How to Repair a Hole in an Aluminum Boat

Patch up your aluminum boat.

It's not enough that an aluminum boat can take a real beating in the water. Damage can also occur on the way to the water. For that reason, there are scads of boat repair shops at or near any navigable water. People spend countless sums repairing holes in aluminum boats when they could just as easily make the repairs themselves.

Things You'll Need

• Winch
• Bricks
• Assistant
• Water
• Crayon or magic marker
• Hammer
• Block of wood
• Wire brush
• Fiberglass batting
• Fiberglass resin and hardener
• Disposable container

Instructions

1. Hoist the boat with a winch or set it on top of some sturdy bricks so that you can see the hull. Fill the boat with water from a garden hose until it reaches about ten inches or the leaks are obvious. Mark each leak with a crayon or magic marker. Drain the boat and flip it over so that the hull is facing upward. Try to find the leaks from the inside of the boat and, once again, mark them.

2. Close the holes on your aluminum boat as much as possible before you begin to patch them. Have someone place a piece of metal on the outside of the hull while you use a hammer with a block of wood to straighten out the holes and close them as much as possible. Then, with a wire brush, clean an area about six inches larger than the hole and be sure that you remove all the foreign material and paint chips. The area you'll patch should be down to bare aluminum.

3. Buy some fiberglass batting, fiberglass resin and hardener from your local auto-parts or home center. You'll need to work fast because once the hardener is mixed with the resin, it begins to harden quickly. Cut enough of the fiberglass batting to cover the area, then mix the hardener and resin in a container that you'll throw away and paint the problem area. Place the batting over the painted area and apply another coat of the resin over the batting. Let the patch dry for about an hour before you coat it with the resin mixture a second time. Wait another hour, then turn the boat over and do the same thing, only now from the outside. Once your handiwork is dry, use a wire brush to smooth it out, and then paint it.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear goggles and gloves when working with fiberglass resin and hardener because they are very toxic.

References

• Boat Building: Patch holes in aluminum boats with G/flex Epoxy
• Aluminum Repair: Aluminum Boat Repair