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Unfortunately, one of my trolling rod holders has come loose due to the screws in the fiberglass having worn through from the screw holes into the rod-holder hole (I hope this makes sense). It appears that when the rod holder was put in, the screws were drilled too close to the rod-holder hole and hence that space between the screw holes and the rod-holder hole has worn out. In turn, I cannot tightly fasten down the rod-holder anymore. Two of the three screw holes have worn through, the only one remaining is the aft screw and it doesn't allow for a tight securing of the rod holder.

Have any of you had a similar experience and have any guidance on how I may fix this problem? I tried 5200 on it last summer and that didn't work. My only other idea is to possibly look at a larger rod holder, that has a screw placement template that will be outside the current problem areas. Other than that, I amout of ideas. As I only have two rold holders back there for trolling, I would sure like to get that one back in play. This is on a Sea Pro SV 2100. Any advice, tips, etc. you all may have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Chris

I would have said 5200... my worry would be that any fix would not be strong enough.
You could pull it out and then mat fiberglass over the areas the screws ran through.

Or try MarineTex....

What, What? bman, you understood that?

Yeah, I think you will have to remove the rod holder and use fiberglass filler or mat to fill the holes back in and drill new pilot holes for the screws. You probably could do it yourself if you have ever worked with fiberglass or take it to a local marine shop to do the work. Don't think it would be terribly expensive to have done.

Cut a piece of aluminum larger than the rod holder and mount it to the boat.
Drill a hole to receive the rod holder and screw the rod holder to the mending plate.

Hey Scoop, is there a way to make a backing plate and bolt it in, just a thought with out seeing it. If you need fiberglass work done Mike's Marine Ways can fix you up. Good luck

Now where have I heard that before?

what he said

JT's idea is a winner! When you mount the aluminum or stainless steel plate, be sure to through bolt it. Do not use screws, as you may wind up with the same problem down the road. Also, you might want to put a bead of 5200 around the edge of the plate to make it water resistant.(can't hurt)
FF

Thanks guys for the suggestions. Since I can't get "underneath" the hole, I can't bolt it down. It looks like I will try and go the mat/fiberglass route and see how that works. If it doesn't work, I'll be going with JT's suggestion. Once again, thanks for the ideas and suggestions.

SS,
Since it won't be showing, remove the rod holder and fill the holes with white MarineTex and let dry. It's easy to work with and hardens like fiberglass. Sand the filled holes flush and drill pilot holes before remounting the rod holder.

You can find MarineTex at some hardware stores, but most marine suppliers will carry it.

Would isolator bolts like on a trolling motor work? Doubt they would be strong enough, but a thought. Rematting or MarineTex sounds stronger.

Alright, it's Marine Tex filling first, then we'll go from there. I've never used Marine Tex, so I truly appreciate the recommendation on its use. I'll check with AMS to see if they have it, if not, I'll head up to town. Thanks again for the suggestions.

SS,
It's easy to use. Just be careful when measuring the catalyst to the putty. I'd recommend mixing half and that way you'll get the right formula and have plenty. Let is sit for a minute after mixing to let it kick off and thicken. Put on a little extra to allow for shrinkage and then sand down. MT is waterproof and bonds as hard as fiberglass resin. Great for small repairs.

AMS should have it, if not, Mike's Marine in Panacea should.

Thanks Silverking:

I'll head down to AMS and/or Mike's tomorrow and get to working on this project. I sure do appreciate the application guidance.

Take Care,

Chris