Plugging Transom Screw Holes

[Action_Jackson]

I have some screw holes in my transom from the previous owner when he mounted a transducer/line for a fish finder that is no longer in there. When I got the boat last year, I ended up using a high end aircraft sealant as a temporary solution. I am replacing all the thruhulls/scuppers with SS hardware (only sees freshwater), replacing the brass motor-well drain tubes and resealing the transom aluminum motor bracket. I am also going to take the swim platform off and the aux motor kicker plater off and seal to make sure. I am using 3M 4200 for all of that but I am wondering I have seen some mixed reviews about 3M 4200 for doing caulking work or seam work. Any suggestions?
After being a member for a while now I am getting paranoid of all this transom potential water intrusion.

 

[Pez Vela]

Using marine sealants for filling the seams between components is a proper use for these products, but using them to fill screw holes in a wood/fiberglass/gelcoat transom is a poor choice. I think using products from the fiberglass/resin/epoxy/gelcoat family will serve you best over the long run. As for the proper marine sealant, I would consult the The West Advisor. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... WrLyyv0azc

 

[Doc Stressor]

Yes, the West System stuff is the best to use for a permanent seal.

I drill the holes slightly larger to clean out any loose wood or old adhesive and then fill them up with six-10:

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/six10-thickened-epoxy-adhesive/

You can also use Marine-Tex. But you won't be able to use gel coat over Marine-Tex unlike the West System product.

 

[Action_Jackson]

Yes, the West System stuff is the best to use for a permanent seal. I drill the holes slightly larger to clean out any loose wood or old adhesive and then fill them up with six-10

This is exactly the stuff I am after. Thanks.

 

[langski93]

Once you decide what to fill the holes with, I would encourage you to do final finsishing with gel coat. I bought the super expensive jar of Grady gel that was color graded by year of manufacture, and I will tell you I had excellent results and trust me it was very easy to get a factory finish. Look up a previous post of mine and after my experience I like you am going to take off the swim platform and kicker bracket. Good luck.

Langski93

 

[langski93]

Once you decide what to fill the holes with, I would encourage you to do final finsishing with gel coat. I bought the super expensive jar of Grady gel that was color graded by year of manufacture, and I will tell you I had excellent results and trust me it was very easy to get a factory finish. Look up a previous post of mine and after my experience I like you am going to take off the swim platform and kicker bracket. Good luck.

Langski93