Small boat...Big Problem (Project Complete)

[BIGMIKE]

Hello,

I recently acquire a small 1996 14 foot V hull Sea Nymph (V1465TT) with a 18 HP Johnson Seahorse for crabbing. I presure washed the bottom today to remove the paint and see what condition the hull is in...The hull is in great shape but the two 7 foot long hull support is corroded . I was wondering what is the best way to repair it....or where to get a replacement, or just remove it all together and braze the rivet holes with aluminum rods from Harbor Freight. I dont know anyone that fabricates aluminum parts so Im asking your help if you know someone that can help me make some aluminum support so I can finish this project before fishing season starts. Any idea is welcome. Thanks.

[jay.sharkbait]

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

[Boss .300 winmag]

Never fear as seen on TV is here. 

http://www.asseenontv.com/flex-seal-clear-stops-leaks-fast-the-clear-alternative/detail.php?p=458384&v=household

[BIGMIKE]

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

Hit me with both. What's the good and bad news?

[jay.sharkbait]

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

Hit me with both. What's the good and bad news?

Good= Scrap value for aluminum is pretty good.

Bad= You have a out board that needs a new home.


Seriously, it looks like someone used a copper based antifoul paint. Those bottom strakes act as stiffeners, so they need to be replaced. I suspect that the hull skins are damaged below those strakes and re-riveting is going to be a nightmare.

Do the chines look bad as well?



 

[BIGMIKE]

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

Hit me with both. What's the good and bad news?

Good= Scrap value for aluminum is pretty good.

Bad= You have a out board that needs a new home.


Seriously, it looks like someone used a copper based antifoul paint. Those bottom strakes act as stiffeners, so they need to be replaced. I suspect that the hull skins are damaged below those strakes and re-riveting is going to be a nightmare.

Do the chines look bad as well?

Chines looked fine. It's just the bottom strakes. Do you know who can makes those? Or where to buy them?

[lokidog]

Couldn't you remove the existing scabs, clean it up, make sure there are no bad hull spots and then take a piece of 90 degree angled aluminum (1 1/8 X 1 1/8 and 1/8 inch thick) and weld it on in place of the existing pieces?  The forward end would have to be cut and bent into a point, but then you wouldn't need to have a piece custom made, just custom welded to the hull.

The cost to have someone do this might be offset by buying a TIG welder from Harbor Freight and doing it yourself?     You'd then be able to do other aluminum welding as needed.  Wish I had one....   

[wildmanoutdoors]

Couldn't you remove the existing scabs, clean it up, make sure there are no bad hull spots and then take a piece of 90 degree angled aluminum (1 1/8 X 1 1/8 and 1/8 inch thick) and weld it on in place of the existing pieces?  The forward end would have to be cut and bent into a point, but then you wouldn't need to have a piece custom made, just custom welded to the hull.

The cost to have someone do this might be offset by buying a TIG welder from Harbor Freight and doing it yourself?     You'd then be able to do other aluminum welding as needed.  Wish I had one....   

The angled aluminum is a great plan. That's all they are anyway.
Tig welding a hull as thin as a pop can is no job for a beginner. You will end up with big holes possibly. That boat might be scrap at this point if the hull skin is in the same shape.

[Special T]

The angle iron doesnt have to be on the outside. you can reinforce it from the inside. they do help with tracking and you would likely need to rivet them and seal. I will try and take somem pics of the inside of my boat today.

[lokidog]

Couldn't you remove the existing scabs, clean it up, make sure there are no bad hull spots and then take a piece of 90 degree angled aluminum (1 1/8 X 1 1/8 and 1/8 inch thick) and weld it on in place of the existing pieces?  The forward end would have to be cut and bent into a point, but then you wouldn't need to have a piece custom made, just custom welded to the hull.

The cost to have someone do this might be offset by buying a TIG welder from Harbor Freight and doing it yourself?     You'd then be able to do other aluminum welding as needed.  Wish I had one....   

The angled aluminum is a great plan. That's all they are anyway.
Tig welding a hull as thin as a pop can is no job for a beginner. You will end up with big holes possibly. That boat might be scrap at this point if the hull skin is in the same shape.

I thought of that when I was trolling and trolling, and trolling today.....  What about riveting a flat strip to the hull, caulking/sealing it as well, and then welding the angle pieces to that?

