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Aluminum boat crack repair


becks

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Hello - I have a 17 foot aluminum boat and I recently noticed a crack that is seeping water.  I had it on the water over the weekend and had to bilge it a few times, so when I got home, I filled it up with water and found a crack in the passenger side of the hull, more towards the front of the boat.  It's a couple of inches long.  I'll get a picture uploaded later but it might be hard to see.  I'd like to hear what people think is the best way to fix this?  Right now, I only trailer it, but I was hoping to leave it in the water at various time during the summer.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

-MIke

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If it were me I 'd definitely have it welded by a competent welder  because if it ever were to re- open  while out on the water and you didn't notice it right away....bad news....not saying the epoxy thing is a bad idea but why take ANY chance with something that potentially serious....?

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Like others have said, TIG welded is best...if it doesn't look like a bad area,if you can do without that rivet have it just welded in

A bad area would be were two pieces of alum are overlapped with a gasket in between (ie: keel) in close proximity to the crack, the gasket material will cook and contaminate the weld adding more leaks...

Edited by Willy-C
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  I did the JB weld thing as instructed & it did not work/last.   I know guys that used the Alum. sticks where you heat the spot/crack with a torch & apply the alum. stick & it worked great. I forgot what they are called but you see them at the fairs.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had 2 cracks on my tracker.I'm a boilermaker/welder so I took it to my hall and tig welded it..used a pulse arc welder to keep heat low.I removed the interior floor them the foam .welded from inside .then the outside.tracker recommended 3m 5200 .I covered the inside with the 3m and replaced foam.the second crack was about 1 1/2 inches and welded from outside ..drinded smooth and covered with 3m ..boat is now water tight ...I would definitely weld ..also very happy with the 3m 5200 ..

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To stop the crack from spreading you will want to drill two small holes at the ends of the crack. Then a marine grade epoxy smoothed over the crack should take care of it.

 

I would have it welded. Epoxy would keep the water out, but do little for strength. There is a reason it cracked there.

 

Do this with a small drill bit then have it welded. I would not use epoxy on the bottom of the hull.

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  • 7 years later...

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