# Aluminum boat corrosion



## Nutfarmer (Jun 24, 2022)

What is the best way to repair this type of corrosion? Would the best way to just cut it out and weld new aluminum in or clean it up and fill in the holes?  Will have to disassemble the boat because of styrofoam behind the aluminum. Any ideas on dealing with the corrosion?  I have welded aluminum before , but never with this much corrosion.


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## greentwin (Jun 24, 2022)

I have seen people screw a patch over the bad spot.
Ugly but effective if you use the right sealant.

.


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## Nutfarmer (Jun 25, 2022)

What I saw on the boat were epoxy patches that could be pealed off with no trouble at all. You would never have me in the boat with what I saw as repairs.


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## Martin W (Jun 25, 2022)

Corrosion will have to be cut out to weld new patches. Tig will be best.
 We had an old Simpson Sears aluminum boat as a kid. It had patches pop riveted on with roofing tar I believe. This was from a mishap with a rock. Never leaked in my time with the boat. 
Martin


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## pdentrem (Jun 25, 2022)

Modern aircraft is glued together with rivets.
Pierre


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## Nutfarmer (Jun 25, 2022)

A lot of aircraft used 2024 aluminum. I don’t think that series is welder friendly.


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## RJSakowski (Jun 25, 2022)

I have successfully used a riveted patch to repair a stress crack from an improper support on the boat trailer.  The PO had welded the crack only to have it fail again.  I cut out the bad area and applied a patch from the inside,sandwiching a thin neoprene gasket between the patch and the hull.  The patch is in a spot that takes a lot of pounding when on plain in rough water but the boat remains totally dry after 18 years.  The patch is on the starboard side in the second photo and is about 6" square.




The choice of repair will depend to a great extent on the nature of the failure.  For small areas, welding may be the most effective solution but if the corrosion covers a larger area, I would think a patch would be best.


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