Canoe leak

[4123]

Hi there.
Can anyone tell me how to repair a small, slow seeping leak that appears to be coming from a few of the rivets in the bottom of our aluminum canoe?

[Steve_Cox]

There is nothing worse than trying to paddle upstream and one of you has to stop and bail every few strokes

Pinpointing the exact place of the leak is the hardest part. The most accurate method is to put the canoe on several saw horses and have someone put water on the inside while looking outside for the exact spot water droplets appear.

Cabela's Aluminum Boat Patch is a good aproach, you have to have paint or finish around the leak sanded off, heat the area with a propane torch then wipe the patch stick over the heated area, it will melt and be drawn into the leak area. The spot can then be refinished.

Another patch could be done with 5200 sealant, but it wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing.

[hotrod]

if its in a line of rivets and not cracked you could put the canoe on said sawhorses and get a buddy on one side with a hammer and you on the other side with a hammer and tighten all the rivets, this is pretty common.
I just repaired a bunch of cracks in dads leeching jonboat last summer ( not fancy work) I made some light aluminum sheetmetal patches and riveted them in using solid rivets, you cant use pop rivets for this...

[hotrod]

you could also just remove the rib or strake completely, clean up the area and re rivet the piece back in.

[duke]

I've used the Durafix rods for repairs on an aluminum boat and to make a homemade sluice box and highbanker for gold prospecting out of scrap aluminum.... More like soldering then welding but very durable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jijW310xvp4

[Aaron Coffee]

Heres another reason to carry a shovel in a boat, just dig a hole in the water around the leak.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Hi there.
Can anyone tell me how to repair a small, slow seeping leak that appears to be coming from a few of the rivets in the bottom of our aluminum canoe?

Ron,
we use this stuff to seal seams on a lot of stuff, including rain gutters...
http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Alcoa_Gutterseal_p/vts-138.htm

[4123]

Thanks Steve, I will definitely try the water inside the canoe trick to find the location of the leak(s)

Paul, I also will definitely try the tightening the rivets after finding which ones leak.

Duke, The durofix sure looks like a good way to repair larger leaks. My leaks are very small, slow and "seepy" So much so that I can't really tell where they're coming from yet. I will surly try using it if and when the day comes that I accidently 'rip' a hole in the bottom which is likely in that Olga and I like doing whitewater.

Hi Dean, The Alcoa Gutterseal seems like the most likely fix if tightening the rivets doesn't work. Thanks for the idea!

Thank all of you for your input.