Fixing up a boat

[clind98 0]

Hello all,

 

So I have an old 10' aluminum v-hull sitting around because it had a leak and I have recently been wanting to fix it up. I was wondering if you guys had any ideas on how to find and fix the leak as well as any nice features you like in your boats?

 

Thanks in advance

[miketheknife 0]

I am also fixing an old aluminum boat. Check this site. It's loaded with info.

www.tinboats.net

Mike

 

 

 

[heavynets 0]

I've seen Locktite used to fix leaking rivets. It worked great.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Here's your first step with an aluminum boat (or any other small craft with unknown leaks...). Set up the hull so it's level (the way it would be in the water...) then plug your drain hole. I prefer to do this on a trailer but any kind of support that allows you to examine the bottom of the craft will do... Use a garden hose and slowly fill the boat a bit at a time to see where you're actually leaking (could be rivets on a riveted hull or a crack at a weld on a welded hull or any of a variety of breaches). If you don't see any obvious leaks (and old aluminum hulls may have so many different small leaks that you'll need a magic marker to show them all...) then by hand simply work the bottom looking for areas where the bottom in damp (for craft used in salt or brackish waters corrosion can leave you with pinhole leaks in more than one area).

 

Be a bit careful with the water since you can put enough weight inside your hull to stress it (or make it bend where your bottom supports are... Once you've found your leaks you've got some decisions to make. I've seen a few that simply weren't worth repairing... If you only have one or two leaks then you're going to learn more about metal work than you ever wanted to know... But that's another story.

 

By the way, I never wanted to own any boat... but I could never get anyone to lend me their's... As a result I've built or re-built a half dozen or more hulls over the years -including a riveted Starcraft hull that we built into a bonefish skiff back in the seventies. I had to put that thing back together on more than one occasion... I think the biggest difference between salty fly anglers and our freshwater brethren is that we're much more boat dependent... The skiff I work out of every day is now more than 25 years old so I get plenty of practice in boat repair, boat rigging, etc.

 

Tight Lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

[clind98 0]

Ok Thanks for all your input it is a riveted hull I hope the leaks are small there is no visible gouges so hopefully it will be repairable. What kind of "extras" are nice?

 

Thanks

[mikechell 0]

Capt. Bob has the right idea about setting the boat up and filling it with water. Two people make this easier, since you don't NEED to fill the boat, just have one person spraying water while the other watches for leaks.

 

I do have one word of caution ... only do this one a trailer or a professionally built support rig. I have a good friend who is permanently impaired from the waste down because of this. He was under his 12 foot jon boat looking for leaks. He had about 3 inches of water in the boat ... which equated to about 120 pounds of water plus the weight of the boat. When the legs of the horse at one end gave way, the boat fell down and crushed his hips. It didn't actually break any bones, but the sliding across flesh muscle destroyed the nerves. He can't feel anything below the waste. Although he can walk, he can't tell what his feet are doing, so has to constantly watch his feet as he moves. It's a very odd way of getting around, and he can't do anything that requires balance, like stand and cast at the same time.

 

Just be careful.

[clind98 0]

Capt. Bob has the right idea about setting the boat up and filling it with water. Two people make this easier, since you don't NEED to fill the boat, just have one person spraying water while the other watches for leaks.

 

I do have one word of caution ... only do this one a trailer or a professionally built support rig. I have a good friend who is permanently impaired from the waste down because of this. He was under his 12 foot jon boat looking for leaks. He had about 3 inches of water in the boat ... which equated to about 120 pounds of water plus the weight of the boat. When the legs of the horse at one end gave way, the boat fell down and crushed his hips. It didn't actually break any bones, but the sliding across flesh muscle destroyed the nerves. He can't feel anything below the waste. Although he can walk, he can't tell what his feet are doing, so has to constantly watch his feet as he moves. It's a very odd way of getting around, and he can't do anything that requires balance, like stand and cast at the same time.

 

Just be careful.

 

good point never thought of that it does not have a trailer as we would just throw it into the back of our truck. Would putting a light under it and turn of the lights then look for light shinning thru work?

[Iroc_Jeff 0]

Ok Thanks for all your input it is a riveted hull I hope the leaks are small there is no visible gouges so hopefully it will be repairable. What kind of "extras" are nice?

