# Sealing Bottom of Boat



## Stuhly

Has anyone tried using ROLL ON BED LINER ??? to seal up the revites and 
seams. I can't find the small leaks on this boat !!! any other ideas on fixing 
this would be great also !! Thanks Dave


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## mr.whiskers

I used the home depot brand of flex seal n it workd.


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## Stuhly

thanks whiskers, I'll look into it.


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## steelneyes2

There is also a product called Gluvit its a two part epoxy that rolls on thin. Sealed up my old 14 and held for years. A quart will do the whole boat and can be painted over. Check Bridges in the falls for it or Westmarine has it for sure.


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## SeanStone

I used Dupli color bed liner on my jon and it didn't work to prevent water from seeping in, however it looks nice. LOL. Putting the boat on and off the trailer will eventually rub through the bed liner. Best thing to do is just attack the rivets with silicone, gasket sealer, jb weld, etc. Sorry its so late, I typically don't keep up with the tips and tricks section.


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## RWK

Gluvit works great, i believe it will work up to 4000 psi of presure.


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## HappySnag

Stuhly 
find leek
when the boat is on trailer and everithing is dry,you take hose and put woter in the boat,and you crol ander boat and mark where the woter is coming out,then you know where is your leek,pul plug let it dry and then you fix that.

snag


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## avantifishski

HappySnag said:


> Stuhly
> find leek
> when the boat is on trailer and everithing is dry,you take hose and put woter in the boat,and you crol ander boat and mark where the woter is coming out,then you know where is your leek,pul plug let it dry and then you fix that.
> 
> snag


interesting thought,not sure if you could see it for sure when its trailered


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## JignPig Guide

I found this stuff called Hippo Patch that I would recommend looking into. I ordered the product directly from their web-site. I used it on several of my hand-me-down canoes that I have given to my adult sons.
It comes in a roll. And sticks onto any surface (aluminum/plastic/wood) like a tape.

Check it out - http://hippopatch.com/Home.html


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## JamesT

Stay away from the "spray on rubber coating" that they advertise on tv.


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## MassillonBuckeye

The pros on iboats.com like to recommend Gluvit.


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## turkeyt

avantifishski said:


> interesting thought,not sure if you could see it for sure when its trailered


Most boat trailer bunks are designed where the boat does not sit on the rivets. You should be able to see all the rivets if your trailer was made for your boat.


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## turkeyt

JignPig Guide said:


> I found this stuff called Hippo Patch that I would recommend looking into. I ordered the product directly from their web-site. I used it on several of my hand-me-down canoes that I have given to my adult sons.
> It comes in a roll. And sticks onto any surface (aluminum/plastic/wood) like a tape.
> 
> Check it out - http://hippopatch.com/Home.html


"PIG" This sounds like Eternabond tape that is used on campers and RV's. and commercial metal roofs. Eternabond comes in one and two sided and has a real sticky like putty for the adhesive side. Is that what hippo is like?


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## fireline01

Hi all,

I've had several aluminum boats over the years which have develped leaky rivets/ pin hole leaks. I experimented with numerous sealants but none worked better than that available through cabelas, plus it's a cheap fix <$8. First find the leak, circle with a permanent marker then use a propane torch to heat the area around the leak and rub the patch stick on the heated area to build the material up. It will cool in under 10 minutes, then your ready to go.

fireline01

http://www.cabelas.com/boat-care-appearance-cabelas-aluminum-boat-patch-1.shtml


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## hang_loose

JamesT said:


> Stay away from the "spray on rubber coating" that they advertise on tv.


OK JamesT.... I gotta ask you why?? A friend just gave me a can of that stuff that he got on a 2 for 1 special. Does it work? Have you used it? Or should I give it back to him?


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## I Fish

fireline01 said:


> ......then use a propane torch to heat the area around the leak.....
> fireline01
> 
> http://www.cabelas.com/boat-care-appearance-cabelas-aluminum-boat-patch-1.shtml


Just be sure you don't get it too hot. Doing so can cause the heated area to become brittle and susceptible to cracking.

I think the reason the roll on, or sray on, sealers don't really work is due to the different expansion and contraction rates caused by temperature changes. Over time, this causes the seal to be broken. It doesn't help that it's hard to get anything to have a long lasting bond to aluminum, I think due to the aluminum's own anti-corrosion properties.

You'd be suprised how long a piece of duct tape over a leaky rivet will last. You could use some over the suspects, then next time out, see if you're still leaking. I had a boat once that we took on a 2 week trip on an island. The first day out I couldn't get on plane upon heading back to camp. As I was trying, I noticed the boat seemed to be setting rather low, and upon inspection found we were full of water. I let the 750 gph bilge pump run for 45minutes, then we pulled the plug as I got on plane to let the rest run out. It's amazing how much water you can get through such a small hole. After we got it on the trailer, I found I had lost a rivet from the bottom. I was thinking I was screwed for the trip, but we decided to try a piece of duct tape, and the same piece held for the whole trip. After I got home, I tore into the boat to replace the rivet, only to discover that 8 or 10 of them were to short from the factory, they had been bucked but had no real "head" on the inside. I was glad I only lost one.


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## hang_loose

Does anyone have a valid reason not to use the "spray on coating" that JamesT warned against??? I was given a free can of this coating to try on a leaky aluminum canoe by a friend. He is using his on gutter seals.


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## JamesT

Free? Use it.

Somewhere on here is a thread with pics of two boats my friend tried it on. Didnt fix either. He used one can on each. I got the feeling that even if he used 3 cans on each it wouldnt have worked. Doesnt seem to get into the hidden nooks and crannies where the source of the leak is (under ribbed bars, etc) 2 cans were $40. Ymmv. If you can see your hole and it is unobstucted it will probably work. But if you just know the general area and it is obstructed/hidden i dont think it will work unless you want to spend $100 or more.

Ps this site really needs the google search like other sites have.....search is quite bad.


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## MassillonBuckeye

hang_loose said:


> Does anyone have a valid reason not to use the "spray on coating" that JamesT warned against??? I was given a free can of this coating to try on a leaky aluminum canoe by a friend. He is using his on gutter seals.


It's not a permanent fix. What happens when it starts leaking again? Then you got that crap all over everything preventing a real fix. It wont be easy to get it off.


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