I found where my boats leaking!
- Thread starter Ed L.
- Start date
I have one on my fiberglass bass boat. Kind of some extra security if I bump something at low speed. At tournaments I used to run my boat up on dry land for weigh ins and it protects the hull nicely. I dont have any issues with it coming off. Not sure about it fixing leaks though......
At one time I had a leaky jon boat, redid the entire bottom with wetlander. Fixed all my issues. If i was leaking in an aluminum, thats the route I would go vs this. Just my .02 though. If you are looking for a quick fix to get through the season, you can certainly try this, I just worry about detachment if you are running shallow and hitting stuff regularly. I sure beat my current rig up during waterfowl season. Just the other day, I ran through a log jam and a stump field to get to birds. Nothing like that in the bass boat.
Ive been researching the Wetlander products and for seams and leaky rivets they suggest using Goop Marine Sealer for leaks prior to applying the coating. They also mention 3M 5200 for seams. Looks like I'm done for the season. Also with December lows in the teens and highs is the 20s and 30s it won't take many nights for the sloughs and even some of the main river to freeze over. Our season closes the 16th so it's time to heat up the garage and get busy working on the Ducktwin!
So on my jon boat, that was leaking, I had MANY leaky rivets. I didnt use anything like that, just wetlander and that boat is still on the water to this day. I sold it to an old man who fishes on a small lake out of it and he says its still a very dry boat. That wetlander is no joke and seals everything and creates such a nice slippery surface.
I was running down the lake, at like 65 mph, and my ladder came loose on my bass boat. The ladder deployed and was just skipping on the water, pounding it out of the fiberglass hull. Pulled all but one screw out, when I got to where I wanted to fish and saw it hanging there. I had 4 holes in my fiberglass hull, above the water line, and I used that 3M 5200 in those holes. I never used that ladder anyways and the few times I have been in the water, I just step up on my jackplate to get back in the boat. Its no joke, it seals REAL well. I had a buddy who raced jet skis and they carry that stuff in the event they get a leak in a hull during race weekend. Its REALLY good stuff. You could go around each rivet with a small film and I would bet it would seal up just fine. Its gooey though, and I would have worries painting over it or trying to put wetlander over it if you ever wanted to. I bet you would have to sand it off back to aluminum for the wetlander to take.
Capt Rich Geminski
Well-known member
Where is the leak, rivet plate, seal joint or hole. Try a good welding shop...
Before I discovered Wetlander, I had an 18 ft Alumacraft jon boat that I had purchased used. The seller insisted nothing was wrong with the boat but the first time I left it in the water overnight it took on probably twenty gallons. Eventually I wanted to sell it for a smoother ride so I took it to a welder with a reputation for fixing pontoon boats and crossed my fingers. No burn throughs but I counted myself fortunate. Wetlander is decidedly safer, cheaper and just as effective.
Your boat will likely run faster as well.
RM
Your boat will likely run faster as well.
RM
Yes, the bow plate. Whether it's Wetlander or a welder, Im looking at between $400 and $500. Since I spend most of my time in the back waters I'm leaning towards sealing. Might get a new paint job too. This boat fits my comfort zone and needs. I just don't want to try to find another boat. If I get out anymore this season I have a bilge pump.
Mark W
Well-known member
i have used west Marine GFlex products on more than one. Very easy to use and has not failed me yet. They have a complete repair kit (link below) and also just the two part epoxy repair material (GFlex 560 maybe)
G/Flex 650-K Aluminum Boat Repair Kit | West Marine
Check out our G/Flex 650-K Aluminum Boat Repair Kit and more from West Marine!
www.westmarine.com
I have been looking at this since it's the rivet plate on the bow. I thought maybe filling the seam edge between the hull and bow plate with this since it says thickened, without sagging. Any thoughts? I might just do the seam where the 2 hull plates rivet together too.i have used west Marine GFlex products on more than one. Very easy to use and has not failed me yet. They have a complete repair kit (link below) and also just the two part epoxy repair material (GFlex 560 maybe)
G/Flex 650-K Aluminum Boat Repair Kit | West Marine
Check out our G/Flex 650-K Aluminum Boat Repair Kit and more from West Marine!
