Friend posted this locally. I don't have a clue. Anyone know? tnks


I'm putting some custom made motor mount plates on this weekend. Some of the wood in one of the runners has rotted a bit around a bolt that holds the stock mounts. (15yo boat, wood, water...I think it's pretty normal.) I want to get on it before it becomes a larger problem!

Basically it's a 12in long piece of 1/2in stainless that will bolt further from center (the long way,) in the runners and then the stock mounts will bolt to the plate.

I'd like to fill the rotted bolt hole with something. Is epoxy my best option?

There will not be a bolt going back into the hole, but I do want to cap both sides of it so no more moisture gets in. The boat has been out of the water since the Rally, so I'm fairly certain it's dry now, but anything that will absorb or dissipate the moisture that may be in there is preferred.

Anyone have any suggestions on what to get and where to buy?



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Corey and Kerri Mielke
'91 Galaxy 235 SLC Lazer
'68 put put for fishing
'73 12ft MFG sailboat

I just had a problem with rottin wood in my boat. The stringer, motor mount was completly rotted out. What I did was jack the motor up so that it stayed even, then my father and me cut the top out of the motor mount, dug all the wood out of it and also the wood that was rotton in the stringer. After we did that we vacumed out all the lil peices, then cut marine wood to fit in the place, then filled the rest of it up with WEST SYSTEMS. I have not had problem with it since then, it is 100 times stronger then factory. I am going to do the other side and the rest of the stringers all the way to the front of the boat this winter. It is kinda easy, but time consuming. Good luck

Marine Tex

I did the same thing fenderjack did... used a chainsaw to get all the wood out, then glassed over the top after new wood was epoxied in.

tnks boys! I passed on your expertise

if the rot is isolated around the bolt holes, you can use a large piece of dowel / epoxy as well. Match the dowel size (1 1/2" or so) so that you bond back into dry wood. Use epoxy and leave the dowels a little bit long, then grind the heads back to flush and gel coat / paint / etc over them.