How to Drill a Hole in a Boat for a Motor

Drilling a hole in a fiberglass boat can be tricky to ensure the gel coat on the boat does not become damaged. If you are installing a new motor on your boat and need to drill new holes to install the motor then you need to make sure you follow the correct instructions. With the right tools and directions you can drill a hole on the boat without damaging the gel coat or the shape of the hole.

Instructions

1

Place the painters tape over the boat surface where you will be making the hole.

2

Make a small dent on the middle of the hole you want to open on the boat with the ice pick.

3

Drill a pilot hole with the 1/8-inch drill bit. Use the slow speed on the drill and slowly let the drill bit open the pilot hole through the boat.

4

Place the 1/16-inch chamfer bit into the drill and line it up with the pilot hole. Drill slowly with the chamfer bit until you make the hole on the boat.

5

Move up to a slightly larger drill bit and slowly start drilling open the hole bigger. Keep moving up in drill bit size, one size at a time until you reach the desired size. Do not attempt to open the final size right away or you will damage the gel coat and the surface of the boat.