12' Aluminum Boat Leaking Along Chine

Old406Kid

Old406Kid

Legend
Looking for suggestions on repair.
We plan on recoating the floor with bedliner or something similar so wondering if that might seal it up?
That said, I realize that once the boat is in the water there will be pressure from the outside.
Any thoughts??? :unsure:
 
Using bedliner or something like 3M 5200 will just be a temporary fix (if it's a fix at all) better to put a little elbow grease into it and do it right.

If you don't know where the leak is coming from, put a hose in the boat and fill it til you see the leak coming through the outside. Often with older aluminum boats, you could have a rivet coming loose. If that's the case you can either tighten it up, or replace. Plenty of youtube videos on both.

If it's a small crack or a puncture (from a rock etc), you can sand the metal clean and use something like JB Weld SteelStick epoxy. Or, if you're lucky enough to know someone who can weld aluminum, a couple of spot welds will sort it out.
 
_WW_ said:
Is it a crack? A hole? How big is it?
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There was some water in the boat and when I tipped it on it's side there was water weeping along a 3' length of the chine.
I haven't checked any other areas yet but assume there's probably leakage elsewhere too so I'm looking to seal the entire length on both sides.
 
Do any of the rivets in that area seem loose or jiggle if you push on them?
 
Josh said:
Do any of the rivets in that area seem loose or jiggle if you push on them?
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It weeps equally along the seam.
I might add that my brother in law bought the boat, 9.9 evinrude motor, Minnkota electric trolling motor , and galvanized EZLoader trailer for 1000$. It won't be being used on big water so just trying to get it sealed up for the fast approaching upcoming season.
 
Check the rivets. What does the inside of the boat look like? Is it just bare metal or is there an actual floor over the hull?
 
prep the hull to above the waterline inside and out, roll on two coats of Sea Hawk Tuff Stuff High Build Epoxy inside and out, followed by a top coat like Rustoleaum Hull Paint...sealed.
 
Yea my modest experience is mostly similar to what others have said. Including full with water and try to identify leak. I was thinking maybe some well place jb weld would do it but sounds like @SurfnFish approach would be a more thorough fix (and I had never heard of that stuff, good to know).
 
rattlesnake said:
Yea my modest experience is mostly similar to what others have said. Including full with water and try to identify leak. I was thinking maybe some well place jb weld would do it but sounds like @SurfnFish approach would be a more thorough fix (and I had never heard of that stuff, good to know).
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was turned onto Sea Hawk by a guy who was responsible for jon boat maintenance when he worked at a lodge in Alaska, said it was the go to there for leaking hulls. I've used it on multiple glass bottoms to reseal them, we did it on a friends sled who had pinhole corrosion issues, as well as a couple of Smokercraft Alaskans with leaking rivets, worked well on all of them. Two rolled coats will build up a quarter inch of extremely tough and flexible epoxy.
 
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If it is just a seep and not an actual hole I wouldn't do anything heroic to stop it. I would clean the area carefully with acetone or denatured alcohol, wire brush it and apply something like Eternabond tape or Gorilla Glue Patch and Seal tape.


Riveted boats have a tendency to flex and leak so a flexible seal would seem to make sense to roll with the punches so to speak.
 
Scudley Do Right said:
www.memphisnet.net

Aluminum Boat Repair Kit

This aluminum boat repair kit is a fast and inexpensive method to repair leaking rivets, cracks, and small holes in aluminum boats. Suitable for all types of aluminum boats.
www.memphisnet.net www.memphisnet.net

I've used these on leaking rivets with success.
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Nifty product idea, thanks! This with a sponge for mopping up the water that gets in from the sky!
 
Just saw this post and thought I would relay my story. I purchased a new 14 ft Alumacraft a few years ago. It has some minor seepage where the bottom is riveted to the transom. I did not notice it as the boat has an internal floor, but when I would pull the boat out after a day of fishing a few quarts of water would drain out. Being a stickler for dry boats, I purchased a tube of Flex Seal (clear) glue and applied it on the exterior along the seam. Its been 2 years now and there is not a drop of water in my boat when I pull out. I am surprised how well it has worked and held up.

Buggerbob :)
 
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