so there i was , haulin azz across the lake , and there she was laying on a towel with nuthin on except a little bikini and a smile. and thats when i felt whatever it was that hit the bottom of my boat and put a big dent and a crack in it. yep the flatbottom boat leaks now and it leaks pretty bad. there is a big dent and a tear through it . what can i use to seal it up ? i really can't afford to get it welded right now.

How big of a tear is it? May not be a cheap fix!

about two inches , its running side to side

Until you can get it welded:

Drill a small hole (1/16-inch) in each end of the tear and all little tears/cracks leading off of it.

Cut a piece of aluminum about an inch larger all around.

Drill for pop-rivets in the patch and the boat, stay 2-1/2 times the rivet diameter away from the edge of the patch

Sand both to bare metal and paint with zinc chromate paint.

When the paint drys, install the patch with the pop rivets.

Bondo is now your new friend.

Or, go to the local small airport and ask the house mechanic how much he'd charge to patch it.

That size tear should not be really expensive to weld. Get prices first before you jack it up further!

If you patch it temporarily...place a piece of rubber under the metal patch too.

If you cant afford to have it welded up then you probably cant afford to go fishing between now and wenever either, so why not just let it wait? It wont bet too much to have it welded up.

matt

The problem that I have ran into before when working with aluminum boats is that the stuff flexes. So what ever you choose to patch it with, if it is not flexible then you can expect your patch work to crack and then start leaking as well.

Also, depending on where the weld is going to be, you may want to consider welding the tear, as well as a larger piece around the patch. I have experience with welding the tear and then the aluminum breaking right at the edge of the weld because the weld is not flexible like the aluminum is.

Just some things to consider. Good luck.

Just thow ya some 5200 caulk in thet crack and keep on fishin'!!

I hadduhh ole Jon boat thet wuz patched like 'at and it lasted until I sold it...about 7 years.

There goes your resale value!

"resale value"......whats that? Never heard those words associated with Bass Boats before!

schricks trailer sales get ray to weld it wont cost too much for that little crack 817-596-0799..in weatherford ft worth hwy

jb weld it both sides and lay some screen in it. build it up a little and go fish. be sure to sand to bare metal first.

yeah im with hopalong. jb weld that sucker! that stuff is awesome!

i took my dads old aluminum boat to a muffler shop and they welded 10" spot and charged like $20.