Major Leak!!

[Walli1]

Looks like I really broke the keel of the boat , it started just a slow leak couple weeks back but on sunday going back to hubs I actually had water shooting up through the front pedestal mount, enough water comes in that the pump never quits spitting water, the keel of the boat has been fixed twice at the boat shop and its still under warranty only problem is I'll lose the boat for the at least a month, so it can be fixed, here is what the boat looks like now, I'm going to give it my best shot and hopefully I can have it all put back together and water tight for saturday

[FWA]

That sucks man!!!!

[Sandmannd]

That realy sucks. Let me know if you don't get it going, you are always welcome in my boat and I owe ya a ride anyway.

[Stratosman]

What happened, the rivets loosen or what? Whatever the case that sucks big time. Get it fixed and on the water in short order. I can offer a seat as well in the meantime. I should be on the drink this weekend...

[Walli1]

A few years back I had a buddy in the boat and we were going wide open on the croix and hit a monster wave at the apex and the whole boat was out of the water and came down on the bottom of another wave and broke the keel and buckled the floor, ended up with bent floor struts and a split big enough in the spline to see though, I brought it in and had the repairs done and it didn't leak up to last Dec when I had my accident and then it went back in to the shop and got fixed once again, so now the spline has another crack in it about 7" long right next to where it was welded before, hopefully I can get it fixed and back on the water by saturday, least thats the plan

[Walli1]

Picked up some alumium brazing rods today and got out the torch and tried my handy work at fixing the crack in the boat if the brazing is as strong as a weld I'm set, I'm feeling pretty good about my brazing on the crack but where the old weld really came apart that area had a gap about 1/2 by 1 1/2", I brazed a small piece of alumium over the hole and filled in around it, that is the trouble spot, if its going to leak that is the spot. Tomorrow I'll put it in the miss for a trial run before I put everything back together,

[hitthebricks]

A few years back I ripped a hole (1/2"x6") in the bottom of a small fishing boat. I used a 1/8" alumanum sheet, formed it to the area, applied a liberal amount of marine grade silicome to the area, and pop riveted it securely over the ripped area. The patch has held up for over 25 years now with no leaks. Good luck with the repair. HTB

[Black_Bay]

Remember to take it easy on the trial run. You had a scare late last year on the river. No need to repeat that.

[G_man]

Where'd you pick up the aluminum brazing rods and the pick of aluminum to cover the crack (I assume you didn't use a pop can)? I got a hole in an aluminum foot rail on my snowmobile that I need to repair. Fleet Farm? You said all you did was use a torch? That sounds perfect. Did you use MAP gas (yellow 1-lb cylinder that burns hotter) in lieu of propane?

[Walli1]

Home depot by the welding stuff, map gas ( yellow tank) good luck!

[croixeyes]

Walli1...Sounds like you could use a lake assault boat.I think their hulls are made of 10inch thick aluminum or something like that .Kidding glad you got the rig up and running.

[shale]

Croixeyes,

Lake Assault's are hot. I plan on buying into the IPO in the near future. You ain't gonna bust one of them up.

[croixeyes]

Thats for sure shale.I saw one trolling down the street,prop was a little dinged but the street was giving way for that boat bow .You gonna be out sneekin around the Croix this weekend?

[shale]

Croixeyes,

They are a very aggressive boat. I'll be out in the AM.