JB weld it. That stuff has plugged a hole in my boat where a rivet head come apart back in 1990 while I was preparing to go to KY lake for a boating and camping trip. I almost canceled the trip but my neighbor told me about JB weld and gave me some to use. He and his family were going camping with us.

We put the JB Weld over the hole and then departed for KY lake. We ended up staying the entire weekend and water skied all weekend long. The JB weld is still plugging up that hole in the side of my aluminum bass boat. My boat is a 1978 Fisher-marine Water strider III boat. I have had 3 or 4 rivet heads pop off. Three times I had the holes welded shut by a aluminum heliarc welder. Each time it cost me over 50 bucks to have the hole welded shut. The JB weld is still working and it didn't cost me a dime.

I have a set of the JB Weld tubes in my house and would not be without it anymore.

Make sure you clean the surfaces of the metal really good. I recommend using an acid paste to rub on the metal to clean it and that will help the JB Weld adhere much better. Just put the acid wash on and let it set for a few minute and then wash it off really good with lots of water. Let the boat dry completely and then put on the JB Weld.


The best overall repair is to put in a new rivet but that would involve taking the boat apart and that's not really an option. So the JB Weld is your best bet. Welding would work good but you must be careful you don't set the boat on fire if there is foam next to the hole being welded. That's why I won't recommend welding the boat with anything hot. Now if you know for sure that there is nothing flammable close to the hole then go get it welded shut by a heliarc welder. But make sure that you don't get anything like foam inside the boat's hull too hot.



Regards,

Moose1am