Screwed through the hull

[tenacex]

Hi everyone,

I have a 1978 O'Day 30 foot sailboat. I have owned it for the last 3 years and I am just now starting to invest some time, effort, and money into it. The boat had an issue where the PO was installing an automatic bilge switch in the area directly above the keel/ center board section of the boat. According to him, he drilled through the hull right in the center where the center board retracts into the keel, and water shot up through the hole. His repair was not professional. He filled the hole with a very intense marine grade adhesive while floating, and then put a screw lightly through it (not all the way) to stop the leak. The repair has held up, however it is the one thing that freaks me out when taking it on longer sails. Unfortunately, the hole is not accesible from the outside when the boat is pulled since it is up inside the keel where the center board goes. Do you think this type of repair is ok? Or is there anything I might wanna do next year when it is pulled to improve the repair? This boat did not cost me much - I'd be open to any type of repair that does not involve removing the keel. At that point I'd just be looking for a new boat. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[dmax]

If the screw/adhesive is holding up, it's probably ok for the season. On the next haul-out, remove the screw, overdrill the hole a bit to clean out any adhesive and fill the hole with thickened epoxy - that will be a permanent fix. You may want to stuff a ball of butyl or something down near the bottom of the hole so the epoxy doesn't drain out. No need for a new boat

 

[tenacex]

Wow that is great news! Just to confirm, the exterior is inaccessible so it will just some epoxy hanging out the bottom. No issues with the core or anything? I get worried because I don’t know anything about fiberglass

 

[dlochner]

Wow that is great news! Just to confirm, the exterior is inaccessible so it will just some epoxy hanging out the bottom. No issues with the core or anything? I get worried because I don’t know anything about fiberglass

That part of the boat is unlikely to be cored. If it is and you over drill the hole, you will see the wood shavings come out.

Over drilling by a little, you didn't say how big the current hole is, and filling with a good thickened epoxy will be an adequate repair. I would not use butyl to close the end of the hole as it will be difficult to insert the butyl and leave the sides of the hole clean. Any butyl that gets left on the sides of the hole will interfere with the epoxy adhering to the hole. Instead use a small piece of papertowel pushed into the hole to close the end up. It doesn't need to be very big just enough to keep the epoxy from leaking out.

 

[tenacex]

Ok great thank you. The hole is incredibly tiny, a standard wood deck screw size. Maybe 1/20 of an inch in diameter. Assuming it isn’t cored, what epoxy would you guys recommend? Thanks so much! Excited that this isn’t the end of the boat, will give me a lot more confidence going out there.

 

[dlochner]

I'd drill it out to a quarter inch and use West System GFlex. It is a good epoxy and you will find more uses for it.

 

[tenacex]

Amazing. I will give it a go this fall! Scared to drill a hole through the hull but this makes sense.

 

[dmax]

"I would not use butyl to close the end of the hole as it will be difficult to insert the butyl and leave the sides of the hole clean."

I filled 80 holes with this method, no problem with butyl sticking to the sides at all, have held up just fine. Pushed a small ball of butyl to the bottom of the hole. Paper towels would be fine too but I wanted to make sure the epoxy didn't leak through.

 

[dlochner]

"I would not use butyl to close the end of the hole as it will be difficult to insert the butyl and leave the sides of the hole clean."

I filled 80 holes with this method, no problem with butyl sticking to the sides at all, have held up just fine. Pushed a small ball of butyl to the bottom of the hole. Paper towels would be fine too but I wanted to make sure the epoxy didn't leak through.

Glad it worked for you. Were the holes above or below the waterline?

 

[dmax]

They were above, so not as critical. I see your point though, while butyl tends to take more than it gives you do want to keep the surfaces clean so strike butyl as a suggestion and go with paper towels. Agree with the G-Flex, great stuff.

 

[SailingLoto]

At least he didn't screw it to the trailer bunk... I have done that before....

I agree with the overdrill and fill with epoxy

 

[dLj]

Gflex 655 is the thickened epoxy, probably easier to use than the Gflex 650 which is not thickened. If your local store does not have 655, use a good structural filler to thicken the 650.

dj