repair hole in riveted alum hull

[jpaulw]

I have 1/2 inch irregular hole in aluminum hull, 1976 Starcraft I/O. It appears to be corrosion or damage spot on transom below water line. It is in line with end of stringer, backed by plywood of transom, not very accessible from inside. Surrounding metal seems sound, but I am reluctant to enlarge hole to find out until I have idea how to proceed. Could use safe temporary fix while I decide whether to repower this boat. (Just now got it running enough to put in water.) Weld? Goop? Bolt on patch? Thanks.

 

[crab bait]

Re: repair hole in riveted alum hull

i'm no expert here ..<br />but JB WELD or MARINE TEX is some good stuff .. peeps used it to fix engine blocks...

 

[jpaulw]

Re: repair hole in riveted alum hull

Thanks, Crab Bait. I am inclined to try something like that for temporary patch. For a more permanent fix does anyone know if welding is a reasonable idea?

 

[Luna Sea]

Re: repair hole in riveted alum hull

Hmmm, I just had a post on here about my Lund. Actually it was under the "Boat Questions" forum. Happened to me overnight, battery was the culprit-damp and drizzly+uncovered battery=disaster. My holes didnt go through though. JB Weld worked fine. Afraid to sand it down all the way though. Got like 6 spots visible. Read some posts on the site I'll add at the bottom. But I kinda think I should have drilled small holes and either used a rivet or the ss sheet metal screw with a rubber washer. For your application I'd be inclined to rivet or through bolt a piece of aluminum on the outside with some caulking. Been thinking of adding a transducer or a ladder? Repair job can be made to look like an upgrade if you think about it. Happy Boating!http://pagebiz.com/bds/aluminum/repair.html

 

[PurpleDragon]

Re: repair hole in riveted alum hull

Hey guys,<br /><br />I have a mid 1960's aluminum boat, that had a LOT of pitting. Some of that pitting went through the hull in the form of holes that varied from pinhole size, to almost 1/2". I turned the hull, and used a nylon paint-removal brush on my power-drill to clean off the holes. Did the same on the inside... Then JB-Welded the outside 7 Inside of all the holes. I then used an oil-based exterior primer on the outside, just to make sure all the pinholes were taken care of.<br /><br />G'Luck!<br />Rex S.