Best way to repair holes

[willclower]

My jib sheet fair lead pulled out, and left it's two holes. My wife suggested that we just fill the holes with some kind of epoxy, then re-screw into the holes.

But I've also heard about reaming out the holes a bit (as with an allen wrench) and then filling with some kind of epoxy, letting it set, and then re-screw.

Would love to get the thoughts of any who have had to make this repair.

Thank you!
Will and Dottie
Amari, Hylas 46 (#33)

[chris95040]

Things that pull out like that are usually telling you "I need to be through-bolted."

The allen-wrench reaming bit is also useful - your deck is likely a composite sandwich where the bread is fiberglass and the meat is wood/foam "core".

If you've got a screw or a bolt poking through your sandwich, when that bolt starts to leak you'll get your core wet. Then you'll have rotten meat in your sandwich.

The allen wrench trick ensures that even if the screw or bolt starts to leak, the meat will be isolated from any water intrusion.

I've never actually done it with an allen wrench - I've just drilled out the hole an 1/8" or a 1/4" larger in diameter, through the upper layer of glass and the core, then filled with epoxy. I rely on both a backing plate/large fender washer inside the boat to spread the load to an unadulterated area, as well as deck hardware that covers well beyond the edges of my widened hole.

(And you could also just convince yourself that you'll bed the thing properly and forget the whole allen wrench thing. See Re-Bedding Deck Hardware With Bed-It Tape Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com for a great howto.)

[UNCIVILIZED]

Oversizing, & filling the holes for hardware with epoxy is something that's done fairly often, as it helps to prevent water from entering deck cores when the sealant around fasteners breaks down. With the allen key trick usually being reserved for balsa core that's turned to mush around a fastener due to water ingress. Anyway, if you go to the WEST System website you can download the user guides for their epoxys, as well as a few excellent books, all gratis. And they well detail how to do the kind of thing you're considering.

[zeehag]

if you have balsa core, it would not hurt to inject some epoxy at the screw holes. you probably have suffered some core rot, which requires strengthening after neutralization and drying. acetone injection was all my fg boats ever needed.
this formosa , on the other hand, is a whole different fun to repair. (wood topsides with glass overlay on deck and coachhouse deck surfaces only).

[willclower]

Hey, just wanted to say thanks for the helpful responses on this. We have a clearer picture for what to do now.

Thanks again!!

Will and Dottie
Amari, Hylas 46 (#33)

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Will & Dottie.