[sjacovino]

The rail on my boat is aluminum with machine screw fasteners spaced about every 4in and staggered inboard/outboard. The screws are apparently glassed over on the underside of the deck because there is no sign of any backing nuts and the outboard screws are directly over the hull topsides. The problem is that there are several missing and/or stripped fasteners. The aft end of the rail and last stanchion are a bit loose creating a potential safety hazard as well as an entry for water. I sometimes wish I could have the boat x-rayed to see if there are any nuts embedded in the glass.

Several seemingly knowledgeable boaters have recommended that I back out the loose screws, over drill the holes and fill with thickened epoxy. Then drill and tap the holes for the screws.

My question is this: Does anyone have any recommendations as to what to use for filler and what consistency to make it to have the strength to hold up under the stresses applied rails and stanchions, not to mention the drilling and tapping operations.

Thanks
Steve