Seal Large Seam in Aluminum Boat

fagan

Recruit
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
1
I have a 1994 Alumacraft 17' boat. It has a 5/16" x 4'6" seam opening at the front of the boat. I have removed the old seam filler/sealer because it is leaking. Any suggestions as to what kind of filler/sealer I can use to fix the crack/leak?

Kraig
 

aeviaanah

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 4, 2011
Messages
77
Re: Seal Large Seam in Aluminum Boat

Check home depot for a 3m 5200 caulking. Its marine grade and it good stuff. Be sure to clean the aluminum prior to application.
 

cribber

Lieutenant
Joined
May 29, 2008
Messages
1,338
Re: Seal Large Seam in Aluminum Boat

Hit it with a green scotch-brite pad to clean and scuff the surfaces, give it a wipe down with alcohol or something similar, and use the 3M 5200 suggested above.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
Re: Seal Large Seam in Aluminum Boat

What caused the seam to open? Missing rivets?

I have never seen a 5/16 gap in a hull seam without having some sort of damage or many missing rivets.
Certainly not on an Alumacraft, and we've had several over 45 years old.
 

gus-gus

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
Messages
169
Re: Seal Large Seam in Aluminum Boat

It sounds to me that you must be missing the connecting component, sometimes called a chine, sometimes called an "angle" but there must have been something there before.
 

5150abf

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
5,808
Re: Seal Large Seam in Aluminum Boat

Is there a part of the boat missing or are there a ton a loose rivets and how exactly did you remove the sealer????

You really don't want to band aid this fix, if i am thinking of the correct part that is a huge part of the boat and sealer won't hold.

Get up a pic if you can so we can have a better idea what you are talking about because that is very out of the ordinary.
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Re: Seal Large Seam in Aluminum Boat

Replace the rivets in that seam and then seal it. Just puting goop on it is a temporary fix.
 
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