filling hole with epoxy - no access to back of hole.

[mikebikeboy]

"Cape Dory Dory Sail Boat Owners Ass."

Cool

Nice ass?

[OS2Dude]

Our 1985 Catalina 30 cabin roof has a thick wood core. When I cored the handrails, I used a forstner bit and drilled until I reached the inner skin. No need to plug anything. If the manufacturer glassed both sides of the roof core, this should work for you even if the inner skin has a gap between it and the inside of the roof.

You can also try any of the good ideas previously posted, or wet out the holes and then mix silica thickener into the epoxy until it is too thick to run and push it down into the holes. Use a rod of some kind to make sure the hole is completely filled. Or you could just use it to fill the gap between the liner and the roof, then fill with unthicken epoxy. (This will leave hard points in you inner liner. That may or may not be an issue.)

Drill and tap the new cores instead of trying to use screws. It will be more secure and less likely to fracture the epoxy.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by guyrj33

The foam insulation fills the gap between the deck and the liner, preventing the epoxy from running into the gap.

Watch out for that foam. Don't use much! I used some around the house and it had a lot of strength in its expansion. In between side and liner it may separate the liner from cabin side enough to make a visible lump. Experiment on something with it first.

[Clivevon]

As Don CL says, watch out for the expansion strength of spray foam disorting your inner liner. I'm talking about hand held PU expanding foam which comes in an aerosol type can - like this: https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsen...ails_container
Some types will double in size, others much more. Any moisture present will increase the expansion so keep it dry in your case. Helps to have a large as possible hole to release the internal pressure. Try some outside the hole to see the rate of expansion first - then squirt in just a little bit at a time - it expands & sets within 2 or 3 minutes. Just be aware that the nozzle it comes with will very quickly indeed also fill with foam & set hard so as to be unusable - so get it all done quickly - or best idea is look on ebay & buy some separate spare nozzles - very cheap.
I'm sure you know all this but just in case, once the hole is filled with foam, drill it out, fit a bent nail in your drill & work that around inside the hole to break up the foam, then vacuum out the bits & you should be left with a manageable void inside your cabin roof, wider than your hole. Then fill the hole & that void with your epoxy filler and you are good to go to drill out the hole for your final fastener to make a solid job.

[Seighlor]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I removed the same trim piece from my boat. It is an ongoing pain in the posterior, source for leaks and in my case rotted away part of the interior liner as the previous owner neglected it for years.

Was able to fill the holes with gel coat and matched the original so well that you can't find the holes.

I've had this experience and am in complete agreement. The trim is a constant source of leaks and if you don't remove it now, down the road you'll wish you had.

[jeepers]

Would this be an application for a Rivet nut tool? I think Harbor freight, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Princess Auto, Lowes etc sell them. I use mine even when access is available. Available in Imperial & Metric.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stark-14...4-H1/313167290

[sailingchiro]

Turkey baster?
We have used a heavy bent wire in a drill to clean out core behind hole in fiberglass. Shopvac it out then use syringe or turkey baster to inject epoxy or Git-rot epoxy to pressure fill hole because the turkey baster fits snugly in the hole. If there is leaking down the side, then stuff hole with dry fiberglass material. It will naturally go to bottom of void.

[mikebikeboy]

I ended up doing the method of wetting out small patches of glass and stuffing those in first, and then filling with thickened epoxy. Seems to have worked well.

[Ric Sheridan]

Carve out a little piece of closed cell foam and pack it in the back hole where you want to plug maybe some crazy glue to hold it in place? I would use thicksil for the filler with sanding resin instead of epoxy. It will go off quicker and you can can make the paste really thick. Right before it goes off you can pack the hole so it doesn't run out and make a mess. Tape off around the hole goes without saying and make a trough just to be safe.

[mikebikeboy]

I did the method where you cut little squares of cloth, wet 'em out and gently push those in first. After they kick a bit, I squeezed in thickened epoxy from a sandwich bag. Worked great.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by mikebikeboy

I did the method where you cut little squares of cloth, wet 'em out and gently push those in first. After they kick a bit, I squeezed in thickened epoxy from a sandwich bag. Worked great.

Good call! Got any photos?

[StoneCrab]

I am a little confused by the description of the problem. If you have the rub rail screwed to the cabin top, did they screw through the outer layer, the core material and the inner layer of fiberglass? If that is true, then you must have screw heads protruding from the inner layer behind the headliner.

I find this hard to believe. Having the pointy end of the screw sticking into the cabin behind the liner would be dangerous and likely to show.

My conclusion would be that the hole only goes through the outer layer of skin and into the core... not penetrating the inner layer. Easy enough to check with a wire. Poke it into the hole and see if you can get it to penetrate the inner layer, pushing out the headliner. If you prove to yourself that the inner layer hasn't been penetrated, just fill the hole with epoxy. It can't flow behind the head liner if there isn't a hole there.

Another option, even if there was a hole on the inside is to fill the hole with thickened epoxy. Adding micro balloons to the epoxy can make it thick enough that it wouldn't run out the backside, but could be packed in there quite securely.

If your rub rail is through bolted, all these fill the hole solutions don't really answer how you are going to get a nut on the back side after you re-drill the hole.

[yenhg]

use a syringe with a large opening, like a horse syringe, 3 bucks each. Mix your filler, I have used EpiFill very successfully this way, and suck it up into the syringe. Then inject it into the hole, withdrawing the nozzle as you pump to ensure no air gaps. Yes you may get a small amount dribble into the inside and in your case it dosen't matter as it is covered with the lining. With all the other methods, there is always a chance of getting air trapped in the filler and hence an incomplete fill.

[Icarus]

Sounds like a typical production boat problem.
I'd take the rail off, fill the screw holes.
Or you can drill a new hole next to the existing one.

[betwys1]

Originally Posted by JD-MDR

I've been plugging holes with 1/2" g- 10 . You can drill and tap it for the new fasteners. See "Far Reach Voyages.com" for practically everything you need to know about working on Cape Dories

This looks eminently practical to me.
Eplastics sells the stuff for $7.35 a foot
https://www.eplastics.com/shapes/fib...s/rod-nuts/g10

Brian W