Minor Boat Repair
On this page, my intent is not to personally show readers how
to repair every kind of boat material known to man, but to show some basic repairs that I have had to make and
to link to some repair
solutions that seem to be well thought out, unique and money
saving. Since economy is one reason for owning a small boat, a trip to a dealer that may well cost more than
the worth of the boat wouldn't accomplish much as far as one of our objectives of small boat ownership. While
it is unavoidable to spend some money fixing our rough and tumble fishing machines, we can do a lot to stay
away from the dealer which is the dentist, doctor, and attorney (no offense to those professions - just
expensive) of the fishing world as far as finances are concerned.
Basic aluminum boat repairs come in two varieties. Loose
rivet repair, or gash repair. Loose rivets come about from extended use, motor vibration and general rough
handling. Small gashes, come from dragging or running over a rock, sharp stump or loading up a boat laying on a
rock or some other hard object. Whichever kind it is, once you identify it, you can generally fix them with
some quick, inexpensive products that will put you back out on the water right away. Fixes for large gashes are
beyond the scope of this page.
When you're sitting in your aluminum boat and you see a trickle of water roll down around your foot, it's often nothing to worry about. But when that trickle becomes a small stream, and that stream becomes a puddle around your feet, you know you have a leak. Now I've fished all day long with water coming in a small hole in a boat. In the summer, it's not a big deal, but in cool or cold water it can make for a pretty miserable trip to have wet feet. For bigger holes, that can end a trip quickly, it's a good idea to have a bilge pump on board you can quickly hook to a battery to pump the water out. One thing is sure. On any kind of small boat and particularly aluminum boats or canoes, eventual repairs are inevitable. And being prepared with the right materials and know how to use them can be the difference between a great day on the water, and a disappointment or even a sinking boat.
For repair on and off the water, make sure you always have
some of this stuff with you. This is all purpose epoxy.
 It can repair steel, aluminum, plastic, fiberglass, wood....just about anything hard. And it can be applied under water and will harden. If you have one of these, you need it.  It provides a solid, permanent repair that can be sanded, painted, and is often harder than the surface it is used to repair. I used it to repair these small gashes in the bottom of this old flat bottom boat.  I also use it to secure wires, used it to fix a trolling motor handle, and one time used it to keep a 16 foot fiberglass boat from sinking while I kept fishing. I had to fix a foot long gash in the bottom of the boat at the lake. I finished my trip. Have plenty of this stuff around on and off the water. You can get it at Wal Mart, Academy Sports, online retailers and lots of other places under different names and different brands. You can also use it around the house to repair wood cabinets, furniture, window frames....anything. It's hard as a rock in about 15 minutes and ready to use in about an hour. You simply break it off, mix it by sqeezing until the outer layer and center are thoroughly mixed and then apply. Don't mix more than you will use immediately. You only have about 3 minutes to get it applied before it hardens too much. Plastic boats like kayaks and canoes are another story. I have read tons of articles on repairing particularly kayaks, and the one that stands out as the most reasonable, durable and finally cheapest, is this article on plastic boat repair with Whaley Welding.
Other options for maintaining an aluminum or fiberglass boat
are the numerous truck bed liners from companies like Rhino Liner. This can be used on the floor or seats of an
aluminum boat to add to the durability or using a light color can provide a surface that doesn't get ultra hot
in bright sunlight like the matte green paint on many flat bottom small boats. It can be used from the inside
to seal loose rivets. I have also used it on the keel of an old bass boat to help protect it when I ran the
boat up on the bank. When it wore off, I would just add a couple more coats and had a new keel protector (not
recommended for newer fiberglass boats).
A final but maybe most important item to have when working on a boat is to have some of this clear silicone marine sealant.  This is a must for sealing screw holes where items are mounted or removed. Keeping fresh tubes is necessary because the stuff irritatingly cures in the tube rather quickly after opening. But using it during installation of any item where holes are drilled below the water line are a must. And eventually, every kind of seal deteriorates and leaks. So checking your drilled areas regularly and resealing them is advisable. These are simple and minor products and procedures that will handle almost any minor boat repair including filling small holes, repairing rivets, adding durability and patching small gashes. For large cracks or gashes in aluminum or fiberglass, a trip to a professional is going to be necessary.
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© Copyright 2008 - All rights reserved - Mark Rogers -Fishing From Small Boats