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New at this fixing up so be eazy on me cooler replacements shocks do not line up with old holes best way to install new screws with new holes and what should be used to fill old holes thanks
1993 Montauk front cooler chocks rotten New replacement shocks screw holes do not line up with old shocks. Can I put new shocks down and drill new screws into fiberglass
Yes you can drill new holes. Use screws long enough to go into the deck about an inch and countersink the heads so the cooler is not resting on the screw heads. Best way to fill the old holes is with epoxy but easiest way is to fill the old holes with 4200 caulk which you will need to coat the threads of the screws you put into the deck anyway. Just be sure to seal those old and new holes well so no water can get inside the foam cored hull.
I winter in Ft. Myers and summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s now about 12 years since I’ve joined this group. I gave my 1972 whaler to my daughter and sold the 17’. Bought an O’Day 28 sailboat and sailed on Lake Michigan. Yesterday I bought a 2005 130 Sport.
My preference would be to re-dril the new cooler cleats to match the existing holes in the floor. Use the old cleats as a template. Then drill out the original holes in the new cleats ( I assume they are wood?) 3/8" and inset plugs, sand flush and re-finish. You could also simply put a countersunk flat head screw in the holes not being used. Nobody will be the wiser.
If you must drill another set of holes in the boat floor, simply use a 45 degree beveled ginder bit to countersink the holes not being re-used, and install the same size flat head screw, set in clear silicone and wiped clean. They look remarkably good, and I have used this detail many times when old unwanted floor holes had to be filled.
Using putty, caulking, epoxy, etc to fill holes in non-skid floor is a bad solution, and looks terrible.
Old screw holes in the non-skid floor can be filled with color matched gel coat patch paste and the texture carved into it with a razor blade. It's easy to do and the holes will be virtually invisible.
Obviously, screw holes that will be covered again by the cleats don't need to look good so you can just use some polyurethane caulk to fill and seal them.
