New to me: buying an aluminum boat

[kostianych]

hello gents, finally it comes throu....
need help, info, advice on buying a used aluminum boat....
what should I know, pay attention to, ask about when I bay a used aluminum boat?
any advise is welcome an appreciated :)
thanks
regards
K

[Russ C]

The first thing I would do is ask if you can fill it with water ---- see if it leaks.
Russ C

[DarkAisling]

Have a good look at the rivets. Are any missing or clearly damaged? Run you finger over them to see if you feel any shifting or movement. Ask if any have been repaired. Check the repair jobs, if some have been.

My father was very particular about his boat's rivets. I guess it rubbed off on me :)

[Safety D]

Get a welded aluminum instead of riveted....

[DarkAisling]

Get a welded aluminum instead of riveted....

:lol: That's a better idea!

[floppychicken]

Not all 'Aluminum' grade is equal and not all 'thicknesses', Rivets, nor 'Welds' are the same. You won't find many one piece or 'Welded' Aluminum boats under 16' either.... Certainly NOT in the 'unfinished' category.

BTW,....

What exactly is your budget ? Are you looking at under 5k, 10k, 20 or 30k ??
There's much more to think about when it comes to the higher numbers but some of the following might apply:

First, If anyone came to me and asked if they could 'fill my boat' with water, I'd likely tell them 'to go pound sand'. That's a good way to ruin your boat. A little water from the hose OK but fill the boat ? I almost found that out the hard way....
Anyway, if you can't get them to take you out in the water (you pay the gas, etc..) then I suppose I would likely keep looking.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with RIVETS what-so-ever !
As a matter of fact tightly placed LARGE rivets over 'extruded' Aluminum (newer boats..) would make a FAR stronger boat than a one piece or two piece 'welded' hull. Also, how many 'bare aluminum' boats made in the last 50 years are one piece ? As a matter of fact, how many HIGH END boats have one piece hulls that extend beyond the WINDSHIELD ? Please, nobody say LUND !

If you're looking for a used boat, buy one with LARGER but 'tightly' placed rivets. Check seams and joins for trauma and get it in the water if you can. You can't tell whether or not a boat 'really leaks' until you have it sitting in the water applying weight to various parts of the boat. Also, the stresses of running it through water and stiff chop will tell you if it has any 'serious leaking issues'....

Don't immediately turn away from a used boat (riveted only) if it takes on a 'tiny bit' of water, as almost every 'well used' aluminum boat that has rivets is going to have a leak sooner or later. The beautiful thing about rivets is that they CAN be removed and replaced. Rivets also allow for trauma without worrying about having to replace your entire HULL.
Now having said that, If you're in a 'Welded Boat' and that boat leaks. Run as fast as you can ! :scared:
That boat has been 'improperly welded' (a rarity..) or has a fissure in the 'actual weld' which WILL continue to crack unless said 'crack' is drilled out and re-welded !

Cheers, :)

/FC....

[kostianych]

thanks a lot, floppychicken....

I found a boat for 2K, not a Fancy one, but for a starter isn`t bad....

BTW: how reliable are 15HP Evinrude motors from mid 80s?

[floppychicken]

thanks a lot, floppychicken....

I found a boat for 2K, not a Fancy one, but for a starter isn`t bad....

BTW: how reliable are 15HP Evinrude motors from mid 80s?

Hey, no Worries... :D

Good stuff, Did ya buy it ? What Size, Make and Model ?

As far as I know, those motors are REALLY decent and reliable. Anything made around that time was 'made to last' and I think that's why there are so many of them on the backs of Aluminum Boats today....

You probably already know this stuff but it can't hurt for those who don't know much about them...

First thing I'd do though is change the leg Oil, noticing carefully the color and smell.
Then I'd pull the PROP and check for fishing line and crap like that, along with any leaks around the seal as a result of the former. Inspect the Prop and make sure it's in good shape with no cracks or big dings on the blade ends. Those prop issues will seriously reduce the life of the Lower Leg ! :cry:

Next, I'd clean out the CARB. Sometimes cleaning out a dirty Carburetor with "Deep Creep" can REALLY make a difference in the overall performance of the motor. It certainly made a difference on my 40hp O/B Mariner.

Once the "Deep Creep" is done, do your Fuel filter, Plugs, lube (use a waterproof Grease / Marine Grease), etc... Finally, rip around the lake and you'll likely notice a big difference.
Other than that, you simply keep it well maintained, stabilize the fuel and Fog it before shutting it down for the season.

If you're not comfortable doing any of the above, I can suggest a very good Marine Mechanic out of OLDS who also charges a very reasonable hourly rate.

Cheers, :)

/FC

[DarkAisling]

FC . . . sounds like you're quite knowledgeable :)

I'm wondering about something, and I'm not sure if I can phrase it in a way that makes sense.

