: I have to relocate the hardware that secures the bungees that are between the
: cockpit and rear hatch. I am putting in a day compartment/hatch there. I
: need to plug 10 holes in the deck. Would this work? Epoxy in fiberglass
: patches under the holes and after it has cured fill in the hole with gel
: coat. I have some yellow gel coat that Eddyline sent me for free to fix my
: stress fractures on the rear deck. Thanks Tom.

The gel coat will make an OK plug for those holes, but you can do better by filling the holes with your epoxy resin and some chopped glass fibers. If you make the stuff thick enough (lots of glass) it shouldn't sag, so you can apply the inner patch and plug the hole at the same time. Scrape that flush when it is partly cured, or sand it when it is solid, and just paint a thin layer of gel coat over it to match the color when you get the time to do so.

If you don't have any chopped glass fibers on hand, you can make some very easily. Take a scissors and a 3 inch piece of glass cloth. Cut 1/4 inch strips from the glass cloth, pull out the lengthwise strands and you'll end up with a heap of 1/4 inch long glass fibers -- which should be a good length for this job. You can cut those remaining long strands down to size, too.

If you have a piece of kevlar you can use that instead.

Pre-measure your resin and hardener and then mix the glass fibers into the resin so you get a stiff mixture. For a dozen holes you'll probably need only about 1/2 ounce of epoxy for your filler, so calculate resin and hardener amounts accordingly. Take your time mixing to be sure you have it all mixed in nicely. Then add the hardener. This will thin the mix a bit, but still leave it thick enough to not run. If you need it thicker, add a bit more glass fibers. Don't worry about clarity or trapped air bubbles. All of these will be covered by the gel coat.

Mix up 1/2 ounce of epoxy for your patches and wet them out on a convenient surface. (a sheet of Saran wrap, bottom of a large plastic cup, a flat piece of plastic, etc.) Use some of this resin with a small brush or a stick and "paint" a thin layer of resin around each hole, Then set each patch in place. Cover with a saran wrap piece, some foam rubber and a board for even pressure. Wedge the board in place with a stick. With the saran wrap covering the glass patch, and the extra resin you painted on the boat, plus what is soaked into the cloth, when the repair is hard you should not need to do any sanding or add a fill coat. That will save you from doing those tasks in what might be some inconvenient spaces. To be safe though, double check the patches and put on a thin fill coat if necessary.

Since the bottom of the hole is well sealed by the patch and the foam and wood backing, you can just fill the holes with a putty knife and your glass-reinfored mix.

Hope this helps.

PGJ