leaking aluminum boat

[Grandpa Jack]

I have a 16.5 Sea Nymph aluminum boat. It has a slow leak in the bottom.When it sits in the water overnight I need to bilge it out for a couple of minutes in the morning.The boat is a 1997 so I don't want to put hundreds into it.Its in my barn most of the time & I trailer it to the local lakes where I live but I have to keep an eye on the water coming in & bilge when necessary. I have tried filling the decked bottom with water so I could see where the water is coming out but I could not find the spot or spots.I have considered scuffing the bottom up with sandpaper or wire brush on a drill and coating the bottom with marine tex. Has anyone ever done this or had  someone do it for them. I thought I saw marine tex advertised  at 400 per ga. wow I could use some help with this situation. thanks Jack

[FishingPolski]

YEP- I'D CLEAN THE BOTTOM OUT, REAL GOOD. WHEN YA PUT WATER IN THE BOAT, TO FIND THE LEAK, ADD SOME FOOD COLORING TO THE WATER, MAY GIVE YA A BETTER SIGHTING ON THE LEAK. GOOD LUCK.

[celt6]

YEP- I'D CLEAN THE BOTTOM OUT, REAL GOOD. WHEN YA PUT WATER IN THE BOAT, TO FIND THE LEAK, ADD SOME FOOD COLORING TO THE WATER, MAY GIVE YA A BETTER SIGHTING ON THE LEAK. GOOD LUCK.

+ one, probably a seam leaking somewhere, hard to see under paint.

[stripernut]

You might look into G-flex epoxy by West Systems. It is pricey, but you only need a thin coat, great stuff!

[maineduckhunter]

JB Quick Weld Works great too!!!

[TheDL]

Grandpa Jack - did you ever get your boat fixed?  I'm looking at the same repair and I have no idea were to start?  After reading about the expoxies...JB-Weld  Kwik seems cheap and easy.

Anyone else have a better idea to seal up the leak?  I think mine is leaking around one of the seams...and I don't want to put my boat out of commision for more than 24 hours.  Any tips on process/preparation?  There's no paint on the bottom of my boat...do I need to 'rough up' the aluminum first or jsut slap that stuff on the leak?

thanks all...

[1fish@atime]

Dap also makes a product called Aluma seal. Used it to seal all the seams and rivets of my pram.
Dries over night, and worked very well. Also stays semi pliable, so it doesn't re crack. Not a water clean up product, but you can smooth it with a wet finger really well.

[BoutTime]

My SeaNymph had a slow leak, and I discovered it was my old rotten plug. Popped a new one in and boom, dry as a bone now.

Worth a look to those with wet bilges.

[JamesK]

What you need to get is Gluvet, I swear by it. Just clean the bottom of the boat and use a roller to put it on. There is no need to prime to paint it either. One thin coat is all you need. Its a little pricey here in Ontario its 80 for a litre but worth it and it does work on wood and fibreglass as well.

[DanO2013]

have done the same technique on a small john boat - it was gave to my pal for free due to the leak and we patched it up with something similar and once hardened it worked just fine - good luck!

[Dispy]

 "Flip it over and replace any bad rivets and look for ones that appear loose. The loose ones should be re-bucked.
5f5 will remove the paint, then sand with 400 grit.
 Bare aluminum spots need to be sanded, washed down with vinegar (yes the grocery store stuff) and allowed to dry, light spray the zinc chromate primer (only a dusting is needed). Brake Cleaner will work well too.
 Pick your paint. You can actually use rustoleum marine paint which gives excellent results, cheap to purchase and easy to touch up. Automotive paint works great but should be sprayed.
 Pick your paint method. Spray or roll and tip. There are roll and tip video's on youtube and gives great results.
 
Before you re-install your interior you should apply Gluvit (marineengine sells gluvit and a 2lb can will do your interior rivets and seams) to all the rivets and seams and it will prevent any leaks.
 
Do not use any pressure treated wood in or on the aluminum boat since the copper used in the treatment will leach out and EAT (yes eat) the aluminum.
 
Have fun. You will have a great boat when you are done with a nice finish on the hull and it will not leak."
 

[hardwater]

I've repaired lose rivets on a leaking jon boat by having someone hold a hammer on the outside and a person on the inside use a hammer to smack a punch on back of the rivet.