Aluminum boat hull repair

What kind of repair should be done for a tear in an aluminum hull that is about 4″ long by 1/8″ wide? Any guess on how much this would cost would also be helpful. The reason I ask is that I have found a nice boat for sale (nice except for the tear) at a good price. Can I trust a repair? The current owner said that he put JB weld on it and has used it 12-13 times since the damage without an issue. He also claims that he took it to a welding shop and they quoted about $150 to weld a plate on the inside of the hull.

Any advice is appreciated.

You can definitely have the crack welded by a qualified welder That price sounds about right. JB Weld is not the best for long term, but it will do in a pinch.

Yep!

What Mike said!

I just got off the phone with a boat repair business in Hudson, WI. The guy there told me that he would weld the crack from the inside and outside and put a plate on the inside of the hull. He told me to plan on at least $1000 for this and probably more.

HOLY COW!

Where is the tear at?
Does he have to remove interior flooring?

What kind of boat is this?

Can you send me a pic of the tear im sure I can fix it for alot less than that. Not to brag but there really isnt much I cant weld.

Its a 2000 Smokercraft Millentia 172. The tear is on the bottom of the hull under the passenger seat. The flooring would have to be removed – although I could probably do that myself before taking it in to repair. I haven’t seen it yet, I just got a description from the owner. I will probably look at it tonight or tomorrow night, then send you a pic or two.

Sorry,
I was thinking just a basic aluminum hull hear. Wasn’t picturing a “rig”.

Removing the floor, welding in a piece of metal, and painting it…….I can see that costing a $1000.

How wide is the tear? Widest spot?

Its wide enough to slide a quarter into.

A quarter?
Meaning 0.10 inch
or
1.00 inch????

IF we are only talking 0.10 inch, I’m thinking a “talented” welder can go under the hull and close it up. That will “get it done”.

If you want it done professionaly, then yea……$1000 seems right.

I would get 3 quotes on this if I were you.

Quarter meaning .10″. Like I said I haven’t seen it yet. This is more boat than I thought I could get on my budget, but this tear issue scares me.

If the price is right and you plan on keeping the boat for a long time, go for it.

Just remember this:
Resale is going to kick you in the back-side. Going to kick you in the backside hard. Reason is this> You are buying something cheap, because it is damaged and unwanted. This is a good thing, because you are getting what you want at a great price. But, if you plan on selling soon, you too, will be stuck trying to sell damaged, unwanted goods.

So, if you are buying for the long run and the price is right, I would jump all over it with no hesitation.

PS: I’ve seen JB Weld hold engine blocks together! It actually works quite well, as long as it is mixed and applied properly. When done right, pretty much requires a grinder and file to remove.

The problem with some of the newer boats when it comes to repairing or welding them is that the manufactures use that spray in expandable foam for floatation. If the foam is where the hole is in the boat the foam holds moisture making it allmost impossibe to weld from the outside. Then the only other option is to repair it from the inside. Plus the foam floatation will burn like mad if you are welding near it. I would get a close look at the tear and see if there is any floatation in the area if there isn’t any it would be a minor repair in the $100 range. I have repaired hundreds of boats and have never had one close to $1000.

I can weld it from the under side with out taking the floor out.If .10 is all the wide the tear is that wont be a problem.How far are you from Onalaska Wi.I can shoot you a price that know one will beat.

These guys are worth talking to:

Quote:

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Five Star Boat Hull & Auto Body Repair (715) 926-4239
[email protected]

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Sully

a tear that narrow shouldn’t be that hard to weld, anyone with a little welding experiance should be able weld that shut and grind it to look almost as good as new. I would, be sure to check if there is foam inside in that area and also gas tank and fuel lines if they are built in!

Quote:

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Its a 2000 Smokercraft Millentia 172. The tear is on the bottom of the hull under the passenger seat.

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My “assumption” would be there is no fuel lines or floatation foam here!

I have a 2001 Smokercraft and mine has a built in fuel tank in the floor runs in the center of the hull.

Quote:

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I have a 2001 Smokercraft and mine has a built in fuel tank in the floor runs in the center of the hull.

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That’s what I was thinking.

Now, I ain’t no rocket surgeon…but I know you can get it fixed right for a whole lot less than that if you:

Do the grunt work (ie take out floor and anything in his way)
Have him “just weld” the tear

I worked through high school in a welding/machine shop, I have some hours tig welding, and my father inlaw just had his entire hull redone (mice damage, urine burned several holes in his hull, and the guy redid the whole thing and welded it for $1500)

Get 3 quotes, at least…make sure the dude can weld aluminum (references?)

I really appreciate all the advice guys. After talking to a few more people, I am not sure I want to deal with this issue. There are a few other boats around that I am going to look at tomorrow. Maybe I’ll find what I’m looking for and not have to get it repaired right away.
Thanks!

If I were looking for a qualified welder, it would definitely be Tony P. He has repaired (welded) many aluminum boats. By the time he is done, you won’t even know it has benn welded. And it will be fixed right the first time

Can we ask how much cheaper he is selling this boat in comparison to one that is not damaged?