aluminum boat help!

[qxlooper]

I have a 14'. I have a small, annoying leak. I have tried to seal it with the alumiweld stuff, but it is still there. I have tried to find it, put the stuff where I think it is, but it is still there.

My question is:

1. What is the best way to find it? seems that it just seeps. Should I fill it with water and look at the bottom? get about an inch of water in the back section of the boat in about 2 hours, not a problem, 5 min of sponge and it is gone, but want to seal it.

2. what is the best way to seal it once I find it?

thanks-

Keith

[T Dot]

how old is your boat?

the leak could be coming from under the seat or the rivets.

[HillbillyGeek]

It is very common for rivets on older aluminum boats to have slow leaks. You may be dealing with several very small leaks rather than just one larger leak. The guy I bought my jon boat from said that it used to "seep" and he fixed it by caulking ALL of the rivets with silicone. Each rivet has a layer of caulk on the outside of the boat. It isn't pretty and paint will not stick to silicone, so if you're concerned about your boat looking good, you'll probably want to use something else to seal your rivets. My boat is 20+ years old and does not leak at all.

[AdsBot [Google]]

Some manufacturers guarantee their rivets for life. Regardless, I would call a manufacturer’s rep for your brand of boat. I am sure he will give you the best info as to how to fix the problem

[qxlooper]

the boat is 24 yrs old at least! Call the company? I haven't been able to find out who took over maing it. I have searched and searched for the manuf. .... I think the boat is a 'Swan Lake.' Have to look into the option of the silicone on the rivets!

Any other ideas?

Thanks-

Keith

[clam man]

any way you can post a picture? that might help out a lot.

Also, and I am sure you probably know this, you need to prep the site of the leak before you seal it. It can be just like trying to paint over dirt...it will eventually fail, flake off, or leak.

I used that alumaweld type epoxy stuff on my jon boat that was leaking like a sieve, it works fine, no leaks, and I just spray painted it over matt black. Looks pretty sharp now actually.

Clam Man

[gpc]

The type of leak that you have will be next to impossible to locate, I wouldnt waste my time looking for it. Its a timely process but go through a caulk every seem and rivet, then cake on primer, 5 layers of primer or so. This should do it. But with the leak you have I wouldnt worry about it too much. That sounds like a tiny leak.

[qxlooper]

Thanks for the responses. i think I am going to go the way of the last post and not worry too much about it. If I happen to run accross it, then I will use silicone. I think I am going to invest in a hand siphon pump for 12.95, and keep the sponge. Not a huge problem, more of an annoyance.

Keith

[T Dot]

clean up the suspect areas

let it dry

and use quality epoxy. go to www.tapplastics.com - locate your nearest retailer, and get the proper adheasive. use safey goggles and gloves.

if you just epoxy the inside of your boat you should be fine.

[Fisherman_max]

i might just be dumb but i would spot weld over the rivets that might be leaking and that might seal up the leak, i guess thats kinda the red-neck way of fishing leaks in metal boats.

[mallard83]

I would fill the boat with enough water with a garden hose, bucket or whatever and detect the general area that the leak is coming from. Then empty the boat of water and dry the leaky area and use clear RTV silicone to seal the area. This worked great on my boat and I sealed it with the same every year or two. If the leak is in a high use area such as where you would step a lot I would recomend reapplying it more often. You can pick this silicone up at a Schucks or any other atomotive store or probably even a hardware store. Good luck.

[produce2troutcat]

I would fill the boat with enough water with a garden hose, bucket or whatever and detect the general area that the leak is coming from. Then empty the boat of water and dry the leaky area and use clear RTV silicone to seal the area. This worked great on my boat and I sealed it with the same every year or two. If the leak is in a high use area such as where you would step a lot I would recomend reapplying it more often. You can pick this silicone up at a Schucks or any other atomotive store or probably even a hardware store. Good luck.

