stuco Loc: Northern Utah - Salt Lake City

First, I'd like to thank all who responded to my post about old gas in my tank for my boat. I read all suggestions, emptied the tank, got new gas, got new 2 stroke oil, and put StarTron and Seafoam in the new gas. The motor started right up. I'm pretty sure we had put Stabil in the old gas, so it wasn't too bad.

When I started up the motor after 2 years, it wasn't pumping water. A friend and I replaced the impeller and found it still wasn't working. I had a bug or something climb up the line and make a home. As soon as we cleaned the line out, it was working perfectly. Turns out the impeller was fine. I don't think the old impeller or spark plugs had an hour of runtime on them.

The boat is a 15 foot aluminum job that leaked pretty bad from the time I bought it. After reading other suggestions from people here, I was going to use some JB Weld and try to see if I could get it to leak a bit less. My son suggested I find an aluminum welder and see what he could do. I found one online that looked at pictures I sent him and said he could do it for a couple hundred bucks. He had it for a day or two, I picked it up, and he didn't raise his price. He did some nice work, I'll attach a couple of before and after pictures.

So my son and I took it out a week or so ago. It seemed to be leaking less right up until my son took a step in one spot and we heard a pop. I didn't really think that much about it until I looked by his foot and there was a little fountain shooting up. It really did look a bit like a cartoon. We found something to plug the hole where a rivet had popped out. Then he stepped somewhere else and another pop and another cartoon fountain. It was fairly comical, we bailed and kept fishing.

So enough of the story, here's the question. Have any of you replaced rivets in an aluminum boat's hull? I've been looking it up online and think I have a plan, but I'd like to get some input from anyone that's actually done it before. I found a guy here in town that gave me some solid rivets, and I think I can make them work. They are the rivets that hold the benches to the hull right in the bottom of the hull.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Hoss: you have a bunch of real
Problems There. What I would do is clean up each leaking hole, even sand it to the bare metal and then seal it good with epoxy, either that or with an epoxy compound which will flex some with the aluminum. You could apply it either on the outside or inside which ever is most convenient. Just Sayin...RJS

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Hey brother. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but a 14 and a half foot to a 16 foot aluminum boat isn't that much money. I have found plenty of them some like Gregor or Klamath that are even all welded, no rivets that are fairly cheap. Just Sayin.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Flip it over,wire brush the whole bottom, buy a couple quarts of Flex Seal and paint the bottom. It works on a screen door,it should work on rivet holes.

stuco Loc: Northern Utah - Salt Lake City

Thanks Robert. You wouldn’t replace any of the rivets?

stuco Loc: Northern Utah - Salt Lake City

Ha ha, you thinks it’s time for the old hold the gas cap and put a new boat on it, eh? By the way Saw, you couldn’t offend me, so don’t worry about how you say stuff to me, my friend.

stuco Loc: Northern Utah - Salt Lake City

Thanks Fred, have you ever used flex seal? A friend of mine suggested I Rhino-Line it. I’m afraid that would be way too heavy. I’m sure I could buy a new boat like Saw suggested cheaper than I could get it sprayed.

Bdubya06 Loc: Salem OR

I gotta say, I'm with Saw on this one!
You may pay a bit more for a welded aluminum boat but peace of mind is worth something too. Replacing rivets sounds like an old saying. "Polishing a turd".
You can polish and polish...it's still a turd!
No offense intended.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

In 1964 a bunch of Hoosiers went up to the Minnesota/Ontario Boundary Waters on a fishing excursion. A buddy of mine and I decided we were going to ride one of our rented aluminum canoes down Northern Lights Falls. Actually the falls decided it would suck us in and spit us out at the bottom after tossing us around like a damn cork and smacking us into some rather large rocks. We popped more than a few rivets. We gathered pine sap and heated a bunch of them little balls in a tin cup and painted that canoe with a stick for a brush. Still leaked, just not as bad.

I agree with Saw. Look into a used boat that doesn't leak.

Bdubya06 Loc: Salem OR

I gotta say, I'm with Saw on this one!
You may pay a bit more for a welded aluminum boat but peace of mind is worth something too. Replacing rivets sounds like an old saying. "Polishing a turd".
You can polish and polish...it's still a turd!
No offense intended.

Bdubya06 Loc: Salem OR

I gotta say, I'm with Saw on this one!
You may pay a bit more for a welded aluminum boat but peace of mind is worth something too. Replacing rivets sounds like an old saying. "Polishing a turd".
You can polish and polish...it's still a turd!
No offense intended.

stuco Loc: Northern Utah - Salt Lake City

No offense taken. I’ve got a lot to think about. It’s not like I’ve got thousands invested in this boat.

stuco Loc: Northern Utah - Salt Lake City

I guess part of me thinks the karma in that has somebody replacing me. I’m getting old and I leak... ;-)

Jeremy Loc: America

keep it as a loaner boat. Just get a fresher one. I wouldn't worry about a little dribble of water but if you are get a nicer one. Rivets probably rusted (the nail or wire in middle). Replace loose rivets or the whole thing. Good chance to upgrade. 18 or so boats get a lot roomier.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

I've only used their caulk,which is tenacious. My buddy used the brush on type,on his camper and aluminum boat,with excellent results. You may want to throw a few regular pop rivets wherever any are missing. Then again,like Steve said,you may be able to find a better hull cheap. It's up to you. Good Luck either way.