: Just cut a patch of glass fabric, soak it in some epoxy resin until it is
: wetted out, and slap it on the inside on the boat, trapping dowel and
: silicone sealant. If you flip the boat over (bottom up)so the patch can
: lay flat on the inside of the deck you shuldn't need any clamping or
: weighting to hold it in place. Just let it rest until the resin sets up.
: Then put on another coat of resin and call it quits. if you want to be
: artistic you can pinch and shape the wet patch to fit neatly and snugly
: around the dowel and fabric.

Interesting concept, Paul, but I'm not sure what is accomplished. The silicon will seal for leaks AND allow easy removal and reinstallation of the loops when it comes time to refinish the deck. While the fiberglass patches you've described can certainly be cut out, it will take longer to cut out, clean up, and replace. Meanwhile, unless you're able to get a very smooth, tight, layup over the dowel, the glass doesn't do much to reinforce the structure in the direction of the stress on the loops. I'm at a loss on this one. Why bother?

jrs