Cheap leaking boat

themainer

Recruit
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
2
First post here. This site has helped me in the past to fix up my 1977 Johnson 6 horse I bought for $50 by just browsing so figured I'd ask a question of my own.

I picked up a 12' aluminum flat bottomed boat last year basically free but it leaks a decent amount. I wound the water weld to it in places I could definitely tell which helped slow it down. Don't want to bother getting it welded up or re-riveted as this boat is just going to be drug into a remote fly fishing pond in northern Maine and left there so I can just lug in the Johnson, throw it on and go.

I'D really like to seal it up as quick and cheap as possible since it could get stolen or crushed under a falling tree. I wanted to just buy a few cans of spray on truck bed liner and call it good. Not sure if anyone else has tried this with success?

I've read up on Gluvit but not 100 sure I want to spend the money on it as to coat the whole bottom of the boat it'd probably be close to $100.

Not that I don't have the money, just currently saving for a house, and I snowmobile, golf, etc. and the boat will only be used 6 times a year max most likely.

Thanks for any help, I am open to any suggestions.
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,924
Is $50 bucks to much?? Same stuff as Gluvit. Paint oneside of the seam and tilt theboat to let the goop slide into the crevices. This kit should be enuf to do the entire boat if you take your time and only paint it on the areas that need it. NOTE: IT has NO UV inhibitors soooo you have to paint over it or it will eventually fail.;)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Amazing-G...0040/203279524
 
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ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
The rattle can truck bed liner stuff is junk, it won't be of much value in sealing up anything for long.
 

Patfromny

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
1,197
Flex seal will work but you have to cut the whole bottom out and install a screen door first. Lol. Seriously though, I would spend the 50 or 100 bucks for piece of mind. Especially if you are alone in a remote area. Just skip a day of golfing. It will be worth the dry feet when your done fishing for the day. To me, my personal saftey is worth missing a day on the course. Another way of looking at it is that if the boat sinks it takes the motor with it. I am sure you'll spend more than 100 repairing or replacing it after it's flooded with water. Make sure you Paint over these sealers as Wood said. If done properly and a tree doesn't fall on it, you will get many years of fly fishing out of her. All for the low low price of 100 bucks. Good luck finding a better deal than that. Good luck
 

mxcobra

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
526
truck bed liner leaks, my father in law is a plumber. He tryed to use that stuff in some leaky drain Pans in a commercial building. Guess what they leaked, and cost him a bunch of money. My cheap fix for you would be shoe goo its a clear epoxy 5 bucks a tube and sticks to aluminum well.
 

themainer

Recruit
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
2
Thanks for the advice guys. If all I need to do is the seams and rivets instead of the whole boat do you think I could get away with just 2 pounds of Gluvit since she;s only a narrow 12 footer? Looks like on Amazon I can pick it up for about $50. Any special prep work I'd need to do for it to stick correctly?
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
Welcome aboard mainer, so you've got some great answers and come to the conclusion there is no handy man in a can fix for leaking boats. For gluvit or coat it epoxy to adhere you have to clean the surface down to bare aluminum without having any contaminants on the surface then like said it has to be covered with something to screen out UV rays. My worry for gluvit epoxy on a small boat that will be flexing a whole lot more than a big one is that the gluvit will crack when your dragging and rolling the boat around and then become an issue itself.

You really need to leak test and mark the spots where it's dripping water, if it's a crack or missing rivet then it needs repaired first. It doesn't cost much at all for rivets. Usually these little tinnys suffer the most damage in the keel area from repeated beaching. Some get wore down, dented and others develop cracks. Do a leak test first by adding SOME water to the bottom of the boat but don't fill her up much over the seams and pin point where it's leaking. Report back on your findings with some pics.
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,924
A 2lb kit is MORE than enuf to complete your 12ft boat. PREP IS the key for it to adhere properly. It's my understanding that a stainless steel wire brush is a good tool to use but DON'T get real agressive with it. Wipe everyting down with acetone and then apply the epoxy. As WM stated it IS a good idea to try and Re-Buck any and all loose rivets prior to using any epoxy products. Epoxy remains fairly flexible after obtaining a full cure and you'd have to flex it a great deal for it to crack and break. I've never use it on an aluminum boat but have used it extensively on a lot of external applications where flexing was an issue and it held up very well. UV IS a major issue so as previously stated it is imperative that you paint over it once its applied. Not all epoxy is the same and different formulas have different flexing properties. Gluvit and coat-it are pretty good. West Systems probably makes the best. G-Flex. But you pay for it!!!
 
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Ned L

Commander
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
2,266
I would suggest a couple of $3 tubes of acrylic caulking from a hardware store. Give the outside of the boat a good scubbing with a stiff brush and maybe Ajax or Comet or something like that (a cleaner with a abrasive). When we'll dried put a small dollip of caulk on each leakin rivet and rub in with a fingertip. Let dry for a couple of days then enjoy your boat.
 

Patfromny

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
1,197
Caulk isn't rated for under the water line. I would never use it for this purpose. Just look how long the stuff works in a shower. If you're lucky you get a year before it is falling apart and moldy. That's with it exposed to water, not submerged. Please use marine rated products for your boat. You'll be happy in the long run. You've heard the saying about there being no "I" in team? Well there is no "safe" in cheap. It seems like your leaning toward the marine products which is good. I would just hate to have anyone else think that caulk has any place on a boat. If it was suitable for marine environs then these money hungry companies would be selling it as such. Most tubes will even say that they aren't for under water uses. Can't get more straight forward than that
 
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