Do All Aluminum Boats Leak??

[bobk]

Originally Posted by REW

BobK,
It is not silly if the insurance company awards $15K to the owner of the boat.

Sure REW.This issue should be dumped on the insurance company to pay for it. Still silly.

[DW]

Can anyone draw a sketch of a cross section of the Lund keel? If the leak is indeed along the keel, the design will provide basis for a fix.

I was looking at the keel of a new Lund and externally the keel is comprised of a V shaped strip which is laid overlapping the centerline and riveted about every 1" on both sides of the keel. The V shaped strip is rather narrow. It occurs to me that a leak could anywhere along the strip, water could run under and along the strip and enter the boat anywhere and not necessarily where the V strip leaks. If so, locating the leak and positioning the fix could be elusive. Could that V strip of aluminum be unrivoted and removed, the seam where the bottom sheets meet inspected and resealed by welding or glue, then the the V strip reinstalled and riveted?

[cabin6]

Well, I removed floor panel and rod locker, put it in the lake and found a crack in the weld along the keel. Looks like it just failed from stress. So now I start the process with Lund and warranty, etc. I'm hoping to get it fixed at a reasonable price and can sell it or trade for a different boat. Love the boat but fed up with the problems. Again, thanks to all for your advice and opinions.

[T Mac]

Originally Posted by DW

Can anyone draw a sketch of a cross section of the Lund keel? If the leak is indeed along the keel, the design will provide basis for a fix.

I was looking at the keel of a new Lund and externally the keel is comprised of a V shaped strip which is laid overlapping the centerline and riveted about every 1" on both sides of the keel. The V shaped strip is rather narrow. It occurs to me that a leak could anywhere along the strip, water could run under and along the strip and enter the boat anywhere and not necessarily where the V strip leaks. If so, locating the leak and positioning the fix could be elusive. Could that V strip of aluminum be unrivoted and removed, the seam where the bottom sheets meet inspected and resealed by welding or glue, then the the V strip reinstalled and riveted?

Yes that can be fixed, although it is extremely rare for that weld to crack. The purpose of the keel extrusion is for protection of the weld and keeping the seam weld from flexing. (as well as for tracking, boat control, and wear).

[bowtech840]

This is why I bought a tracker, lol.......... Sorry I couldn't help myself.


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[TimT]

Originally Posted by cabin6

2008 Tyee 1850, dealer fixed, then factory fixed (2 yr ago) , rivets fixed but now leaking worse than ever along keel. Did I buy a lemon or do all boats leak?

No.

I've only had one aluminum boat, though (not including row boats). Still, I have to say that in the 17 seasons on the water, it never gave me a problem with leaks.

[DW]

Originally Posted by cabin6

Well, I removed floor panel and rod locker, put it in the lake and found a crack in the weld along the keel. Looks like it just failed from stress. So now I start the process with Lund and warranty, etc. I'm hoping to get it fixed at a reasonable price and can sell it or trade for a different boat. Love the boat but fed up with the problems. Again, thanks to all for your advice and opinions.

Hopefully, Lund will fully warrant the cost to repair the hull. My point is that that you have two leaks: the broken weld you discovered and somewhere between the visible keel strip that is riveted to the bottom hull panels. Those 2 leaks are not necessarily in the same spot. Ideally the entire keel should be removed and re-riveted in addition to a new weld. If they do it right, your boat should be as good as new and the lifetime hull warranty intact.

Probably the leaky weld was caused by a bad weld job at the factory. Although stress contributed, that is not the cause.

[cabin6]

All of the leak issues are in the bow, (which is usually out of the water while on plane). I think the problem may be stress in that area due in part by the location of the batteries and the design of the trays under the helm , starboard and port. I've noticed that the newer boats have had those batteries relocated and are no longer able to "float" or jiggle around. Just my theory.

[MarkG]

Originally Posted by cabin6

All of the leak issues are in the bow, (which is usually out of the water while on plane). I think the problem may be stress in that area due in part by the location of the batteries and the design of the trays under the helm , starboard and port. I've noticed that the newer boats have had those batteries relocated and are no longer able to "float" or jiggle around. Just my theory.

Unlikely your batteries caused the issue. Usually hull stress is caused by wave pounding or hull twist from the high torque of high HP motors and a combination of the two. In recent years (since late 80s early 90s), boat manufacturers had used re-enforcment methods such as Lund's "twin plate" or Alumacraft's so called "2XB" methods to resist hull failures under these conditions. Your motor does not exceed the hull HP rating,,,does it?

As far as repair, since Lund already had the boat once, your next action should be to contact Lund customer service. Did they tell you what they did the first time? Report to them the boat is still leaking, and what your inspection found. Ask them what you should be doing and what they will do, considering it's been an ongoing problem, and you do not consider them to have fixed the problem in the first place. If you get no satisfaction from them, you might have to consider seeking some legal advise for remedy.

[cabin6]

150 opti. I don't understand the physics of the torque. Have a Revolution 4 stainless prop that takes a big bite and does a great job of keeping me on plane at lower speeds. Seldom run it over 3500 rpm or 30 mph; usually run speeds 15- 25 mph. I'm an old guy, back can't take the rough stuff.