Aluminum Boat Repair

[Angstman]

So I just recently bought a 14 ft aluminum flat bottomed boat that will be used primarily for duck hunting with a little bit of fishing thrown in at my cabin. Well I finally got it up to my cabin to see if it was sea-worthy, but I ran into a couple of small leaks coming from a few rivets on the bottom. I tried to use some waterproof silicone to repair it, but it didn't work. I heard something about using jb weld to repair it, but I haven't tried that out yet. I was just wondering if any of you had fixed holes in boats before and what you used to solve the problem.

[HD]

I've used the J-B Waterweld stuff.... that  is awsome! 

[Angstman]

Thanks for the info, I'll probably try that out when I go back to the cabin for bass opener  :fishing2:

[Fawkinnae]

Depending on the shape of the leak - that is if a screw could be screwed into it and sealed with JB, that could be a good combo. You would want to grind down the point.
I seem to remember a trip to Lac La Croix where we had a leaky rental boat and managed to plug the leak(s) with some well placed screws.

[Angstman]

The sizes of the leaks are a smaller diameter than a screw so maybe I'll try that out as well. Just so I get this right are you saying to put some JB on the threads, then screw it in and grind it down?

[DDSBYDAY]

    Anytime you are buying a boat pop the garden hose in it and start filling.  The leaks will show up right away.   If you know it leaks and still are ok with it determine why.  Is it a crack or a leaky rivet.  JB weld works great and can be sanded and to some extent milled.  That is provided you prepare the surface properly. You can use screws,bolts and washers and silicone on the transom but not on the bottom.  Anything that protrudes from the bottom will cause problems.  If it's a rivet clean and dry the surface.  Sand the surface, blow the dust and put the jb over the rivet.  Let cure for 24hrs. then do it again 2x.  Each coat feather it out.  I would go 3/4 of an inch in all directions around  the leak. Allow 24 hrs to cure after each coat.  Do a final sand and pop the hose back in to check it.  Good luck.  JB works great as long as the surface is prepped right.  Some of the old flat bottom boats have been dragged and the aluminum is very thin.  If it flexes easily you will have a hard time sealing it permanently. There are ways to take care of this using rubber sheets and silicone to account for the flex.   Using the garden hose will at least let you know what you are dealing with.

[Fawkinnae]

The sizes of the leaks are a smaller diameter than a screw so maybe I'll try that out as well. Just so I get this right are you saying to put some JB on the threads, then screw it in and grind it down?

Yes pretty much. The flatter the head on the outside the better of course and you won't want any sharp points on the inside.

[Angstman]

    Anytime you are buying a boat pop the garden hose in it and start filling.  The leaks will show up right away.   If you know it leaks and still are ok with it determine why.  Is it a crack or a leaky rivet.  JB weld works great and can be sanded and to some extent milled.  That is provided you prepare the surface properly. You can use screws,bolts and washers and silicone on the transom but not on the bottom.  Anything that protrudes from the bottom will cause problems.  If it's a rivet clean and dry the surface.  Sand the surface, blow the dust and put the jb over the rivet.  Let cure for 24hrs. then do it again 2x.  Each coat feather it out.  I would go 3/4 of an inch in all directions around  the leak. Allow 24 hrs to cure after each coat.  Do a final sand and pop the hose back in to check it.  Good luck.  JB works great as long as the surface is prepped right.  Some of the old flat bottom boats have been dragged and the aluminum is very thin.  If it flexes easily you will have a hard time sealing it permanently. There are ways to take care of this using rubber sheets and silicone to account for the flex.   Using the garden hose will at least let you know what you are dealing with.

Before I bought it that's exactly what I did...filled to the water line and checked for leaks. I did find one leak on the bottom coming from the rivet, I was fine with it since it was a small hole. When I brought it to the lake to test it out I had 4 guys including myself and I figured the total weight in the boat was around 700-800 lbs, so it probably was at or over weight capacity. We had the boat in the water for about 3 hours and it had <2" of water on the floor and the boat was still riding like a champ. I'm not sure how old the boat is or it's make/model since it doesn't have a hull ID anywhere on the boat, but the bottom is in good shape with no signs of old leaks and repairs.

The sizes of the leaks are a smaller diameter than a screw so maybe I'll try that out as well. Just so I get this right are you saying to put some JB on the threads, then screw it in and grind it down?

The sizes of the leaks are a smaller diameter than a screw so maybe I'll try that out as well. Just so I get this right are you saying to put some JB on the threads, then screw it in and grind it down?

Yes pretty much. The flatter the head on the outside the better of course and you won't want any sharp points on the inside.

Thanks for the info everyone, it's greatly appreciated   

[nontypicalhunter]

What happens is the rivets lossen up. If you have access to a dolly block or a small heavy piece of steel and a extra hand to help. Take the steel hold it over the rivet and hit the head or opposite side of the rivet with a hammer ( a air-hammer works great) this will cause the rivet to expand and reseal itself. Pretty simple fix, but the JB weld works good also if you don't have the tools. Good luck!

[kenhuntin]

To cure the problem get a boat without rivets.

[FireRanger]

I have drilled holes through my aluminum boat to add some bracing for the front deck cover and used RTV/Permatex Gasket seal and it has been there for 6 years with no problems.