Buying a aluminum boat - corrosion ??

[@Bill-wz6tw]

If you have a second person available to help you you can leak check a riveted aluminum boat at the house with an air compressor and a blow gun and a spray bottle of soapy water one person blows around every rivet and seam while the other person on the outside sprays down that area with soapy water you will see bubbles form immediately if there is any area that is not water tight and usually the leaks can be fixed by just resetting the rivets with a rivet air hammer and rivet set and a bucking bar this is for solid rivets anyway which is what most older aluminum boats use you could also replace the offending rivets if you want to because they may have become compromised. You can also seal a boat up from the inside out of a riveted aluminum boat with a thinned epoxy product known as Glu-Vit it is made for this purpose and is an expensive product that the US Navy even used to seal up the wooden decks of aircraft carriers it must be protected from UV exposure though after it is applied so you need to use a top coat paint or add in a floor over your bare aluminum hull this epoxy comes in two cans an A part and a B part and once mixed it can be poured into the hull and spread around with a spatula or paint brush it is thin so will penetrate into the rivets and seams before it sets up and after it sets up it remains flexible.

[@25hpboatracerman]

Hi Mate, Yeah 👌 good input and thanks champion. I personally don’t love adding products to seal boats, I know that there is a time and place for it though. The older riveted boats are good when you can re-seat the leaking rivets for sure. Thanks so Much for your input 👍 cheers 🍻 Aussie Boat Guy 🍻

[@dionoakman9953]

Loose sinkers firstly then brass, copper etc .Any stainless in the chain also that was left onboard?

[@douger1517]

All good content and advice. Thanks

[@25hpboatracerman]

Cheers mate 🍻 All the best 👍 Aussie Boat Guy 😎

[@ImKrom]

any recommendations on how to stop corrosion like this getting worse or repairs?

[@25hpboatracerman]

Hi mate, Yep a good way to stop it is to wash the hull out with fresh water. Also leaving the boat out in the weather (on a trailer) helps because of rain washing etc. With repairs, very hard. Welding corroded alloy is very hard as it’s not really alloy anymore, it becomes a powdery mess. Sometimes the pin holes can be welded up successfully but it is hard work if there is a lot of them. Cheers 🍻 Aussie Boat Guy 😎

[@ChippyOZ]

Nice practical video, the natural progression now is to show us how to weld up those pinholes!

[@25hpboatracerman]

Hi mate, Unbelievably, non to weld up on that tinny thankfully 😅 It’s a crappy job with limited success because you cannot weld to corroded alloy. Cheers 🍻 Aussie Boat Guy 😎

[@kungpho7325]

Love being your student mate! Keep the videos coming 😊😊

[@25hpboatracerman]

Oh thats so nice 😊 Cheers mate 🍻 Aussie Boat Guy 😎

[@bradleyfarquhar2023]

good job mate.

[@25hpboatracerman]

Thanks mate, Thought it may help sone people when they are looking at buying a tinny 😁

[@Foilonly]

Super cool content dude. How can I get in touch with you? Need some advice for a propeller please 🙃