 

Thanks

 

If you can, I'd suggest making a casting deck. If you have the molded-in bench seats you'll have an easy time with it since it makes a good foundation and you'll have the pit areas for storage bins. My friend bought an old 89-ish Raycraft bass boat that had a big open middle and tiny, and I mean tiny, front casting deck. We filled in the open area with all decking and even made stowaway compartments for most of the gear as well. Now, the whole boat is flat except where the driver and passenger sit and makes fishing so much better.

[mikechell 0]

Capt. Bob has the right idea about setting the boat up and filling it with water. Two people make this easier, since you don't NEED to fill the boat, just have one person spraying water while the other watches for leaks.

 

I do have one word of caution ... only do this one a trailer or a professionally built support rig. I have a good friend who is permanently impaired from the waste down because of this. He was under his 12 foot jon boat looking for leaks. He had about 3 inches of water in the boat ... which equated to about 120 pounds of water plus the weight of the boat. When the legs of the horse at one end gave way, the boat fell down and crushed his hips. It didn't actually break any bones, but the sliding across flesh muscle destroyed the nerves. He can't feel anything below the waste. Although he can walk, he can't tell what his feet are doing, so has to constantly watch his feet as he moves. It's a very odd way of getting around, and he can't do anything that requires balance, like stand and cast at the same time.

 

Just be careful.

 

good point never thought of that it does not have a trailer as we would just throw it into the back of our truck. Would putting a light under it and turn of the lights then look for light shinning thru work?

Um ... in the dark of night, maybe. The problem you'll have is that leaks don't have to be straight through. Weeping around rivets ... hole under seats, these won't be visible with light. But, spraying water at the inside while someone watches the outside should show wet spots forming where the leaks are.

[clind98 0]

Capt. Bob has the right idea about setting the boat up and filling it with water. Two people make this easier, since you don't NEED to fill the boat, just have one person spraying water while the other watches for leaks.

 

I do have one word of caution ... only do this one a trailer or a professionally built support rig. I have a good friend who is permanently impaired from the waste down because of this. He was under his 12 foot jon boat looking for leaks. He had about 3 inches of water in the boat ... which equated to about 120 pounds of water plus the weight of the boat. When the legs of the horse at one end gave way, the boat fell down and crushed his hips. It didn't actually break any bones, but the sliding across flesh muscle destroyed the nerves. He can't feel anything below the waste. Although he can walk, he can't tell what his feet are doing, so has to constantly watch his feet as he moves. It's a very odd way of getting around, and he can't do anything that requires balance, like stand and cast at the same time.

 

Just be careful.

 

good point never thought of that it does not have a trailer as we would just throw it into the back of our truck. Would putting a light under it and turn of the lights then look for light shinning thru work?

Um ... in the dark of night, maybe. The problem you'll have is that leaks don't have to be straight through. Weeping around rivets ... hole under seats, these won't be visible with light. But, spraying water at the inside while someone watches the outside should show wet spots forming where the leaks are.

Took a look at the hull for the first time in a while because it was tarped and there is a bunch of caulk down the center seam. I assume that it will be a seam leak rather than a hole, what would be the best way to reseal the seam?

 

Thanks

[JSzymczyk 0]

10 foot boat.... sell it and buy a kayak.

[Crotalus 0]

Flexseal

[mikechell 0]

Flexseal

Actually, this might be the best bet, if you are going to fix this boat fro use.

 

Turn the boat over, bottom side up. Use paint stripper to remove all traces of paint, sealants and caulks from the bottom. Then get "flexseal" or and equivalent spray on sealant and coat the entire bottom of the boat. I'll tell you "Flexseal", which can be purchased at Home Depot for about 13 bucks a can, does work. I don't think it'll make a screen door water tight like the TV commercial, but it did make a nice top for my fish cleaning table.

[Iroc_Jeff 0]

You also can bypass Flexseal and just by Spectracide's Pruning Seal in the aresol can for 1/3 the price. Its the same stuff.

[petelangevin 0]

I filled the empty cavity of an old boat ( under the casting deck) with a ton of spray foam. It still leaked a little. But floated like a ranger bass boat. Could not sink it. Not super light but floated great.