[PatPatterson]

I have a hole in the side of a pontoon. It is in the side of the forward end, and is a sealed area. The hole is about 2" x 4". My questions is, should I get this repaired at the dealership, or would any good aluminum welder be able to do it?

[DJ]

Any good aluminum welder should be able to fix it. Two things to watch out for though.1. There may be floatation in the tube.2. The tube will need to be vented to accept the pressure generated by the welding heat. A good welder should know that.

[PatPatterson]

Thanks for the info. There is no foam in the tubes. I just need to find someone who can weld to do this, I guess. Thanks.

[crazy charlie]

That is the type of repair that a dealer usually sublets out to a welder.Charlie

[dajohnson53]

My advice is to look in the yellow pages and/or ask around and find an aluminum welder who has experience with boats. You might even ask your dealer or another boat shop who they might recommend. My personal experience is that some aluminum welders do a good job on boats, some don't. Another factor is cosmetics. Some welders are into making it look smooth and pretty, some aren't. Make sure to tell them if you want it to look as nice as possible. They can even weld, then grind to make it almost invisible, if that's how you want it.

[PatPatterson]

Thanks for all the input on this. Just an update. I took the boat to a couple of local welders, and none of them inspired much confidence. I called a couple of Pontoon dealers, and they would not recommend a welder, so I took the boat back to the dealer where I bought it. I am told that it is about a $200.00 - $250.00 repair. For that, I can just pay the deductable on my insurance, and get a new Pontoon, so we decided to go this route.