How to repair a leaking boat?
You’re out on the lake with your son, enjoying a nice sunny day of water sports and hoping to haul in a couple bass or trout for dinner. A cool breeze brushes your hair around your John Deer hat; sun-dappled water lulls you into a sense of complacency. You are one with nature, in perfect harmony. This is the essence of bliss.
Then your boat begins leaking, your son starts screaming, the fish you already caught and assumed were dead are suddenly swimming around your feet and the jacket you shed earlier is soaked: so much for a Zen experience.
Now it’s a mad dash for the shore before your boat is so swamped the water will invade your ice chest and warm your perfectly iced beer. About now, you’re wishing that you had complied with the boating laws and provided your son with a lifejacket.
You have a few options once you are safely ashore: push the boat back into the water, watch it slowly sink and play Taps on a kazoo, take it to a boat repair shop, or fix the leak yourself. If you’re like me and hate to spend money when there may be a cheap solution, you’ll choose option number three.
If the boat is made of wood or fiberglass, I strongly suggest that you take it to that repair shop and pay them whatever they ask. Trying to fix one of these styles of boats yourself may cause more damage rather than cure the problem.
For aluminum boats, first you have to find the leak. You can do this by submerging the boat in water, watching carefully and then marking the leaky area with an indelible marker. Another method is to fill the boat with water and observe from outside and below for the leak, and mark it on the hull with that marker.
Aluminum boat leaks usually result from the loss of a rivet. If you happen to be an aircraft technician or skilled metalworker, you can probably replace the rivet yourself. If not, try an epoxy compound to seal the leak. It is best to do this from the outside, as the water pressure against the patch will help to hold it in place when the boat is on the lake again. You can buy a “liquid” epoxy, which is so viscous it’s hard to call it a liquid, such as 3M 5200 sealant. Another option is to buy a dry epoxy such as Cabela’s Aluminum Boat Patch (be advised that you’ll need a torch to heat your boat’s hull before using this product).
Make sure that the hull is dry and then clean the area around the leak with fine sandpaper. If the boat is painted, remove the paint with a wire brush first. Slide the sandpaper into the crack between the joints, cleaning both sides, and then apply the epoxy in generous proportions. Try to squeeze some of the epoxy into the crack between the joints if possible (this is understandably easier to accomplish with the liquid epoxy). Extend the repair a couple inches past the leak in either direction of the crack, just to be sure and allow it to dry. And next time, remember those lifejackets.
Obviously, you have a faulty seam somewhere on your boat. Finding it may be near impossible, but with time and patience, and very close observation, you can find it. The leak sounds so slow though, I’d say ‘why bother?’ and just get a bilge pump or simply bail the water out occasionally with a small bucket. What works best for me is one-gallon plastic water or milk container. Just cut the bottom off the container off, leave the cap on, and it even has a nice built in handle. Added-Fiberglass, either using epoxy or polyester resin WILL NOT WORK ON AN ALUMINUM BOAT.
