This just might be the first time I've heard a boat owner *proudly* exclaim, "the bow of the boat's filled up with water." Excellent fix, Wayne the Boat Guy!
I have a 12ft v hull from 1959 that was riddled with holes too. I coated the entire bottom with fasco steel flex (airboat hull epoxy coating), and the inside with gluvit (marine epoxy) with a final coat of truck bed liner. Turned out great and has given me years of fun out of my tiny boat.
Enjoyed your video. My aluminum boat had a big caulked section in the bow just like yours. Damage was from riding upside down hitting something (before I got it). I used course sanding pads then thickened epoxy resin with embeded fiberglass cloth but on the outside. Then painted. Both our repairs will probably last a long time.
That is a high tech repair that anyone must recommend! As long as it works... And if it leaks again, you can still try something else. You're right not to make irrelevant expenses with this small boat. An easy/quick/cheap fix is fine.
The great thing about those aluminum boats if they are easy to repair as he just showed us. A couple coats of paint and you’ll have years of use for little money.I used cheap paint from Tractor Supply and added catalyst for hardening the paint and 10 years later still watertight. And it takes abuse and still looks good
I think we must be related. I am rebuilding a 16 StarCraft right now. I bought a 15 dollar Harbor freight drill and I've gone through 15-20 wire wheels taking 8 layers of paint off inside and out. I also bought the biggest tubes of J B weld I've ever seen. I used Rust-Oleum Self Etching Primer. I'm also using Rust-Oleum 2 in 1 paint and primer on top. That combination is a winner. I let the primer sit for a day, lightly sand a clean with water, let dry, then paint.👍👍
Great video. I like how you think. I would consider Scotch-Weld Urethane. It's semi flexible and might resist cracking better than epoxy. Restoring 1977 Starcraft Aluminum boat now...someone had dumped some epoxy resin in the bow...some has cracked off...but didn't appear to leak when I hit it with a pressure washer from the outside (outside rivets and sealant all looked good so not sure why the epoxy). Thanks for the video.
Jb weld is perfect for that. I use the same method you did. Only difference is i wash it with phosphoric acid before applying, and put some rustoleum over the top. Never had an issue with it.
My 1964 Alum. boat has been fresh water all of it's life, and never got pits and holes like that. Something ate at that Alum. I would have used the JB Weld too.
Looks good 👍 maybe a west marine product but that’s JB weld marine. I’ve had good luck with JB weld products over the years. Just used JB seam sealer on my daughters car plastic body seams from a fender bender, worked great. Came with the nozzles that mix and inject it was a double tube syringe type
What you should do is get a can of flex seal and paint the whole bottom of the boat it works trust me I did it on a 14-ft deep v aluminum boat and it's been 12 years no leaks.
its too bad that you have so many boats. if you ever want to get rid of one of the V bottoms, let me know. I'm just down the road 40 miles or so. Good job on the repair....
My boat has a plywood floor inside. After watching many videos I am thinking I will first try to tighten up any loose rivets. Then use aluminum brazing rod (in small doses) on the bottom side because of its strength and resistance to abrasion. Then on the inside I will use silver roofing tar under the plywood floor. After time the roofing tar does firm up on the surface, but remains pliable underneath the skin and seals extremely well. The smaller the weld repairs the less likely they will be to pop off due to the boat flexing. But for pinholes it should work great.
Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge with everyone, you do an amazing job. One question, I have a 15-foot aluminum boat and it has a leak, it's not much, but it does get water, what kind of sealant do you recommend? Thank you so much! 😊
I like the jb weld part but I would have flipped the boat over and painted the bottom of the hull with spray on bed liner paint. I know it would have cost more but it also protects the aluminum from getting holes from rocks.
I like the idea considering the protection it would impart, but when I think of bed liner I think of a rough surface. My only concern would be the extra drag created by that rough surface.
There is a flexible epoxy i used years ago on my aluminum boat it has it worked wonders. My dad used to use JB weld on the boat when it was his and it would work for a while but then crack and leak again. The flexible stuff has held up much better. It is also thinner so it will run down into the cracks and fill them better...just put a piece of masking tape on the bottom of the hole to "hold" it in place until it fully cures. The product I used was called gluv-it. I don't know if it is still made, but that stuff worked great. I does take a full 7 days to cure and, if not painted after, it will turn a cloudy from the UV rays. But slapping a little paint on it is not hard to do.
What would I do different? First, gotta use a stainless steel brush... a regular steel one can leave particles of steel embedded in the aluminium which can lead to galvanic corrosion, especially if you use it in sea water. Second, I'd probably use aluminium brazing rods and a propane torch instead of JB Weld so it's a metal on metal repair rather than an epoxy on metal. Still, what you did seems to have worked so no complaints.
