Tape for a seam in an aluminum boat?

[Wade Lippman]

I have a small aluminum sailboat. It leaks; about a cup a minute. Every 10 minutes or so I have to bail and it is a nuisance.

I calked where I could, but it didn't help. I think the seam between the two halves is leaking. The most obvious fix would be to put tape over it, but what tape. It would have to be waterproof and very sticky. It would probably not come into contact with anything, so durability (other than sticking on) would be secondary.

Any suggestions?

I have a can of the spray that they advertise making a screen door waterproof, but I don't have a lot of confidence in it. Got when Lowes closed it out really cheap; not sure it a great bargain even then, but I have it.
I have seen an epoxy made for the purpose; very thin and it is supposed to flow in and seal any gaps, but it is very expensive.

[Brian Elfert]

Would some of the window flashing tape work? Less than $10 a roll at a home improvement store.

[Andrew Joiner]

Marine Tex would be my first choice. Sand and clean the area first. It holds like crazy on epoxy and fiberglass sailboards. It's thin enough to work it into the joint with a putty knife. Epoxy putty stick would work to, but not as thin or as permanent as Marine Tex.

Aluminum tape with a peel off backer for ducts would stick if the area was clean. I don't think tape would make a water proof repair.

[Myk Rian]

I've used the epoxy that comes in a stick. Cut a chunk off, mash it all together with your fingers, and smash it in the holes/cracks. I used it on my 12ft fishing boat 15 years ago, and the epoxy is still there and holding on like the day I applied it.

[Wade Lippman]

Would some of the window flashing tape work? Less than $10 a roll at a home improvement store.

Reading the descriptions, it looks like it ought to work. One of them says to spray with 3M adhesive first to prime the surface, It is a small area, so I can easily do that if it would help. (I have a couple cans sitting around that I haven't used recently; so they are expendable.)

[Erik Loza]

Bearing in mind that I know nothing about boats, what about JB Weld?

Erik

[Mac McQuinn]

I understand there's a seam sealer product available from auto supply outlets for sealing the older parcel delivery vans, built from aluminum panels. It's very thin, and does an excellent job as a waterproofing, might be worth a try. If the two halves are flexing enough to cause the leak, I would address this first by re-riveting the panels. There's probably not much which will keep the leak at bay for any length of time if you have flexing.
Good luck,
Mac

[Wade Lippman]

Bearing in mind that I know nothing about boats, what about JB Weld?

Erik

I thought about epoxy putty and JB Weld, but they are expensive, would take a good deal of work, and could chip out when the boat flexes. If the window tape will work, then it is a great solution. I will stop by Lowes today and give it a try.

[Brian Elfert]

JB Weld costs less than the window flashing tape. I see someone suggested aluminum duct sealing tape. It works for water, but only short term. It is designed to stop low pressure air leaks, not water.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I've used the epoxy that comes in a stick. Cut a chunk off, mash it all together with your fingers, and smash it in the holes/cracks. I used it on my 12ft fishing boat 15 years ago, and the epoxy is still there and holding on like the day I applied it.

Fine for the boat, but have you been catching any fish?

[Bill Leonard]

+1 for Marine Tex. I had a leaking 26 Columbia several years ago with an Atomic 4 engine. When I sold it, I sold an Atomic 4 engine in a Marine Tex hull. I guarantee it won't rip, ravel, run down at the heels, or smell bad in wet weather.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

What any good sailor has a few tubes of at all times is 3M 5200. It can even adhere and cure underwater. Make sure you get the fast cure because it takes a while to cure. Don't get it on anything you don't want permanently covered in it, including your hands. It is hard to get off. Once cured, it is tough as nails.

Marine Tex also a great product. The one you want by that brand is called "Gluvit." It is recommended for sealing rivets and seams.

[Justin Ludwig]

Flex Seal. Just sealed up my aluminum boat with it.

[Wade Lippman]

I used tape in the most likely places; it reduced the leak, but didn't stop it. The boat has two 2" holes in the transom, and I noticed my corks weren't doing a good job of preventing water from coming in. I put some tape across them on the outside and it helped a lot. Then forgot about them.

Yesterdays we got .8" of rain and 2.1" today. I walked around the house to see how everything survived and notice the boat was mostly off the hoist and in the water. There was 6" of water in the boat and the weight caused it to slide off the hoist. That is darned good tape, to hold back all that water!

This fall I will turn the boat over and work some 3M 5200 into ALL the seams and retape. Right now I am just thankful I have a boat.

[Fred Perreault]

I'm not a mariner. I am a fan of the Terra Firma, but I would think that any fix to the aluminum boat would want to be a sealant, but flexible as well. Lotsa activity when bringing in those big catfish, carp (?), walleye, pike, pickerel, bass or whatever. Oh, I forgot, the carp jump into the boat all by thyemselves.