# Repairing aluminum boats



## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

Anyone have any good ideas and luck for repairing cracks and small holes and leaking rivets on aluminum boats. I have 2 boats with the above problem and i would like to hear about any fixes. Thanks very much for any info.


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## DontForgetTheDrainPlug (Mar 3, 2010)

JBWeld....cheap....easy....permanent

They have several different types....all I have used worked GREAT


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

FYI, I bought a Sportspal canoe, about 20 + years ago,,, REAL CHEAP. It had some nail holes in the bottom.

I used a tube/ gun caulk called "Geocell" to seal the leaks. It's like a co or tri-polymer something. Banner Supply in Y-town sells tons of it. 
It's ABSOLUTELY the , gooyest, stickyest, longest lasting, best rubber-like caulk around! (do not use the silicone base)
It's still hard as WELD on that bottom. (don't get it all over your hands!)

I also was given a 12' deep v that was flipped up-side-down on the trailer,,, motor and All.
About 5" of the transom corner was ripped open. I bolted in a new full width treated 2"x12" transom board, after I used that Geocell stuff inside and out. (Sand/ clean application area first) It's still dry & good like new,,,,

Oh ya,,, If you need to caulk your windows, or fix a leaking rainspout,,,you'll only have to do it once! About $5 a tube. 3 or 4 colors.


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## PAPPY (Feb 8, 2007)

Cabelas has a epoxy stick that does an outstanding job. Easy to use I have repaired three boat s over the last 10 years all still donot leak.


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## InlandKid (Aug 29, 2006)

I used Seal-All on my 12ft aluminum last summer, just roughed up with sandpaper around the rivets before I painted it and it worked good for me. Its sold in a tube at lowes.


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

turkeyt said:


> Anyone have any good ideas and luck for repairing cracks and small holes and leaking rivets on aluminum boats. I have 2 boats with the above problem and i would like to hear about any fixes. Thanks very much for any info.


You need to drill small holes at each end of the cracks, or else they will continue to grow.

If you can get to both sides of the leaking rivets you can hammer them down a little tighter. They're really not that hard to deal with. If you want to replace them, I suggest looking for them, and the bucking tools, at McMaster-Carr.

What caused the extra holes?

There is a ton of info at iboats.com They have a restoration, building and hull repair section.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

The proper way is to re-rivet with heavy duty rivets. Otherwise you drill the rivet and put a stainless steel nut and bolt through and seal it with 3M 5200 or some other Permanent marine sealer. 5200 is usually whats recommended. Cracks? Maybe JB weld, or actually weld or braze the pieces. You have to be careful welding aluminum obviously or you'll make Bigger holes. If you have many holes and cracks, it might be time for a new hull.

People fill holes etc properly then sand and coat the inside with a product called Gluvit. Its flexible and waterproof. A lot of people have good luck with it.


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## bluegilla killa (Feb 17, 2012)

bucking down rivots and gluvit is a pretty bulletproof combo


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