Yeah - me too! As a buyer, that approach always comes across like the seller is hiding some major leak issues even though it might be a decent approach.
I don't know why people insist on repairing their boat from the inside. When you are out in your boat on the water the pressure on your repair comes from the outside of the boat. If you only repair it from the inside, the pressure is working against your repair. If you repair it on the outside, the pressure is essentially working to hold your repair in place. Personally, I would advocate for repairs on both sides of the boat.
I havent read all the comments. So this may have already been mentioned, but shouldn't the JB Weld be put on the outside of the boat? I'm not saying putting on the interior won't work, but due to the water pressure, the JB Weld would be reinforced by the boat hull. Just sayin.
Great point! Several of the holes are located on the flip side of the keel guard - the only access is on the inside. And in a little boat like this one - and these only being tiny holes, I don't think water pressure will be an issue.
Next time you need to remove calking, spray it with wd-40 and let it sit for a bit. It makes it much easier to remove. Someone used house calk on my boat instead of 4200 or 5200 marine calk.
This just might be the first time I've heard a boat owner *proudly* exclaim, "the bow of the boat's filled up with water." Excellent fix, Wayne the Boat Guy!
Thanks!!!
I have a 12ft v hull from 1959 that was riddled with holes too. I coated the entire bottom with fasco steel flex (airboat hull epoxy coating), and the inside with gluvit (marine epoxy) with a final coat of truck bed liner. Turned out great and has given me years of fun out of my tiny boat.
Enjoyed your video. My aluminum boat had a big caulked section in the bow just like yours. Damage was from riding upside down hitting something (before I got it). I used course sanding pads then thickened epoxy resin with embeded fiberglass cloth but on the outside. Then painted. Both our repairs will probably last a long time.
That is a high tech repair that anyone must recommend!
As long as it works... And if it leaks again, you can still try something else. You're right not to make irrelevant expenses with this small boat. An easy/quick/cheap fix is fine.
The great thing about those aluminum boats if they are easy to repair as he just showed us. A couple coats of paint and you’ll have years of use for little money.I used cheap paint from Tractor Supply and added catalyst for hardening the paint and 10 years later still watertight. And it takes abuse and still looks good
I agree with you it has to be a better job and it appears thats what you did that said I've never used jb weld
I think we must be related. I am rebuilding a 16 StarCraft right now. I bought a 15 dollar Harbor freight drill and I've gone through 15-20 wire wheels taking 8 layers of paint off inside and out. I also bought the biggest tubes of J B weld I've ever seen. I used Rust-Oleum Self Etching Primer. I'm also using Rust-Oleum 2 in 1 paint and primer on top. That combination is a winner. I let the primer sit for a day, lightly sand a clean with water, let dry, then paint.👍👍
Nice!
Great video.
I like how you think.
I would consider Scotch-Weld Urethane. It's semi flexible and might resist cracking better than epoxy.
Restoring 1977 Starcraft Aluminum boat now...someone had dumped some epoxy resin in the bow...some has cracked off...but didn't appear to leak when I hit it with a pressure washer from the outside (outside rivets and sealant all looked good so not sure why the epoxy).
Thanks for the video.
Wayne you might consider installing outdoor carpet in the boat. Makes it quieter for a more enjoyable boating experience.
That's a cool idea!
don't have a boat yet but JB weld works great for me on other projects
Jb weld is perfect for that. I use the same method you did. Only difference is i wash it with phosphoric acid before applying, and put some rustoleum over the top. Never had an issue with it.
My 1964 Alum. boat has been fresh water all of it's life, and never got pits and holes like that. Something ate at that Alum. I would have used the JB Weld too.
Yeah it's one of the few aluminum boats I have seen with pitting like this.
Looks good 👍 maybe a west marine product but that’s JB weld marine. I’ve had good luck with JB weld products over the years. Just used JB seam sealer on my daughters car plastic body seams from a fender bender, worked great. Came with the nozzles that mix and inject it was a double tube syringe type
Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video good luck with patching a metal boat I wouldn't attempt it 😮
What you should do is get a can of flex seal and paint the whole bottom of the boat it works trust me I did it on a 14-ft deep v aluminum boat and it's been 12 years no leaks.
Thought that only worked if you sawed it in half or put a screen door in the bottom 😂😂
That is a great idea I never thought of that I'm going to have to check out the price because that might be the best route
its too bad that you have so many boats. if you ever want to get rid of one of the V bottoms, let me know. I'm just down the road 40 miles or so. Good job on the repair....
Always good for a good laugh. Thanks for the funny informative info. Change the name to Wayne the Funny Boat Guy. Thanks...
