little looser on the inside as you can see in the photo. I actually had to tap it in with a small sledge hammer. The outside does not even need sealant. But I sealed both ends in and out. I smeared some slow cure 5200 (blue) on my finger and ran it just inside the holes before inserting the pipe. Then I seal the outer edge with a little more and created a small lip wit the 5200. It is self leveling so it looks real professional. If for some reason it should start to peel off (it should'nt) it is easy to repair. And it will not leak because it is sealed on the inside too.

I hammered a 14" piece of that 3/4" thin wall PVC all the way through the hole so I could mark the pipe with a fine pencil. But first I had to remove a tiny amount of foam on the bottom of the hole to get the right angle to go all the way through. After marking the pipe and removing it again....... I cut just behind the lines on the hacksaw and then finished the rough edges with sandpaper. When the pipe is in the boat, it sits about 1mm inside the holes on both ends. I did this in case it gets bumped by an obstruction (nothing to bump or break).

This is a much better solution for me. If this does give me problems again it will be VERY easy to fix. And I can get the material right down the street.

The best part is that there are no specialized tools or parts required. I'm taking the brass tubes and o-rings back.

I am going to pull the tubes after the summer (about 4 months) and check the foam with a moisture meter. It is bone dry right now.

I'll post a photo of the finished job on Friday. The boat is in a freinds garage right now. It looks real nice. I would not do it if it looked bad or if I thought I would compromise the durability of my boat. This boat will get a lot of use. So it is important that it is right.

AJ