Screws coming loose from trim tabs - Uh oh!

[Seif911]

Hello All,
So my Carver is still stuck in my yard because it won't stop raining and it is like a lake. I am thinking that I have enou time to address a possible nightmare with the trim tabs. On each tab, there were 3-6 screws that have backed out. When I screw them in, they spin. I tried a bigger screw and it worked for some but not others. Thoughts?

I know the obvious concern about the core being possibly wet...I am praying it isn't! Thus far, when I thought the Carver was going to the water, I filled the hold with 5200 and put the screws back in. Now that I have time, what should I do? Should I pull the trim tabs off, open the holes up, fill then up with fiberglass resin and then red rill them and put it all back together?

Any thoughts? Any process better than I mentioned? Should I just leave it alone?

Thanks All,

Steve

[waybomb]

It will not get any better if you leave it alone, and I'd be real worried about getting the core soaked.

Me, I'd remove one, and inspect the holes. If the wood is wet, dig a little out and see if you can get to dry. If so, then it's time to brush up on fiberglassing skills!
And when all done, I'd through bolt with a backing plate and seal with 5200.

[Seif911]

Ya, I was real worried last year but it went straight from the purchase site, in Superior, to the water in Sheboygan. I filled the screws that were out last year with 5200 and then it hit the water.

I agree it will not get better. I suppose I will have to dig into it, literally. This is probably the scariest problem I have had this far.

[Lyndon670]

There are 2 ways of fixing this. The first is what waybomb has suggested, dig it out and get some resin and fill it. Remember when doing this, dig out to where it is dry - and then dig another 1/2". Mix up some west system and fill it in. The second way to do it is the old school way. Dig it out the same way and to the same perimeter. Then, make a template if the hole you have just created. Use that template to make a wooden "plug". Tap the plug into the hole and then glass around the outside perimeter, and then feather the surface with glass. The trick to be successful in either method is to go that extra 1/2" further into the dry core. It's not that scary, even if it's a bigger area than you think, using the "wooden plug" method is quick, easy and very reliable.