I have done the boat leak test and it is very simple.Elevate the boat on a couple of sawhorses with a couple of 2 x 4's to help support the boat,fill it with the hose to about 4-6 inches deep and look for the drips.Mark the spot or spots with a grease pencil or crayon.Prep the spot and apply marine silicone like 3M 5200 or you could rerivet it if you want.I have also heard of people using truck bed liner stuff on the outside of the hull to seal up the leaks,only downfall is the extra weight it adds.

[VooDuuChild]

If you know someone who can spray cars/bedliners and will hook you up with a deal, you can do what I'm gonna do if mine ever leaks more than half a cup a day and have the inside from the top seam down sprayed with bedliner thereby fixing your leak, adding structural integrity to your boat and dulling that slapping noise that water makes when waves hit the hull.....overkill, maybe, but it will fix it forever and only add a few pounds, maybe ten at most is you shoot it on thick.

[Lotech Joe]

This is a link to the best stuff I've ever used to seal leaks. Finishes as smooth as glass. Applies with the consistency of spun honey. Puddles to a glass smooth finish. Expensive; Yes. Will your boat ever leak again; NO. I've used this product about 3 times without any failures or disappointments. If I were to rate it between 1 and 10, with 10 being the best, I'd rate it 10. Hands down the best I've ever used.

http://www.marinetex.com/PRODUCT%20PAGE ... d%20in.htm

[fishing collector]

I hate leaks and rust!! 35 years as a engineer on ships and tugs..... I always try to fix leaks like the one you have by using Devcon. You can find it at Lowes or any marine store. Find the type of Devcon for Aluminum fixing, or a compatable. http://www.devcon.com/products/products ... milyid=107 Clean the surface well, mix the stuff and apply. Zap!! No leak. Gluvit is the same stuff. It's all epoxy. I have fixed leaks in engines that are 20 cyclinders and 6,000hp, Devcon always works. There is some stuff that was advertised on tv awhile ago that sprays on to even wet surfaces and the leak stops.... Can't remember the name but I used it once and it worked fine to stop a leak in an outside faucet. My neighbor and I were amazed! You might try Permatex Spray'n' Seal... http://www.permatex.com/products/Automo ... Repair.htm Keep the sponge handy! Might try,... http://www.permatex.com/products/Automo ... Repair.htm

[cavdad45]

I worked in a boat shop and the way would check for leaks was to fill it with a garden hose like some of the others mentioned. Most likely you will find a leaky rivet or rivets. Since its an older boat, you will not get manufacturer support, so I'd cover the leakers with JB Weld.

[qxlooper]

Ok, I have read all the responses. I do appreciate them. I now have a question. Someone recommended a truck liner. I was at Home depot today and noticed that they have alum. roof material that is suppose to stop leaks and what not..... would this work if I painted the bottom(inside) of my boat with this? It says it is waterproof and to fix leaks. 100% elasticy and good down to -32 degrees.

Keith

[fishaholictaz]

Don't do it it is nasty stuff! It also won't work I am pretty sure.

[kevinb]

Ok, I have read all the responses. I do appreciate them. I now have a question. Someone recommended a truck liner. I was at Home depot today and noticed that they have alum. roof material that is suppose to stop leaks and what not..... would this work if I painted the bottom(inside) of my boat with this? It says it is waterproof and to fix leaks. 100% elasticy and good down to -32 degrees.

Keith

I would try to PM Gisteppo. I think he is the "Boat Pro"

[Anglinarcher]

Ok, I have read all the responses. I do appreciate them. I now have a question. Someone recommended a truck liner. I was at Home depot today and noticed that they have alum. roof material that is suppose to stop leaks and what not..... would this work if I painted the bottom(inside) of my boat with this? It says it is waterproof and to fix leaks. 100% elasticy and good down to -32 degrees.

Keith

The stuff is not designed to handle any abrasion. Just pulling your boat onto a trailer, or beaching it will remove the stuff. Don't even consider the water moving by when under power, the stuff can't handle it.