West System Six10 Thickened Epoxy Adhesive – Waterproof Bond | West Marine
The West System Six10 Thickened Epoxy Adhesive offers a waterproof, gap-filling bond ideal for structural repairs and bonding in marine environments. Easy to use and cures quickly for reliable results. Shop now at West Marine.
www.westmarine.com
roy brewington
Well-known member
On most boats bow seam between layers as on a v bow boat has a liner of some synthetic material sandwiched between layers at rivet line. Can you stop the leak by injecting an epoxy into that area filling where the liner would be?
Roy,
That's my thinking too since my boat is a v bow. When I was reviewing the G/flex product Mark posted about the West System six/10 thickened epoxy product popped up as a suggestion on West system website. I have to do more reading but sure seems like a cost effective fix. I can bring the boat into the garage where I can position the boat in such a way I can apply then maybe heat with a heat gun to get the epoxy to flow into the seem. Description says it's a 80 percent hardening product so I believe it should flex with the aluminum.
Capt Rich Geminski
Well-known member
This is not the time of year to try experiments on boats. Summer time is a better time to see if the boat patch holds
Whatever route you go, can you post pics when you figure out the route you are going? I am interested in this epoxy fill idea. It sounds interesting to me. never thought about attacking a leak from the top per se. But im just a decoy builder, and not a very good one at that. When it comes to boats, I have only really played with wetlander as its a cure all in my mind. I always like seeing and hearing new ideas, especially with the knowledge around boats in this place.
Of course you're right and I agree. I've winterized the boat anticipating our first major storm coming in tonight.
I'm still scratching my head about how to handle. Then last night a guy said just let me weld it! What ever I do is waiting until spring now.
My first boat was kind of a disaster. I got it so cheap, and I was just a poor poor college kid at the time. I got lucky because my first mudmotor was found. A friend of mine was doing a job at a guys house, saw two mud motors flipped over in the dirt (little 6.5 hp, and a 25 hp). Told him he could have them if we hauled them off. So we got both, took them to a small local shop, had them rebuilt and they ran beautifully. I paid my buddy for the 25 hp and he still has the 6.5 hp still. I needed a boat, found that 17 ft polarkraft and that was it. The first time I put that motor on it, and took it to the lake, I was literally watching the transom flex as I ran it that first time. There were these brackets in the upper corners of the transom that had stress fractures. I had the same thing happen, "let me weld it" and so I let the guy. It came back looking so bad and as soon as I started the motor on the trailer, the vibration popped those welds. I ended up having some custom aluminum brackets made, drilled through the transom and the bottom of the boat, and riveted them in. I was fortunate, because at the time, I was hunting with a friend in the air force and he was a plane mechanic. He brought all the stuff to run rivets in a plane and he sealed it with some special goop that they use on planes that was supposed to be the absolute best to seal everything air and water tight. It made that transom so solid. Never had an issue with the transom flexing ever again. Like I said in an earlier post, I know that boat still sees the water to this day. It wasnt until years later when all the rivets eventually started leaking, and again, all I did was wetlander on the bottom of it and it made everything perfectly water tight.
moral of the story.... make sure you find a really good welder, I didnt, and I was poor, so the bracket option was WAY more reasonable at the time. It was pretty cool, I made two cardboard layouts of the brackets I wanted made, sent them to a company, they made them and sent back the aluminum version. Fit like a glove.
Mark W
Well-known member
I liked the GFlex I used because it came out kind of thick and then I hit it with a heat gun and flowed right into the leaking areas. Worked greeat around rivets. I have used this on my 14' lund, an old alumnacraft Ducker I restored and most recently my Lund Ducker. Never and issue. Nice things was it was clear when done so if the boat had already been painted, it didn't show anywhere. Good luckI have been looking at this since it's the rivet plate on the bow. I thought maybe filling the seam edge between the hull and bow plate with this since it says thickened, without sagging. Any thoughts? I might just do the seam where the 2 hull plates rivet together too.
West System Six10 Thickened Epoxy Adhesive – Waterproof Bond | West Marine
The West System Six10 Thickened Epoxy Adhesive offers a waterproof, gap-filling bond ideal for structural repairs and bonding in marine environments. Easy to use and cures quickly for reliable results. Shop now at West Marine.
Triggered my curiosity as well. After watching the G-flex instruction video, this comparison video popped up, so I watched it as well. Good comparison albeit a different application.
