Aluminium keel repair ?

[Cbausch]

Hey everyone first post here I ran into a issue with my boat that i need help on.

I bought a 12ft sears game fisher v hull aluminium boat for $200 . I found out for some reason the previous owner kept it in salt water for a while . Well picking it up at night was a NO NO that i found out. The inside looked very clean and also came with a trailer.

The next morning i trailer it in the yard and see a few epoxied rivitets think no big deal then i turn it over and the keel is just about corroded off . Every 8 inches there's a hole in the keel from heavy corrosion and there's visible corrosion on the inside bow now that i bought it i have to fix it ( thinking if my wife found out she would say SEE YOU BLEW IT AGAIN lol) so i need help in the steps to trying to fix it . It holds water pretty good i seen one small leak but other then that nothing.

1My plan is to somehow fix the keel
2 strip and oil base prime and paint
3 thinking of bed lining the floor of the boat thinking that should help with the corrosion

I'm going to use it strictly as a row boat no motor or trolling motor . It's going on the bands of upstate ny on a reservoir and being used on a family outing a weekend of the year . Help me please.

 

[Scott Danforth]

depending on where you live, your local weld shop (and in many cases a radiator shop) can weld in a bit of 5052 aluminum sheet to fix the corrosion.

 

[Cbausch]

1 i was thinking of useing the brazing sticks and a torch or the green epoxy sticks but think long run it probably won't hold for long

So you think my best bet is to weld a formed sheet over it?

 

[fishrdan]

1 i was thinking of useing the brazing sticks and a torch

Have you used aluminum brazing rods?.... I've played with them and from the sounds of your damage, repairing with the brazing rods would be very difficult. You have to use MAPP gas and then, don't melt the parent material. Also, the brazing sticks are very brittle and aluminum pliable, probably pop the repair after a while.

I'd say, either have someone weld it or see if a mechanical patch would work. There are a couple of people who have made mechanical patches here that worked well. Though, I don't recall anyone doing a keel.

N e e d P i c t u r e s . . . . .

 

[Watermann]

Since the boat is only 12' go ahead and pull her off the trailer and flip the boat. Take some good pics of the damage close up and further away for some perspective. I'm thinking you're talking about the raised center keel piece that runs down the length of the boats bottom. If that piece is riveted on separate from the hull then it makes a difference on how or even if you "need" to repair it.

 

[Cbausch]

I'll get some pictures when i can , anyone know what gauge of aluminium i should get?

 

[Bondo]

I'll get some pictures when i can , anyone know what gauge of aluminium i should get?

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... I'm guessin' the original aluminum in the hull is 'bout .063",...

Any patches should be 'bout the same thickness, or lighter to avoid hard spots,...

Btw,... Don't strip off any paint that's still adhering to the aluminum,...
Just sand it smooth, 'n prime over it,...
It saves the hassle of prepin' raw aluminum,... it don't paint like steel,...