What a mess on the swim platform..I guess I'll plug the holes.

E

ejbpesca

New Member
Aug 26, 2015
141
Alabama Gulf Coast
Boat Info
1996 Sea Ray 250 Sundancer Sport Cruiser
1993 Cape Horn 19 Offshore open fisherman cc with 2014 Yam
Engines
GM V8 300hp with Mercruiser sterndrive
Yamaha 150 outboard on Cape Horn
Previous owner of this 250 Sundancer decided he wanted a BIG generator so he mounted an aluminum plate to the swim platform and then a Honda 4kw generator to that. Getting it off was a huge effort and now 20 screw holes from 1/4" to 7/16" inches wide perforate the middle of the swim platform of this '96 boat after mounting plate was removed with the generator.

I've read from the net every way to plug a hole in fiberglass/gel coat/laminate there is and have passed on them but one method I've used to plug many small holes on other boats comes to mind....just put the ss screws back in the holes. That method was suggested by one posting advice giver on another forum. Guess I'm not the only one who has done this.

I can get 316 ss lag bolts as plugs, squirt some silicone in the hole and plug them which will yield a bolt head studded platform but then I'm not concerned about cosmetics just structure and keeping water from getting in the holes. Friends tell me to just plug the holes with silicone. At least with bolts the heads (and washers) would not leave a hole showing by their installation as opposed to just a dab of silicone in each one and only rain and some splash may get to this area.

I know many will think I've lost it and would say a pro fiber glass repair job is best, but this old boat has a tiny budget and hauling it costs a bunch too since I have to hire it done. Anyone besides me who has used this method to plug holes in areas way above the water line? Besides making it ugly, I cannot think of why not to do it, but maybe there is a reason I don't know.

I've got time to think about it..change plans, but it is going to have to be between a plug of epoxy, silicone, 3M 5200, or screws in the holes with silicone or 3M 5200. Poor old boat was not kept up well yet hoping the most important things are in good working order. The rest of the exterior (besides the seats) seems well in tact. jb
 
Ej , first look at my screen name..... It is what it is , I own a fastener company ..... Why are you using 316 SS lag screws ?? Total waste of money !!! Are these through holes ? Or did they simple use lag screws to hold it in? A lag screw has a hex head that can cause damage to you foot , can you use a button head Allen drive SS cap screw ? You can if these holes are all the way through , can you post a pic of this platform so I can see the holes ??? I need more info so I can give professional advice !!


Boltman
 
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boltman said:
Ej , first look at my screen name..... It is what it is , I own a fastener company ..... Why are you using 316 SS lag screws ?? Total waste of money !!! Are these through holes ? Or did they simple use lag screws to hold it in? A lag screw has a hex head that can cause damage to you foot , can you use a button head Allen drive SS cap screw ? You can if these holes are all the way through , can you post a pic of this platform so I can see the holes ??? I need more info so I can give professional advice !!

I chose lag bolts for half of the holes that are 6/17" wide because I can't find smoothe round head tapping screws wide enough to plug the holes. These holes are near the body of the boat and do go through. The holes most likely to be stepped upon are 1/4" wide and I think I can find round head tapping screws to fill that width. I may be able to seal the big holes with smoother headed bolts and nuts, but not sure if I can reach the area from underneath yet to tighten them and being alone..well..you can imagine..unless I used some sort of self gripping nut. Does that make sense? And..thank you. jb
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If I understand you correctly you are asking about how to fix/seal the hole in your swim platform .If that is the case I would counter sink the holes to increase the surface for the fiberglass to stick to .That will seal the holes then you can use gel coat or paint or get a platform pad to cover it up.Check out Boat Works Today .com he will show you how to repair small holes in fiberglass.If you plan on just putting bolts back in the holes I would 3M 5200 sealant adhesive rather then silicone.
 
If it were me I would take Boltman's advice and plug the holes properly with smooth bolts, or countersink them if that's an option. Then hide the bolt heads by covering the platform with SeaDek (seadek.com). Then if you ever add a swimplatforms.com platform you can add SeaDek to that too so it matches (I LOVE my swimplatforms.com platform, BTW).

Here's an integrated platform similar to yours -- you could do a continuous pad rather than split it the way they did below.

14604554241_e1847d87dc_b.jpg
 
Many ways to fix holes, I'll let that one slide for now as it seems like you have a handle on it and good advice above.

For the transom seat removal... I have never done this on YOUR model, but have a on a few others. The obvious attachments points are those SS bars. The other points will more than likely be either thru-bolts or screws at the point where the cushion contacts the boat. You'll need to move some things around in the bilge and shimmy in there and get your hands up in there. Once other things are out of the way, it's not completely horrible as you can almost sit on the "shelf" and reach up. You might want to start by taking a video with your phone (on a stick, if needed) to get an idea of what you're up against. It's not easy, but I have yet to find one that I can't remove. Of course, it would be a whole lot easier if you could do it the way the cushion was originally put on in the factory... but then you'd have to remove the entire top deck of your boat from the hull sides. :smt001
 
Thanks everyone..great ideas. Now onto the next problem..on and on to try to refurb this boat.
 
Before you take a short cut and stick screws or lag bolts in holes on a swim platform, you need to understand the structure you are working with. Sea Ray swim platforms are usually cored with plywood so all it takes is one screw that doesn't seal properly and you get a saturated and soon, a rotten core in the platform. The repair for that isn't isn't cheap or easy, so if I were you, I would seal the core and fill the holes properly, if you plan to keep and use the boat. Even if the cosmetics of matching the non-skid pattern isn't perfect, it will look better and last a lot longer than running screws in the holes.
 
fwebster said:
Before you take a short cut and stick screws or lag bolts in holes on a swim platform, you need to understand the structure you are working with. Sea Ray swim platforms are usually cored with plywood so all it takes is one screw that doesn't seal properly and you get a saturated and soon, a rotten core in the platform. The repair for that isn't isn't cheap or easy, so if I were you, I would seal the core and fill the holes properly, if you plan to keep and use the boat. Even if the cosmetics of matching the non-skid pattern isn't perfect, it will look better and last a lot longer than running screws in the holes.
Click to expand...

What material would you suggest for a fill of the holes? Would silicone and a platform cover do it? or Marine Tex the holes then anti skid cover?
 
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I would fill the holes with West Systems Epoxy, then cover with gelcoat or if you are going to glue down something else on top of the swim platform, the epoxy doesn't need to be finished, just flush with the top surface, then gelcoat can be painted on the bottom with a brush since it isn't an exposed surface.
 
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