I decided to mess with these eyelets that are on the back of the sunfish. The one screw head broke off.
I got two others out fine. These are not wood screws but some sort of self tapping machine screw. This is a 1998 era Person built hull.
I am making an assumption it is just going into thick fiberglass.
Does anyone have experience with this problem and which solution works?
thanks
Aluminum plate like Beldar said. Go with L&VW's solution 1.
The toggle I suggested is stainless steel. ;I think L&VW might get away with that repair, esp on an older boat where the fiberglass is just a bit thicker. We had a boat for years that just had bigger screws for the bridle eyestraps, the deck was thick enough to hold the screws plus we put in a squirt of 3M 4200.
The anchor remedy is extreme, it leaves a big hole. The meatal will also rust quickly and size up any fastener. I'd consider looking at the similar plastic anchors or I have used screw in plastic drywall anchors to fix the cockpit toerail on a Barnett Butterfly....after muttering unkind words about the corroded molly bolts I had to cut off
Skipper tested them out, they worked great.
The skill level here and tools available are not normal.
My brother had the eye for running a drill straight and parallel, well I can do it to, but he is better at it.
A secondary technique is a diamond bit tool for a Dremel. that lets you eat away at just the metal you want.
So the initial hope is to get it drilled down the middle and work up to larger bits. That does not always happen, but sometime you get lucky it is worth a try.
The next step is to keep the oversize small enough I can tap out to a 10/32 and just go up one size.
We will just work it and see.
My initial question was what was down in the hole. I could not tell if I was dealing with 1" block of fiberglass or wood. Then when you guy said it was a plate the next question was how deep. Once I found it is just on the other side of the dull deck then it becomes simpler. Trying to go straight down a hole on a little screw is just not going to happen. It will be hard enough getting centered with little depth there is now.
I need to take a closer look at an Opti with some curing glass. I am hoping to get gel coat on it this weekend in the nice warm weather.