Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire no leak rivet boat

bought an aluminum boat a couple of years ago - I think it was built in '89. At any rate, it had a couple of loose rivet and unknown to me at the time of purchase, about a 1" gouge in the front of the boat just beneath the water line.

My wife and I took it out right after we bought it and within 20 minutes we had to turn the bilge pump on - not exactly a comforting feeling when boating.

So a few weeks ago with me working from home and having the time, I started at looking to repair it. Option 1 was to do it the right way , fill the boat with water, determine which rivets leaked and patch weld the gouge.

Nah....

so instead I bought an aluminum boat sealer from a company called TotalBoat. I wired brushed every rivet, then sealed it with the boat sealer. This was a "flexible" sealer. Next I bought a product called Gluvit. It goes on like an epoxy with a brush. I put two coats of gluvit on every rivet.

Then I painted the boat, and then I put 2 coats of clear bedliner on the entire exterior of the boat.

Did some other things to fix it up a bit.

Son and I took it out this morning for about 2 hours using the trolling motor.. bone dry. not a drop of water in it other than what we dripped in from our lines (we were magnet fishing).


Here are before and after photos - I don't have the motor on in the after photo - Its in my workshop. I put a new impeller and flushed the lower gear oil, and haven't put it back on yet.

Before and after. I was planning on selling it but my son asked me to keep it after today.