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Random Quote: The fastest way to make something obsolete is to buy it
Ok here we go... Long story short.." a friend of a friend" was trying to install a new wash down pump with its thru hull water seacock on his boat. "He" was very, very carefully in measuring and re-measuring the placement for the hole, but it end up too close to where the trailer beam holds the boat, so he had to make another hole on another location.
Now, "he" has a 3/4" hole on his 1/2" thick hull "he" wanted to close forever.
What is the best technique, West System???, fiber glass and resin???
I would say 2 or 3 layers of 10oz cloth inside and out with the hole filled with 'glass fiber' thickened epoxy. First, fill the hole almost completely with thickened epoxy. After this hardens, rough up the area around the hole (in and out) and even 'dish it out a bit' for a better appearance. Apply epoxy, lay glass onto the epoxy and then more epoxy over the glass to fully wet it out. The glass cloth patch should be big enough to cover the hole and a couple inches onto the surrounding area. Wait for it to harden - lightly sand and repeat with a slightly larger piece. Wait for it to harden, then recoat to fill the glass weave and make it smooth. Repeat for both in and out. This technique is pretty easy and will make it bulletproof, though it will still show. Once the epoxy is fully cured (a week or 2) you can apply matching gelcoat or paint to help match the surrounding area.
For a repair that small I would take it to a fiberglass repair shop and let them do it in a couple of hours. By the time he goes out and buys all the stuff to make the repair then learns how to do the job it would just make more sense to let a pro do the job.
2nd that. It is a small job for a glass guy, but in an important area. He'd be almost into the glass bill with just supplies and then have to worry about doing it wrong.
For a repair that small I would take it to a fiberglass repair shop and let them do it in a couple of hours. By the time he goes out and buys all the stuff to make the repair then learns how to do the job it would just make more sense to let a pro do the job.
Not a big job, but in a critical spot....Let the pros do it.
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24' Grady White - SOLD!
13' Boston Whaler
Location: Hueytown, Al, hopefully Foley Al someday,,
Posts: 1,027
Re: " a friend of a friend" hole in the hull
I take it that this is on the bottom of the boat. It really needs to be repaired from the inside. This area has excessive stress put on it, espically on a off-shore boat. I repaired a hole the size & shape of a football on the bottom of a hull, still going strong ! It looks like the hole is where the bunk or runner is located. Why did he not just move the bunk over ? Even if he would have to cut it off & use a bolt-on style of bracket would have been better,, just looked at pics, VERY EASY REPAIR !!! but it needs to be fiberglassed with resin NOT epoxy. If you need help doing it, PM me & I will give you the steps
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Unless I am missing something here, if it were my boat I'd use the existing hole and simply move the trailer bunks either further outboard or inboard to make clearance for the new thru hull.
Unless I am missing something here, if it were my boat I'd use the existing hole and simply move the trailer bunks either further outboard or inboard to make clearance for the new thru hull.
I have mostly all the materials for the repair, only need some resin and West system, and I played before with these materials. I'm not an expert, but I'm not stupid either.
I do no know any good fiber shop in the area, I'm pretty sure there must be a lot, but I 'have heard terrible stuff about this kind of places.
I also have seen the quality of work they have done on my boat before I bought it, and I wouldn't recommend it not even to Florida Dan
I take a lot of pride on craftsmanship... which means "I like to do the stuff myself, so if I ever need to mess with this again I know how"
In reference to moving the trailer bunks. That's wouldn't be a problem. But even if I move them, the flat side of the seacock would not fit flat on that particular area.
When you look at the pictures from the bilge, the hole seems to be far away from where the trailer beam would make contact with the hull.
But if you look at it from the bottom, the edge of the hole is right in top of that angle change.
Again, thanks a lot for your responses and suggestions.
Stuff some newspaper in the hole and buy a larger bilge pump.
I'm laughing so hard that stuff is dripping from mi nose...
Take a coffee can and 5200 it to the inside of the hull above the hole......now you have a sea chest. Telling people you have a sea chest will lead them to believe you have a 72 foot Viking.
All seriousness aside.......if you can find another boat sitting a trailer (preferrably in a dark secluded spot), you can cut out a matching plug from their hull and easily fill the hole in the boat. I like taking the KISS approach to most problems.
Stuff some newspaper in the hole and buy a larger bilge pump.
I'm laughing so hard that stuff is dripping from mi nose...
Take a coffee can and 5200 it to the inside of the hull above the hole......now you have a sea chest. Telling people you have a sea chest will lead them to believe you have a 72 foot Viking.
All seriousness aside.......if you can find another boat sitting a trailer (preferrably in a dark secluded spot), you can cut out a matching plug from their hull and easily fill the hole in the boat. I like taking the KISS approach to most problems.
" a friend of a friend" hole in the hull 
Not a big job, but in a critical spot....Let the pros do it. 
