Repair Access Hole Options

 20 Aug 23:

The bow handle on the Sunfish sailboat has an internal wooden or metal backer block. Often times the wooden block rots over the decades and fails to hold the screws, so folks cut a hole for a deck plate on the bow to gain internal access and replace the block. The way the manufacturer would replace the block would be to remove the metal deck edge trim, split the seam on the deck/hull flange, replace the block, then seal everything back up. That way there is no evidence of the repair and no deck plate to stare at.

Here is another option from a friend who does boat repairs for a living, is to cut the access hole from the bottom, in the area shown by the paint cup. He cuts the hole, does the repair, and then adheres a fiberglass ring inside of the hole to act as a backer shelf for the piece that he cut out. Once the adhesive for the backer ring dries, he puts the cutout back into place with a thickened adhesive. 

Once that repair dries, there is a small circle showing that is saw kerf wide, which is easy to fair, sand and finish with a small bit of gelcoat. The hull is now sealed up again and there is no messing around with deck plate caps or marine sealants, which will always fail over time. Even if gelcoat finishing skills are suspect, the repair will only be viewed by the fish.