reparing aluminum fishing boats?

Question

I just recently bought an aluminum 14 ft.kraft boat what type of cleaning agents should i use. Also may need some rivet and floor repair on the outside of the boat,what kind of supplys should i use to patch it up.

Answer 1

I used silicon glue on the outside of my canoe along the seams either side of the rivets. Works good and doesn't peel. If you want to get really ugly and dry you can do the rivets but do them on the inside.

Answer 2

I run a '79 evinrude 70hp, runs as good now as the day it was built -- give it fresh gas, change the water pump ever couple-three years, change the gear oil every year, take it out & run it every 3-4 weeks or so, and DON'T FORGET THE OIL, it'll still be running after you & I are long gone. But check the compression first, if all cylinders aren't within 5 or 7 percent of each other, you're looking at a potential rebuild. Ask the owner to crank it for you. If he does so without supplying water to the lower unit (submerging it or hooking up a garden hose attachment), walk away -- he doesn't know what he's doing. Only takes 30 seconds of dry running to ruin a water pump impeller. Trolling motor's don't last that long, in my experience. Just depends on how much use it's had. On the trailer, corrosion will take it's toll on the coupler & winch & jack stand & wiring, but those are all minor fixes. The main thing to look out for are wheel bearings. Even those aren't really that difficult. If the boat floats without leaking (too much -- rivets will get leaky after many years of pounding), the motor starts, idles, accelerates and cruises, and the trailer is roadworthy, should be worth close to $1,000, maybe more if the batteries and fishfinder are fairly new.

Answer 3

Go to ol paws boat motor website. There is a forum that talks about repair and maintaining aluminum boats.

Answer 4

Check out "alumalloy". very easy to use with just a a propane torch. Stuff is awesome!!!!!!