WTB 10ft Punt

[Member]

Found a 1988 10ft Savage punt for $300. It's old and rough as you would expect for a 20+ year old boat.

Now the big question. DIY repair on a 1 inch crack up the front of the boat. It will only be in the water when I walk up the front of the boat. It's on the seam where the side meets the bottom. The boat has taken a knock and is dinged up there a bit. I'm thinking some kind of metal repair putty rather the sikaflex.

Your thoughts?

[Member]

I had an old tinny that started to crack up so needed conastant repairing. The stuff that comes in tubes (possibly liquid steel?) fixes it better than the putty stuff. The putty didn't bond very well to the aluminium and tended to crack when the hull flexed.

[Member]

I used to use need it for hull repair on my old punt but it was a real %$#& to get to adhear if you didnt have the surface prepared just right, I would be taking it to a marine workshop or finding a handyman welder to tig it if its a fair size crack.

Steve

[Member]

Nah it's not that big plus don't want to spend the money getting it fixed properly. After all I was after a cheap punt if I have to spend another $100 then it's not all that cheap. For the amount it will be used a home repair will do.

I have used Loctite 3805 as we use that at work for filling in holes on brackets with good success. I'll let you know how it goes when I use it tomorrow arvo.

I checked for other holes last night by placing the tinny upside down on a spot light so i could see any light shining through. I found one other pinhole but apart from that it looks safe and sound. Unless there are holes under the thwarts. Fingers crossed it floats.

[Member]

Got any ally lying around? bend it to fit over the crack plus an inch or so. Just get some blind rivets, a tube of all clear or bostik (half the price of sikaflex and does as good a job) smear it all over both bits and rivet you patch over it.  Last forever.

[Member]

Yeah I've got heaps of ally but never thought to do that. It's fixed now, all water tight. Filled it up with water to check. Well I mean the holes I fixed are watertight. Check out the picture below. All the yellow spray paint marks are leaks that I now have to fix as well 

Currently waiting for the Loctite to dry. A few other pics of the before and after gernying, turned up alright, and the stuff I have used to fix the crack and hopefully stop the leaks.

[Member]

Looks like a few loose rivets .. i hate those ... Tell us more about that lock tight ive not seen it before.

Plugging holes can send you bonkers. I used to fill the boat with water and have a dry washer handy to see where the water dripped from .. Sorta works.

Steve

[Member]

As long as it keeps the water on the outside it'll be good Wayne.

[Member]

Yep that's exactly what I did Steve. If this stuff works then I think I'll just go ahead and do all the rivets. Might as well I'm half way there anyway!!! Serves myself right for buying a tinny in the dark but it was the right price. As they say you get what you pay for. I quite enjoyed cleaning the old girl up even if my heart sank when I filled her up and then looked underneath. I can't wait to test her again in the morning and hopefully take her out tomorrow arvo. 

Even managed to work out what the writing on the side said. Moonee Escapades. Some holiday village down near Coffs Harbour.

[Member]

It worked, phew. Found another 3 rivets with very minor leaks that I decided I might as well fix up too. We'll see how she goes this arvo in the rust water chasing some bullies.

[Member]

My old girl leaks like a sieve through the rivets, thats what the bilge pump is for. I gave up chasing leaking rivets at around 200. Some of them were in under the ribs and the keel where you just cant get at them
She has a floor in her so I dont get wet feet and that all I care about.

[Member]

200. Geez mines only got about 70-80. Some were already done, I've done about 25 so that leaves about 35 to go. She's on the trailer ready for an arvo session on the bullies.

[Member]

Hope she went well.

My boat is an old dehaviland or similar, entire boat is riveted, no welds (except for repairs).

[Member]

Yep she did good. No water ingress at all except from getting in and out the boat. Even managed a little bullshark on it's maiden voyage.

[Member]

Great work Wayne. As long as it isn't purple it's off to a good start.... 

Where's you fish for the bully mate? Loads of them in the tidal reaches of the river out my way mate.

Cheers,

fitz..