My boat has a plywood floor inside. After watching many videos I am thinking I will first try to tighten up any loose rivets. Then use aluminum brazing rod (in small doses) on the bottom side because of its strength and resistance to abrasion. Then on the inside I will use silver roofing tar under the plywood floor. After time the roofing tar does firm up on the surface, but remains pliable underneath the skin and seals extremely well. The smaller the weld repairs the less likely they will be to pop off due to the boat flexing. But for pinholes it should work great.
Epoxy and fiberglass patch
Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge with everyone, you do an amazing job. One question, I have a 15-foot aluminum boat and it has a leak, it's not much, but it does get water, what kind of sealant do you recommend? Thank you so much! 😊
I would recommend west systems gflex its a epoxy that is made for that
I like the jb weld part but I would have flipped the boat over and painted the bottom of the hull with spray on bed liner paint. I know it would have cost more but it also protects the aluminum from getting holes from rocks.
I like the idea considering the protection it would impart, but when I think of bed liner I think of a rough surface. My only concern would be the extra drag created by that rough surface.
I did a similar repair to a 17' Grumman canoe. I think that was 6-8 years ago. It still keeps me dry when I use it to paddle or sail.
Nice!
I would use J B weld on the inside. Flip the boat and use gluvit on the outside. You can also use it on the inside with great success .
There is a flexible epoxy i used years ago on my aluminum boat it has it worked wonders. My dad used to use JB weld on the boat when it was his and it would work for a while but then crack and leak again. The flexible stuff has held up much better. It is also thinner so it will run down into the cracks and fill them better...just put a piece of masking tape on the bottom of the hole to "hold" it in place until it fully cures. The product I used was called gluv-it. I don't know if it is still made, but that stuff worked great. I does take a full 7 days to cure and, if not painted after, it will turn a cloudy from the UV rays. But slapping a little paint on it is not hard to do.
I would use flex seal
What would I do different? First, gotta use a stainless steel brush... a regular steel one can leave particles of steel embedded in the aluminium which can lead to galvanic corrosion, especially if you use it in sea water. Second, I'd probably use aluminium brazing rods and a propane torch instead of JB Weld so it's a metal on metal repair rather than an epoxy on metal. Still, what you did seems to have worked so no complaints.
Love the Piggy Wiggly shirt
It's looks like you have two of those aluminum boats. I'd prefer to get one like it rather than a john boat.
I’ve seen folks add bed liner type paint inside and out on a old aluminum boat before.
Yeah - me too! As a buyer, that approach always comes across like the seller is hiding some major leak issues even though it might be a decent approach.
I know it’s a lot more expensive but what I’ve done in the past is braised the holes and coated the inside with glovit
I don't know why people insist on repairing their boat from the inside. When you are out in your boat on the water the pressure on your repair comes from the outside of the boat. If you only repair it from the inside, the pressure is working against your repair. If you repair it on the outside, the pressure is essentially working to hold your repair in place. Personally, I would advocate for repairs on both sides of the boat.
Many of the holes were under the riveted keel guard so I couldn’t access them from outside without removing it.
ok clown and water constantly pounding at repair on outside and erroding the material away
I havent read all the comments. So this may have already been mentioned, but shouldn't the JB Weld be put on the outside of the boat? I'm not saying putting on the interior won't work, but due to the water pressure, the JB Weld would be reinforced by the boat hull. Just sayin.
Great point! Several of the holes are located on the flip side of the keel guard - the only access is on the inside. And in a little boat like this one - and these only being tiny holes, I don't think water pressure will be an issue.
Next time you need to remove calking, spray it with wd-40 and let it sit for a bit. It makes it much easier to remove. Someone used house calk on my boat instead of 4200 or 5200 marine calk.
that looked like panel bond
I just sprayed a shit load of clear flex seal on mine. I'll see how it did here in the next few days when I take it out again
How did it go with clear flex seal?
@@rittzbyitch3682 not great i suspect lol
Use a stainless brush next time , those leave microscopic metal and it rusts
Caulk remover!! Home improvement or ACE in a spray bottle worked for me EVEN SILICONE!!!!!!!!!
I'll have to look for that!
regular bottom paint is horrible for aluminum boats it has copper in it and starts Galvanic corrosion. you have to use aluminum specific bottom paint.
That hilarious I got 5 boats and 2 canoes my woman says I should number them.
I watch your videos and I don't learn a lot but I just like hearing about the subject so much
Paint the outside with two part marine epoxy and coat the inside with truck bed liner 🎅🏻
Lots of boats seem to get done that way. Some people are scared to buy old boats that have a thick interior paint.
West system try it never leak again
is it paint ? do you get from "west marine" ?
Seems to me that a red hat would have made this repair easier, quicker and more reliable!!! lol
I didn’t want to get it dirty!
In the same boat, somehow I have 4 aluminum boats from 12 to 16 feet. My wife said I'm starting my own Navy. It's time for a boat sale.