Alumaweld Jet Sled Hull

[Bcoblentz]

New to the forum. I have an 18' alumaweld jet sled with reinforced/raised transom and tunnel. The back half of the hull is cupped/bowed from hitting the bottom since the 70's. Anybody ever try to replace the bottom of the hull on these boats? Is it worth it to even mess with? The cupping slows the boat down quite a bit.

 

[jbcurt00]

I think you are referring to what is typically called a hook in the hull.....

I dont recall anyone posting a complete rework of the hull bottom on any aluminum boat, welded or rivetted. Fiberglass hulls, yes, quite a few.

If you were to flip the boat upside down and lay a 6ft straight edge from the edge of the transom bottom running forward towards the bow, the hull would be concave below the straight edge, correct? Thats a hook, no matter the cause.

Might try using hook in a search.

 

[Bcoblentz]

Yes it has a hook

 

[ondarvr]

If you live in the NW you can ask them about doing it, if that's not possible try pounding it back into shape first, that's not easy to do on aluminum, but you should be able to make is somewhat better, and if not, plan B would be cut and weld.

 

[fhhuber]

Bending the hull back to correct shape ... not too hard. Support the hull and jump up and down inside it and you might just reshape it.

Reinforcing it so it doesn't bend right back the first time you skip off a wave at speed...... that is the difficult issue.

Knowing what the real issue is doesn't mean I know how to properly deal with it. The original ribs won't hold it or you wouldn't have the problem now.

 

[Bcoblentz]

It has been reinforced so jumping on it doesn't move anything. Like I said it's been hitting the bottom for many years and eventually "hooked" the bottom including the extra bracing. I think the only way to get it back is to cut out the old bracing and see if the bottom will drift back or cut it all out and weld in a new one. Was just curious if anybody had done that yet.

 

[ondarvr]

It's been done, I cut a section out of the bottom of mine and welded in a new piece where it had been deformed by rocks. If you can weld, or know somebody that can do it well, then cutting it out and rebuilding it isn't that hard. Might be costly to have someone do it though.

 

[dyooperya]

If you haven't already started cutting.....You may want to try bottle jacks. Maybe something like putting the hull on the driveway bow to the street. Pull the boat into the garage transom first. Get it to the point that the garage door header is over the hook. Get 2-3 bottle jacks, cut a 2x6 or 8 to the hook width. Cut 2-3 4x4's to length from bottle jacks on top of the hook and 2x6, to the garage door header. And start pumping. You should be able to flatten that hook out without working up a sweat. You should be able to get creative after the bulk of it flattens and fine tune it. However, as it has been previously stated. Keeping the hook from re-hooking, is going to take more reenforcement I'd think.

 

[Bcoblentz]

I had this similar idea where I take an excavator with a compactor attachment and with the boat flat on the ground just push down on the hooked part..... whatever happens will wait until after moose season, I foresee potential snags.

 

[dyooperya]

A small excavator, or Kabota with backhoe, would work well.....if you have one handy, and your good enough with the controls. Hydraulics, of various sorts, have been used in body shops, for many years.