I found one leak (there may be more)

[texasvet54]

I posted a while back, I think, about my leak in the aluminum hull of my 52 foot Three Buoys houseboat. Today, I cut a hole in my deck, crawled beliw & did some serious towel drying and I immediately saw one leak, there may be more.

i used some JB Water Weld to cover the leak, see pic, and even though it is supposed to work underwater, it was a son of a gun to get it to stick because every time I wiped it dry, it immediately got wet again, thus causing thevepoxy to not want to stick.

My question is, should this fix my leak?

I’m not confident that being on the inside of the hull that it’s going to last. When I bought the boat and had it hauled out of Lake Travis, there was a known leak in the midsection on the edge, just like this one, that had water pouring out of it while the boat was on the trailer. Easy to spot!!

The marina owner took a sander to it and then used some kind of epoxy that he said the U.S. Navy uses underwater and that is stronger than the aluminum.

Anyone know what the name of that epoxy is, it dries pink?

That fix was 10 years and it has not leaked. I know that it’s better to have my boat hauled out and have a similar thing done, but the lake I’m on does not have a full service Marina and I’m not sure what it would cost me to find somebody that would haul it out and leave it on the trailer for a few days for a fix.

So, could y’all please weigh in and let me know what my prospects are for a fix with the JB Weld Water Weld epoxy and/or maybe a better way to fix my leak?

P.S. i am tickled pink that I finally got beliw deck and found at least one leak, so I’m thankful for that.

Texasvet

 

[alldodge]

First, boat is in the water and your adding a patch on the inside, so while it may hold for a while it will not hold long. If a patch is put on the outside (Temp pool patch or other) to stop the water coming in, then maybe something can be done on the inside. As with any kind of adhesive, its prep work which makes the difference if it will hold

IMO, once a hull starts to leak, its just a matter of time. Might ask an aluminum welder what they could do

 

[Baylinerchuck]

MarineTex is a great product, but prep is key like @alldodge stated. It needs to be completely dry, sanded, wiped with acetone, then given time to cure. Using a small piece of aluminum as a patch over the hole would increase the strength of the repair.

 

[texasvet54]

MarineTex is a great product, but prep is key like @alldodge stated. It needs to be completely dry, sanded, wiped with acetone, then given time to cure. Using a small piece of aluminum as a patch over the hole would increase the strength of the repair.

Thanks Guys,

I hear that there is local guy that fixes leaks in another marina. I’m going to give it a few days and see if that is the only leak. I think someone on iboats recently told me that if you find the leak yourself and then let a professional repair it, you can save yourself a few bucks.

I’m not si much worried about the money, I want to know that the job is done right and over with.

Also, I like the idea of putting a small piece of aluminum over the leak & the slobbering the epoxy over it. I wish that I had thought of that. I guess that I can sand the epoxy that I put down smooth and then add a small piece of aluminum and then cover it up with epoxy.

Texasvet

 

[sphelps]

5200 ? That will cure under water ..
Just a thought ..

 

[dingbat]

5200 ? That will cure under water ..
Just a thought ..

Yes

 

[texasvet54]

I went out to my boat this morning and the patch that I put on has held, at least for now (see pic).

I am a real big ““If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” guy. So, for the time being, I’m gonna leave it just like it is and repair my three-quarter inch plywood deck & make it like a hatch so that I can lift it up & get down there to inspect it & make repairs in the future.

Also, there’s a crust on the entire hull and when I had the boat inspected by a Marine inspector 10 years ago, he said not to scrape it off as it seals & protects the hull. He retired after 40 years of working at Newport News Shipyard, so I figure that he certainly knows more than I do.

So, if the crust is protective, how did I develop a leak, or is to be expected on a 1987 houseboat that has sat in lakewater for 33 years?

texasvet