Cabintop hole repair

[RON CARTER]

We have the regular cabintop leak at dorade/winch pocket in front of mast but worse is poor installation by PO of Force 10 propane heater with 1" flue exiting thru teak winchpads and heat sink at 3" aft of starboard bulkhead. we removed entire unit and now have a 4 1/2" round hole in our cabintop. luckily water flowed directly thru into cabin and did not damage coring.
We are now intending to install Dickinson p12000 propane heater in same location with a 3" double flue pipe.

Whats the best way to fill the hole in cabintop ?? I am thinking a plywood plug supported from inside cabin and then fill flush with top deck with epoxy mix. Afterwards cut new flue hole and epoxy edges. What you think ?? AZGARD 35-3

 

[Martin King]

If it were my boat, I'd reglass the new core in place properly.
This means feathering out the perimeter top and bottom
with a grinder and rebuilding the laminate, overlapping
the old with the new. Alternatively you could have a
reducing "bushing" fabbed up for the new flue.

Martin