[BIGMIKE]

Couldn't you remove the existing scabs, clean it up, make sure there are no bad hull spots and then take a piece of 90 degree angled aluminum (1 1/8 X 1 1/8 and 1/8 inch thick) and weld it on in place of the existing pieces?  The forward end would have to be cut and bent into a point, but then you wouldn't need to have a piece custom made, just custom welded to the hull.
Thanks, Loki for the adviceAfter cleaning and wire brusing the hull, I was relieved to find out that the the hull's condit n is fine. Now I just need to find cheap 90 degree and flat aluminum and marine rivets for a

The cost to have someone do this might be offset by buying a TIG welder from Harbor Freight and doing it yourself?     You'd then be able to do other aluminum welding as needed.  Wish I had one....   

The angled aluminum is a great plan. That's all they are anyway.
Tig welding a hull as thin as a pop can is no job for a beginner. You will end up with big holes possibly. That boat might be scrap at this point if the hull skin is in the same shape.

I thought of that when I was trolling and trolling, and trolling today.....  What about riveting a flat strip to the hull, caulking/sealing it as well, and then welding the angle pieces to that?

Thanks Loki. I cleaned and grinded the hull today. Its intact and still very sturdy. I just need to braze a few pinholes and it shoul be ready tor the flat and 90 degree aluminum. I just need to find some for cheap. I also am looking for a welder that can weld the two pieces together. I actualy found someone that is charging 50 dollars per hour. I will prep everything so all I will be needing is the welding job that should not take more than an hour. You guys have any advice in what rivets to use?. Primer? Paint? I'll post some pics during the progress of the  project.

[Skillet]

Mike, I'd be really careful with the welding here.  These boats are typically skinned with a 5056 alloy, but 90% of the structural stuff is 6061 alloy.  6061 welds really well, but 5056 doesn't.  It usually has been cold rolled into sheet, and not heat treated.  Welding on it will anneal the 5056 and get really, really soft.  That metal has been made for riveting, not welding. 

That's not to say that a top-notch pro can't make it right for you, but ask a lot of questions.  You may decide welding isn't for you and go for an epoxy solution.  Just a thought-

[h2ofowlr]

The thin hull will become brittle where you try to weld it.  Any rough water and pounding on the water will probably crack the welds.  That hull looks shot from the pictures.  I wouldn't trust my life or others in that boat.

[jay.sharkbait]

The thin hull will become brittle where you try to weld it.  Any rough water and pounding on the water will probably crack the welds.  That hull looks shot from the pictures.  I wouldn't trust my life or others in that boat.

 

[lokidog]

No welding to the hull if the rivets a strip to it first. 

If you rivet the strip, then weld the angle iron, you might be able to seal the rivets inside, but if it does leak, you would be trapping water in there.  Probably not a big deal in a lake, but I wouldn't want saltwater trapped in there.

Be sure to use all aluminum rivets also.

If it is that bad, it might make a good planter for the front yard.      

[syoungs]

Couldn't you remove the existing scabs, clean it up, make sure there are no bad hull spots and then take a piece of 90 degree angled aluminum (1 1/8 X 1 1/8 and 1/8 inch thick) and weld it on in place of the existing pieces?  The forward end would have to be cut and bent into a point, but then you wouldn't need to have a piece custom made, just custom welded to the hull.
Thanks, Loki for the adviceAfter cleaning and wire brusing the hull, I was relieved to find out that the the hull's condit n is fine. Now I just need to find cheap 90 degree and flat aluminum and marine rivets for a

The cost to have someone do this might be offset by buying a TIG welder from Harbor Freight and doing it yourself?     You'd then be able to do other aluminum welding as needed.  Wish I had one....   

The angled aluminum is a great plan. That's all they are anyway.
Tig welding a hull as thin as a pop can is no job for a beginner. You will end up with big holes possibly. That boat might be scrap at this point if the hull skin is in the same shape.

I thought of that when I was trolling and trolling, and trolling today.....  What about riveting a flat strip to the hull, caulking/sealing it as well, and then welding the angle pieces to that?

