For advice on how to make repairs to the Unibond hull of a Boston Whaler boat, read the factory instructions, which are reproduced in the REFERENCE section at
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... tions.htmlI don't know exactly what was meant by the term used above to "hog out the hole", but I would not unnecessary enlarge the original hole, and particularly I would not use a drill to make a very big enlargement of the hole in the hull at the bow stem through which the threaded rod for the bow tow eye passes.
I would not use Marine-Tex to make this repair, nor would I use "fiberglass resin" which I presume meant to identify polyester laminating resin. For this repair you want an excellent, strong adhesive that can make excellent bonds to materials like cured fiberglass and foam: that will be epoxy resin.
A good source for a small quantity of epoxy resin and filler materials is the
WEST System Fiberglass Repair Kit. Epoxy resin makes a superior bond to materials like fiberglass laminates and foam compared to polyester laminating resins. The kit includes pre-measured amounts of resin and hardener, filler materials, which insure a perfect mixing ratio and complete cure of the reagents. Small pieces of fiberglass cloth and filler material are also included. The kit is a good value and can be used to make multiple repairs. The resin and harder are in sealed packets and will last for years on the shelf. There will be no guessing about mixing ratios or loss of shelf life from opening a jar of resin.
If there is any cracking of the gel coat layer at either inboard or outboard ends of the hole in the bow stem, all loose material should be removed. Follow the procedures in the factory instructions for repair of cracks. Consider laminated some additional cloth to add strength to the hull at each end of the hole. Damage to the hull or deck at the ends can be repaired as directed in the factor repair instructions.
Depending on the amount of damage or enlargement to the hole, coat the walls of the hole with epoxy resin, or if necessary to better fill gaps, epoxy resin mixed with some filler. Do not completely fill the hole, just coat the walls of the hole and fill any areas missing original laminate or foam. When fully cured, re-drill the hole to its original size. Verify that the drilled hole has no gaps in its wall. If it does, use epoxy resin to fill any voids in the hole, allow the resin to cure fully, and re-drill again to original size.
The bow stem as see in Figure 1 looks like it was nicely repaired already at the exit hole area.
The prior repair appears in Figure 2 to perhaps have added a backing plate to spread the load of the bow eye over a larger area. That is a good technique to prevent any future problem with the bow eye being pulled out of the hull.
A new bow eye and new lifting eye can probably be obtained from off-the-shelf marine components. A threaded rod to match the threads in the bow eye and lifting eye should be stainless steel. Contact Sue at Twin Cities Marine in Wisconsin for advice on getting OEM-quality parts.