View Full Version : Cracked Hull :(
Lead Bouncer
06-24-2001, 05:45 PM
I had been noticing a bit more water in the bilge lately and decided to test for leakage the other day. I started to fill the bilge with a garden hose while the boat was on the trailer and soon found the culprit.
It is a split about four inches long right between two rivets below the waterline in the aluminum hull. Bummer! This boat is only into its third season and should still be under waranty, hopefully it will be honored.
If it is not honored, does anyone have knowledge of aluminum hull repair. Would really like to learn my options before committing to an expensive repair by a pro.
Hope Mama will be happy to have her old man around the house for a while until I can sort this out.
Thanks, and leave some for me : )
-LB
Dutchman
06-24-2001, 06:33 PM
For now show it to your dealer get the warrantee paperwork started and then put some JB weld on and run it for the summer. Fix it this winter when heaven freezes over again...
PWaldow123
06-24-2001, 08:31 PM
Basically had the same problem, but only on a little older boat. JB weld is the ticket. That stuff will work wonders. Mix it up, smooth it on with your finger, sand it down, and it will look great, and will hold up forever.
Paul
I respectfully have to disagree with the other posts.
If you have a crack that is 4 inches long in a 3 year old boat, you basically have a design problem with the boat.
The only way that you can have a 4 inch long crack in the hull of the boat -- assuming that you din't run into a log or stump to cause the crack - is that you have inadequate bracing on the inside of the hull, which has let the hull flex and crack.
First, lets assume that the manufacturer will fix the boat under warrenty - great. But when they do fix it, insist that it be fixed correctly - whether it is under warrenty or not.
For a crack like you describe - and again assuming, that it hasn't been caused by a rock or other bottom strike - is that the interior of the boat needs to be removed in the region of the crack, and additional bracing needs to be added to the interior of the boat in the region of the crack.
Perhaps this will mean the addition of a rib, a side brace, and angled bottom piece, and additional thickness of material or whatever in the area of the crack.
If you don't beef up this part of the boat -- any other sort of patch or weld will certainly break again.
In general, it is NOT a good idea to use a hot weld method (i.e. heliarc) to repair an aluminum boat. There is nothing wrong with the welding process, and it will in fact heal the crack. The problem is that the weld will cause the aluminum to work harden, and the aluminum, will be very brittle just past the edge of the repair area. So, is what happens, is that some time after the repair has been made, and assuming that you haven't beefed up the inside of the boat - the hull will flex, and then the repair will break - just on the outside edge of the weld. It is likely that the weld itself will never break, but the hull side of the reapir will flex and break again.
The other thing to remember is that if you can ascertain, that you have had some sort of bottom strike - then general repair practices - i.e. putting a hard rivited patch over the crack will solve the problem on a long term basis. Also, if you have had a bottom strike and it is apparent - from the appearance of the hull bottom, then your insurance company should be involved and should pick up the cost of reapirs.
Take care
REW
PWaldow123
06-25-2001, 04:29 AM
Sorry guys, REW is right, just didn't read the post close enough to realize it was a 4 inch split. Just thought that you had leaking around the a couple of rivets.
Paul
Dan(MI)
06-25-2001, 04:38 AM
I had a cracked hull last summer about this time. It was faster for me to drive it from Michigan to Missouri, and vice versa to get me on the water faster. However I was out of a boat until August. They repaired the boat no questions asked and warrantied it for another 3 years.
It was a spectrum now owned by Fisher.
I didn't really want the hassle again so I traded the boat for a new Fisher due to the great service.
later and good luck
Dan
Lead Bouncer
06-25-2001, 05:42 AM
Thanks, everybody, for the help.
The damage was not caused by hitting anything such as logs or rocks. Most likely it just couldn't take the waves/chop at "higher" speeds, 26mph max, only.
I talked with a service rep on the phone today and will haul it in for a look see. I'll be out of a boat for at least two weeks he says.
I don't like the idea of a hot repair, either. Metal fatigue is not my idea of a good fix.
I think I'll be looking for a new or used boat in the not too distant future.
Thanks again,
-LB
Lead Bouncer
06-25-2001, 05:43 AM
Thanks, everybody, for the help.
The damage was not caused by hitting anything such as logs or rocks. Most likely it just couldn't take the waves/chop at "higher" speeds, 26mph max, only.
I talked with a service rep on the phone today and will haul it in for a look see. I'll be out of a boat for at least two weeks he says.
I don't like the idea of a hot repair, either. Metal fatigue is not my idea of a good fix.
I think I'll be looking for a new or used boat in the not too distant future.
Thanks again,
-LB
The cracking can also be caused by an improper trailer setup which puts stress on the hull.
Torsk
07-04-2001, 04:30 PM
More often the trailer IS the culprit than the water when splits occur.
True statement. I recently saw a crack in a Weldcraft aluminum hull that had a .125 bottom. The crack was caused by an after sale installation of those EZ Glide type sticks on a bunk trailer. Poor bunk setup caused a lot of stress at one of the corners of the strip.
Take care,
mlc
Phil T.
07-05-2001, 04:07 AM
My hull cracked because of a roller trailer. The addition of a bowmount trolling motor and batteries put too much weight on the front right rollers.
The repair involved removal of the floor and flotation foam, cutting the rivets and separating the skin from the nearby ribs. A piece of marine aluminum sheeting was slipped between the boat's skin and the ribs, sealed with aluminum calulking of some kind, and reriveted in place.
The surface of the cracks was filled with heliarc and the certified welder who did the work assured me that "weld" only filled in the crack, not enough heat was used to give the weld any strength or to ruin the temper in the surrounding aluminum. the repair has held for over five years, and the cracks (riveted at each end) haven't spread.