Thanks Loki. I cleaned and grinded the hull today. Its intact and still very sturdy. I just need to braze a few pinholes and it shoul be ready tor the flat and 90 degree aluminum. I just need to find some for cheap. I also am looking for a welder that can weld the two pieces together. I actualy found someone that is charging 50 dollars per hour. I will prep everything so all I will be needing is the welding job that should not take more than an hour. You guys have any advice in what rivets to use?. Primer? Paint? I'll post some pics during the progress of the  project.

Just so your not blindsided, or think the guy is pulling a fast one, expect whomever is doing the welding to also do his prep work, you doing the brunt of it is great, but he is going to spend some time on it most likely as well, aluminum is tricky to prep and weld correctly!

[lokidog]

I just painted mine with spray paint and it has held up well.  If you are doing bottom paint, make sure you put a good epoxy based primer on first and stay away from copper based bottom paint.

[L-ofalab]

I think lokidog has a solid plan. No welding on the existing boat. Do you know how to rivet a boat? Someone will have to insert the new rivet from below then hold it with a heavy bucking tool while you beat the rivet from the inside. I made a tool for an air hammer that did a great job. There will be many rivets because you have to replace every rivet that was in the old strakes. You will probably have to remove the seats then re rivet them back in. You shouldn't use pop-rivets for any part of the rebuild. You will have the best chance of it not leaking if you open each rivet hole to the next size larger and ream the hole for a tight fit. I have fixed 2 boats, both still leaked but not where my repairs were. Flex seal will stop most leaks.

[Rich_S]

Thanks Loki. I cleaned and grinded the hull today. Its intact and still very sturdy. I just need to braze a few pinholes and it shoul be ready tor the flat and 90 degree aluminum. I just need to find some for cheap. I also am looking for a welder that can weld the two pieces together. I actualy found someone that is charging 50 dollars per hour. I will prep everything so all I will be needing is the welding job that should not take more than an hour. You guys have any advice in what rivets to use?. Primer? Paint? I'll post some pics during the progress of the  project.

Welding ............... $50/hour, say 2 hours = $100
Materials .............. Aluminum stock ~$20
                            Rivets ~$5
                            Paint  ~$20
                            Sanding discs, masks, etc. ~$5

Approximate cost ... $150

Scrap value of boat ..~20

Total cost of repair ... ~$170

Here's one I sold for ~$150 :





I popped that dent out before I sold it using a rubber hammer. It was courtesy of a wind gust that blew it off the garage onto the grass. No leaks, no corrosion. The scaling on the wood seats was vinyl shelf liner that needed replacing.

If you want to rebuild it as a project, have fun. Economically it doesn't make much sense. Don't forget good PFD's!

[Special T]

Here are some pic of the reinforcement on the hull of my14'. The main keel is a pice of t stock about 1.5" and the side chines are angle 1.5x1.5"  this really made an otherwise light boat pretty tough. Ive hit more than a couple of gravel bars full boar and a few submerged logs. No damage other than some dents in the keel and a couple of destroyed props

[pjb3]

There are many other options, PM me

[jeepster]

Sell it and get a fiberglass boat

[rtspring]

It CAN be welded , one thing to make sure of is aluminum needs to be clean, use acetone or the likes and clean it, any welder worth his salt will make the welds. I literally welded on 100's of aluminum boats in the Navy! Saltwater sucks ... 

If you have no expeience with welding aluminum I would let a pro do it..  And please dont try to use the aluminum arc welding rods..   I welded for 20 years

[_TONY_]

Personally, I'd scrap that thing and start over with a different boat. But that's just me. I'm not a big fan of Franken boats... Even though it may be safe, I still wouldn't feel good about it in the back of my mind.

[BIGMIKE]

Here are some pic of the reinforcement on the hull of my14'. The main keel is a pice of t stock about 1.5" and the side chines are angle 1.5x1.5"  this really made an otherwise light boat pretty tough. Ive hit more than a couple of gravel bars full boar and a few submerged logs. No damage other than some dents in the keel and a couple of destroyed props

I like your idea, I was wondering what did you use as rivets? or nut and bolts to secure it in place.

[Special T]

I didnt do the work. I inherited the boat from my uncle who ran the Skagit river all the time. Its a purpose built boat. They are all rivets I didnt see a single bolt in the hull. there might have been one in the transom but i didint look that hard.

