Aluminum

Repairing Your Aluminum Jon Boat
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios

You and your aluminum jon boat go back several years. Many a pleasant weekend has been spent on the river. But recently, you had an accident that left a slit in the underside of your boat. The boat will have to be in dry dock until you figure out your next step. You're really not in a position to replace your aluminum jon boat. The logical thing to do is to repair the boat. But how do you go about repairing a slit in an aluminum jon boat?

For a first attempt, try caulking with silicon based filler. This is the same type of filler that is used to seal flashing on roofs, so you know that the stuff is both heat and moisture resistant. Allow the filler to set and dry completely. The amount of time needed to dry will depend on the brand, so read the instructions carefully. Once the filler has set, try out your aluminum jon boat in some shallow water for a few hours. Watch closely for any signs of leakage. Remove the boat from the water and check the underside to see if you show any deterioration of the filler plug from that angle.

If you would feel more comfortable with something other than caulking, you might consider having the slit welded. If that is your preference in repairing your jon boat, make sure you give the project to an experienced welder that is used to working with aluminum. Most commonly, a welder who truly does know aluminum will recommend a tungsten inert gas weld. Check your local yellow pages for welders who advertise that they work with aluminum. Or contact a local body repair shop; they often have experience working with aluminum welds and might be able to do the job quickly and inexpensively.

Another common suggestion for repairing slits in jon boats would be to apply a fiberglass patch to the area. Fiberglass is very durable and the patch could very well last for a number of years. While not as permanent a fix as welding, the patch would certainly allow you to get back to enjoying taking your aluminum jon boat out for a little fun on Saturday morning.

BIG Mike is a well known author, developer and Adsense expert as well as the owner of Niche Maniacs - a unique Adsense Marketing System designed to build long-term passive income streams from Adsense, Amazon, YPN, Chitika and other PPC services.