Boat painting and repair

syd · 12-24-08, 09:18 AM

Help please. I have recently purchased a 17ft Bass tracker boat. Boat runs great and everything on it works fine. But, i would like some feedback to let me know if i am over reacting. Just about everytime i go fishing when i take the boat out of the water and pull the drain plug it lets out about 3-5 gallons of water. I have also hit the bilge pump while on the water and it drains out water for about 10-15 seconds. I have looked for leaks but cannot find any.
2nd thing is the wife has said i can have it repainted for Christmas present. I have a friend who paints cars etc. and is excellent at this. This is an aluminum boat and i would like to really get it painted a nice metallic color. Any suggestions on stripping existing paint, priming or any ifo you can pass on i greatly appreciate. But before i do any painting i want to resolve the leak issue.
Thanks for a great forum and everyone have a safe and happy holiday season.

1FASTLASER · 12-24-08, 10:29 AM

Welcome to the boards bud. As far as the leak issue is this one one of the welded hulls or the riveted hulls? Makes a difference. If you are sure that your livewell plumbing is up to snuff (usually is the culprit) then your gonna have to level the boat using the tongue jack and fill here with some water to find the leak. Not the best way but usually the fastest to find a leak. After you have found it and repaired it get her somewhere where she can be warm and dry for a week or so. If the leak has been bad for a awhile you have flotation foam that has water trapped and the closest way to get it out is iin a warm dry garage with some work lights hung over the boat to generate heat and draw the moisture out.

zooker · 12-24-08, 02:31 PM

just to add to laser's info..i have heard of welds cracking in trackers look in your keel area.. personally i would not paint a tin boat as the water frition will eat off even the best paint..

zooker

syd · 01-02-09, 08:54 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I am going to replace the livewell hose for starters.

Bob Smith · 01-02-09, 01:30 PM

I am going to suggest something you may never hear on a fishing forum.. lol The caveat is (as 1fsl asked already); is the hull riveted?
If the hull is riveted, I would suggest you go to the local municipal airport and ask for an aircraft "structural" mechanic. One that is used to dealing in metallic skinned aircraft. He will have the pneumatic guns and rivet "set" tools to do the job. This will have to be a labor of love because all of the decks will have to come out, but the mechanic, with some help from a buddy or you will have to re-"set" all of the rivets and replaced the cracked ones. The the hull has any fine cracks, you will need a good Heliarc welder that is capable of low-amperage heliarc (thinned material is very tedious).
The good news is that the repair last for many years if it's done correctly. Back in Texas a few years ago, we did a buddy's 14' Tracker and even custom built a larger livewell for the boat. It worked perfectly and took about two weeks (evenings and weekends), this included a new carpet job when we were through. That boat was SOLID!

As far as painting aluminum, without a good anodized coating or zinc based primer with a great surface prep, the odds are that the paint will just flake off, but it can be done if done correctly.

Explore your options, but if you are going to do it, do it as well as you can!

Jackl · 01-02-09, 02:51 PM

SYD,
The first place I would look is the livewell pumps. If one or both are cracked, it will let a constant flow of water into the boat. Pull the livewell screen off the intake port of your livewell and put a plug of some type in it, drain plug, cork, etc. then do the same with the outlet port. Take the boat to the lake and see if is still leaking. Also, when you shut down from a run, do you slow down first, or do you just shut down to a dead stop? If so, you may have backwash coming over the transom and running into the rear hatch cover and into the bilge!
JackL

12-24-08, 09:18 AM	#1
syd BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Rocky Mount Va Posts: 127	Boat painting and repair Help please. I have recently purchased a 17ft Bass tracker boat. Boat runs great and everything on it works fine. But, i would like some feedback to let me know if i am over reacting. Just about everytime i go fishing when i take the boat out of the water and pull the drain plug it lets out about 3-5 gallons of water. I have also hit the bilge pump while on the water and it drains out water for about 10-15 seconds. I have looked for leaks but cannot find any. 2nd thing is the wife has said i can have it repainted for Christmas present. I have a friend who paints cars etc. and is excellent at this. This is an aluminum boat and i would like to really get it painted a nice metallic color. Any suggestions on stripping existing paint, priming or any ifo you can pass on i greatly appreciate. But before i do any painting i want to resolve the leak issue. Thanks for a great forum and everyone have a safe and happy holiday season.

12-24-08, 10:29 AM	#2
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	Welcome to the boards bud. As far as the leak issue is this one one of the welded hulls or the riveted hulls? Makes a difference. If you are sure that your livewell plumbing is up to snuff (usually is the culprit) then your gonna have to level the boat using the tongue jack and fill here with some water to find the leak. Not the best way but usually the fastest to find a leak. After you have found it and repaired it get her somewhere where she can be warm and dry for a week or so. If the leak has been bad for a awhile you have flotation foam that has water trapped and the closest way to get it out is iin a warm dry garage with some work lights hung over the boat to generate heat and draw the moisture out. __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

12-24-08, 02:31 PM	#3
zooker BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: denton nc Posts: 13,441	just to add to laser's info..i have heard of welds cracking in trackers look in your keel area.. personally i would not paint a tin boat as the water frition will eat off even the best paint.. zooker __________________ the godfather.. aml in remission since 7-20-09

01-02-09, 01:30 PM	#5
Bob Smith BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cartersville, Georgia Posts: 1,472	I am going to suggest something you may never hear on a fishing forum.. lol The caveat is (as 1fsl asked already); is the hull riveted? If the hull is riveted, I would suggest you go to the local municipal airport and ask for an aircraft "structural" mechanic. One that is used to dealing in metallic skinned aircraft. He will have the pneumatic guns and rivet "set" tools to do the job. This will have to be a labor of love because all of the decks will have to come out, but the mechanic, with some help from a buddy or you will have to re-"set" all of the rivets and replaced the cracked ones. The the hull has any fine cracks, you will need a good Heliarc welder that is capable of low-amperage heliarc (thinned material is very tedious). The good news is that the repair last for many years if it's done correctly. Back in Texas a few years ago, we did a buddy's 14' Tracker and even custom built a larger livewell for the boat. It worked perfectly and took about two weeks (evenings and weekends), this included a new carpet job when we were through. That boat was SOLID! As far as painting aluminum, without a good anodized coating or zinc based primer with a great surface prep, the odds are that the paint will just flake off, but it can be done if done correctly. Explore your options, but if you are going to do it, do it as well as you can! __________________ Bob Smith a.k.a. "Porko" (vintage Strike King variety!)

01-02-09, 02:51 PM	#6
Jackl BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Great Bend, KS Posts: 2,960	SYD, The first place I would look is the livewell pumps. If one or both are cracked, it will let a constant flow of water into the boat. Pull the livewell screen off the intake port of your livewell and put a plug of some type in it, drain plug, cork, etc. then do the same with the outlet port. Take the boat to the lake and see if is still leaking. Also, when you shut down from a run, do you slow down first, or do you just shut down to a dead stop? If so, you may have backwash coming over the transom and running into the rear hatch cover and into the bilge! JackL __________________ There are two theories about argueing with women...........Neither one works!

01-02-09, 08:54 AM	#4
syd BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Rocky Mount Va Posts: 127	Thanks for the feedback. I am going to replace the livewell hose for starters.

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