When I was mountain biking (I had an aluminum frame), I learned that if your bike frame takes a bad hit in one area this affects not only the area that took the hit, but the whole frame. I was told that aluminum basically "distributes" the damage, and that weakness can occur in places other places in the frame as well. Basically, you wind up with invisible weak spots.

If that's true, what would one want to look for in a boat that has sustained damage and has been repaired? I'm thinking that the whole piece of aluminum should have been replaced, vs just a new piece welded in.

[kostianych]

thanks for soooo good info :) yes, please, I will probably need his phone for the first check up :))))

not really bought the boat, but found one.....will take a look on Friday :))))
and, if everything is alright, will try it on weekend :)))

[Cal]

I dunno about that, not a huge expert on boats but I've seen those old gruman aluminum canoes take a horrible pounding, hammer the dents out and their good for another 50 years. As well being a welder i had to study a bit of metalurgy to get my ticket and I have not heard that about aluminum befor. Possibly it is just the specific alloy used in bikes that is afflicted with the contition you described. I've seen lots of repaired boats, not realy ever heard of anyone replacing a whole pannel though, then again I dont know everything.

[floppychicken]

I dunno about that, not a huge expert on boats but I've seen those old gruman aluminum canoes take a horrible pounding, hammer the dents out and their good for another 50 years. As well being a welder i had to study a bit of metalurgy to get my ticket and I have not heard that about aluminum befor. Possibly it is just the specific alloy used in bikes that is afflicted with the contition you described. I've seen lots of repaired boats, not realy ever heard of anyone replacing a whole pannel though, then again I dont know everything.


Yeah, I would have to agree with Cal regarding the Aluminum on the bicycles and the canoe. The only thing that I know that weakens Aluminum (in the way you describe) is 'heat'. High heat that brings it just under it's melting point will change the composition and make it somewhat brittle. Steel on the other hand would simply anneal at that temperature and eventually work harden.

Having said that, I wouldn't be using a bike carrier that holds the weight of the bike by the 'Frame'. I would invest in one that takes the load of the bike on the wheels and merely uses the frame as a means to keep the bike in place. This way the critical welds aren't taking unnecessary recoil of transporting it from A to B.

I'm no expert on Graphite, but my assumption is that due to it's lightweight, rigidity and composition, it might suffer the 'invisible weak spots' of which you speak....

Regarding the boat... I think you'd have to pound the hell outta it in order for the aluminum to fail. Even Aluminum boats with small holes though them can be fixed. If the same area of the boat had to be pounded out over and over then yes, it would eventually weaken and become brittle and personally, I wouldn't want to be on any body of water in such a boat....

Many patches on aluminum boats are not welded. They are patched with a sheet of the same thickness and riveted into place over the hole and then sealed. Cutting out large pieces of aluminum just isn't possible as most boats have 'belly ribs' and several 'keels' of which ALL would need to be removed in order to make the repair. In this case you would likely be doing more harm than good.

Honestly, any boat that requires such a 'fix', is a boat that has suffered some HUGE trauma or had a big enough hole in the bottom or side that it couldn't be soldered / brazed. Either way, I'd likely stay away from such a boat.

Cheers,

/FC.... :)

[fish44]

12 feet fit on back of 6 foot canopy with racks. 14 feet you have to pull.

[Cal]

You can put a 14 foot boat in a long box. I often haul my 16 foot canoe in my box, a 16 foot boat is getting pretty big to lift in and out of a truck, and many these days would be too wide.

[floppychicken]

12 feet fit on back of 6 foot canopy with racks. 14 feet you have to pull.


Can you get that 12' off and on by yourself ?

My buddy has a 14' Crestliner and takes it to the lakes in his shortbox Silverado. He recently bought a hitch extender and it makes for easy transportation. Back of the boat is supported by the portage wheels. Good little setup really.....

I can see how you would have to pull the 14 footer with a truck canopy. Personally, I'd rather pull a boat anyway. I hate lifting a boat in and outta the water.... it sucks.

Even so, I think my next addition will be an inflatable with Aluminum floor in the 12' to 14' range. Perfect for floats down the rivers and lakes barring motors. Would be a great rig to fill in the blanks that I have with my 17' Ultima.

Cheers,

/FC....

[kostianych]

guys, please ID this boat :)

[Jayball]

14 ft? Not sure what your asking...:)

[kostianych]

make and model.......if possible...maybe somebody has the same boat....

[Jayball]

oh ok... well it looks like has been repainted... so dont think i could even hazard a guess. sorry. looks like an older (70's) model.

[floppychicken]

guys, please ID this boat :)

Looks like there's an ID Tag on the back right (looking at the photo). The information you're looking for is likely on that tag. I'd call the guy and ask him what it says...

Cheers,

/FC...

[kostianych]

the guy is out of city for a week, so..... :)

[DarkAisling]

Yeah, I would have to agree with Cal regarding the Aluminum on the bicycles and the canoe.

It could also simply be scare tactics on the part of the frame manufacturers. I've never been too sure about the whole thing.