Sailfish inspection port location

JerryP

New Member
Where are the best spots, on a sailfish to put inspection ports?

So I am refinishing the rails, and there are two empty screw holes, with nothing to grab.
First screw hole on left side, and last screwhole on the right side.
I have an idea on how to repair them without cutting visible holes, but wonder if I should put in some inspection ports, and if so where is the best place for them?
If would make it easier to keep dry inside, and make any repairs.
I kinda hate to cut into that pretty gelcoat...
i am doubting it will hurt value on the little boat, they cost almost nothing as it is.
It is probably like drilling holes in a new truck, that first hole is the hardest
 
Can you probe the hole with a paper clip to see if any of the wooden block is still there? If so mix up some epoxy putty and fill the hole with a proper size dowel or toothpicks.
 
I've cut into the bottom of my Sunfish ('69) as I didn't want ports on the topsides either. Epoxied alum backing plates and then glassed the holes back up. Then I was able to tap into the aluminum and used stainless machine screws from the top.
 

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Well, you might need to cut a hole big enough for a backer block, save the fiberglass piece, then once the backer block is epoxied in with thickenend epoxy and dry, epoxy the deck piece back on. Fair. Sand. Touch up with gelcoat or paint.

Or or or...consider a plastic drywall anchor from Lowes. They are strong enough to hold in shelves...Just use a good marine grade screw, silicone bronze was the factory choice, 3 1/2 inch #12.

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Great! I think I remember seeing that on a Barnett Butterfly that we owned, it has footrails? in the cockpit. Some folks use molly bolts, but they leave big holes and rust, and usually the part you need, the anchor, is what rusts away, leaving the rest of the mess for a restorer to deal with.

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Great! I think I remember seeing that on a Barnett Butterfly that we owned, it has footrails? in the cockpit. Some folks use molly bolts, but they leave big holes and rust, and usually the part you need, the anchor, is what rusts away, leaving the rest of the mess for a restorer to deal with.

I think I have an idea that might work, weld a nut to a wide fender washer, cut slit in the boat with the middle of it having a hole large enough to fit the welded on nut through. Smear it with epoxy, stick it through, pull it up, let the epoxy glue it to the boat. I have a tig welder, so I can fab it up in all stainless steel.
 
I was trying to figure out how to describe something like that, making a slot big enough to fit a backer plate through sideways. Capn Jack did that with a backer for a bow handle, then covered the slot with a thin stainless steel plate that sits under the bow handle.

We haven't got to the part where you have to worry about other blocks falling off inside when you remove screws...it doesn't seem like that would be as much of an issue with the Sailfish.

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Now the factory repair would be to remove the trim, split the seam down the side and get to the block that way. Replace the block, seal the seam and replace the trim. A hush falls over the crowd....
 
Now the factory repair would be to remove the trim, split the seam down the side and get to the block that way. Replace the block, seal the seam and replace the trim. A hush falls over the crowd....
Probably not as much work as it sounds like, and you could address future problem years ahead of time
Ps your sunfish is beautiful
 

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