[BIGMIKE]

Here are some pic of the reinforcement on the hull of my14'. The main keel is a pice of t stock about 1.5" and the side chines are angle 1.5x1.5"  this really made an otherwise light boat pretty tough. Ive hit more than a couple of gravel bars full boar and a few submerged logs. No damage other than some dents in the keel and a couple of destroyed props

Special T,

I like what you did with your boat. I was thinking about replacing the Strakes with an aluminum T-Bar to act as stiftner and mini Keel. I think this will protect the boat from abrations due to beaching and keep the hull strong. I was wondering what did you use to keep it in place... rivets?, screws, nuts and bolts? Please let me know as I dont have an Pneumatic hammer for the solid aircraft grade rivets.  anyone got a suggestions on how to keep the t-bar in place?

[BIGMIKE]

Update: I found some 1.5x1.5x1/8 alluminum bars for the strake replacements. I cut them into 7 feet long sections and gave them a 120 degree angle on both ends. I am waiting for the solid rivets to arrive in the mail so I could tack it in place. I am hoping this works as a hull stiftner as well.

[lokidog]

Looks good.  I would buy a high quality marine grade caulk/sealer to put a bead around the outside edge of the pieces which would also seal in the rivets.

[jay.sharkbait]

Looks good.  I would buy a high quality marine grade caulk/sealer to put a bead around the outside edge of the pieces which would also seal in the rivets.

 

Or better maybe skim coat the mating surfaces with 5200 or 4200.

[Special T]

I didnt do the work on mine. The work was done by my uncle and i Inherited the boat. Sorry that i cant ask him any ? to help you on your project.

I think most of the rivets are the normal 2 piece pop rivets. Where the strakes and Keel attach at the cross frame those may be solid but i will double check. It WILL stiffen the boat up a bunch. Where the Keel  its attached the cross frame is reinforced with some strapping.  On my Keel There appears to be a price of round stock extruded on the end of the T. So i think the round stock is say 3/8" or 1/4".

[lokidog]

Looks good.  I would buy a high quality marine grade caulk/sealer to put a bead around the outside edge of the pieces which would also seal in the rivets.

 

Or better maybe skim coat the mating surfaces with 5200 or 4200.

Good idea.

[Special T]

 

I think this is likely the best way to keep the majority of the water out.... It is a boat after all and a little water inside is likely no matter how much you seal it.

I had a John boat that i fixed up and used RV sealer on the inside. It worked great but it added so much weight to it it was a waste... I pretty much sold it for what i had in it. Yours is a small boat like mine. Done add too much extra weight. 

[Westside88]

Looks like you have a plan for fixing the boat. Just wanted to give a tip about painting aluminum boats. My dad had a painter paint his yellow duro boat black many years ago. After stripping it he "pickled" the aluminum to prep it for paint. I believe this involved wiping it with vinegar. He said it would make the paint adhere to the aluminum. The paint job is probably 15 years old now and still looks great, now flaking etc even after spending some winters outside

[BIGMIKE]

Finally the Crab boat project is complete. I fabricated some home made Strakes then used some solid rivets to tacked it in place. Then I applied Gluvit both in and out of the boat to seal the rivets and the entire hull. I then Put 3 coats of Herculiner in the bottom of the hull and 2 coats inside the boat. I applied 2 Coats of self etching primer then 2 brushed it with 2 coats of Parker Marsh Grass. I picked few branches of leaves from the tree next to my house and used that as stencil for the OD Green camo job. I installed the seats, oars,  rod holders and Fish Finder. Then I bought a perfectly running 1959 18 hp Johnson Sea Horse Outboard from Craigslist for 150 bucks and hooked up my 40 lb Minn Kota trolling motor as back up. I had a blast working on this boat. The only thing I have left to do is to register and test it out in the water. I hope everything works and I am hoping to take my little boys out for the trout opener.. See you in the water.

[BIGMIKE]

cont.

[huntnphool]

Nicely done, good work.

[Special T]

 

[lokidog]

Dang!  That thing looks great.  Just need to paint that motor now.   

[gaddy]

That really looks nice. great job!!

[ridgefire]

Nice job. Hope it performs for you.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Turned out good!¿

[CoryTDF]

You are my hero Mike! I would have expected nothing less.l

[Seahawk12]

That looks really cool. Nice work.

[Pinetar]

Very nice job, looks like a different boat. Fun to follow along. Now get them kids out there, rip some lips, have fun and be safe!! lol