Aluminum welding question

[SeaDawg]

Fellas, I recently had a 17' aluminum (modified V) flat bottom boat that developed a serious keel leak (no hard pounding either). I was taking on over 500 gph when I arrived at the ramp (my 850 gph pump would just keep up). I won't mention the factory name, but it is a well known manufacturer. They told me that it was very rare for this to happen, and they almost replaced it.<br /><br />However, they had the boat repaired (under factory warrenty, by their local authorized aluminum welder), and I'm not pleased with the job they did. They did not remove the flooring to repair the original centerline crack, but they instead welded each side of the center keel cover by turning the boat upside down. <br /><br />My real problem is, they goofed when welding, up near the front of the boat in two spots, it looked like they apparently burned holes through the aluminum, and filled it in with weld (about 3/4 inches thick and 3 or 4 inches long). I'm afraid that the metal will crack again around these blobs of aluminum, especially since they are near the front of the boat, in a relatively high stress area. I'm trying to convince the factory rep to replace the boat, because I feel additional repairs will only make it worse.<br /><br />What you you guys think? Any aluminum welders care to comment?

 

[KCLOST]

Re: Aluminum welding question

What would worry me in a situation like yours is that the crack appeared due to a flaw in the hull. This is especially true due to the fact that you never subjected the boat to rough or hard pounding. So why did the leaks/cracks appear? It has to be a poorly fabricated hull!<br /><br />For them to repair the leaks by welding the **** out of them, doesn't fix the hull. It will just temporarily stop the leaks before new stress cracks appear. I would tell the dealer that welding the hull doesn't fix the problem permanently just temporarely... You deserve a new boat! Boats aren't suppose to do that under normal use...<br />My Bass Tracker is almost 20 years old. It's been through some rough outings also. I've only found two very small leaks around the welds for the livewell drain tubes... Probably not stress related either... For you to have virgin aluminum failure is totally unacceptable...

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Aluminum welding question

Hi SeaDawg<br />I've done not everyday aluminum welding, but several times a month or so. Just depends on what breaks and has to be fixed. By rights if the welder had done the job correctly, you shouldn't have been able to tell if it was welded or not. But if the area in behind is in accessable to grind the excess off, there is not much he can do for the backside. When blowing holes in aluminum, it takes alot to fill it back in. That is why in fabricating anything aluminum, it has to have a good fit with no gaps. So when you try to fill an area about a 1/4 inch wide, it will take alot of rod to fill the hole. <br /><br />Find out how long the warrenty on the weld is. Personnaly I would take it out a try to break it. Then if it does, your chances of getting a new boat would be better. If they won't honor a new boat, I would request that a piece be fabricated and welded in by a certified welder.(at their expense of course) Good Luck

 

[SeaDawg]

Re: Aluminum welding question

Thanks for the responses so far guys. Yea, the hull (and the keel cover rib) is .100 thick, which I figured any good aluminum welder should be able to do easily, because there was virtually no gaps between it and the hull. The welder only had to fill in the gaps between the factory weld (several spots about 8 inches long).<br /><br />I think when my selling dealer told the the weld company it still leaked when they repaired it, they tried to cheat and not flip the boat over to do the 2nd weld patches.<br /><br />And, they had me without a boat for over two months, and all they had to weld was about 30 linear feet (each side of the keel).<br /><br />I have my fingers crossed that they will allow me to return mine, and pay the price difference between my boat and a new one (list price to list price is fair with me), because my family now refuses to go out in this boat with me.

 

[SeaDawg]

Re: Aluminum welding question

Here's an update from the boat manufacturer, they called me at home on Friday. I had e-mailed them some pictures of the shoddy welds mentioned above, and they gave me two repair options. <br /><br />1.)Return the boat to the factory now, and they would repair it(but - I would be without a boat for a month or so.) or 2.) wait until fishing season is over, and return it to the factory, and they would repair it this winter. I'm not really happy with either option, but I can understand it from their side.<br /><br />I'm going with option 2. If it starts leaking again, I'll really turn up the heat on them, to replace the boat, because they have told me that it is VERY rare for a weld repair to fail a second time. <br /><br />I would be interested in hearing from other boaters that have had aluminum hull welds fail, and how the factory worked with you to get it repaired. Add to this post, if you don't mind.

 

[KCLOST]

Re: Aluminum welding question

If I were you I'd go out in Gail Force conditions and make that thing fail....