Dented rail on aluminum boat?

[reelfishin]

I picked up a 14' Duranautic the other day, it's about 25 years old, and is 100% usable as it sits. The one part that needs attention is the right side top rail. It's a welded on bare aluminum semi round rail which looks like someone took a hammer or heavy knife and whacked away at it over about a 30" area. It's not completely crushed, but it's very noticeable. It's in no way structural and won't affect the boats use. But it did get me the boat for a really good price. I was thinking of just applying some clamping force to both sides and trying to re-expand the tubular railing a bit? replacing it would mean cutting it off an rewelding a new one back on, and chances of matching the same material is slim. Besides, it don't hurt the boat's use. I'm not sure if it was just vandalism or if it had been tied to a dock in a storm, but there is no other hull damage, the lower hull is perfect other than some badly faded paint. The side console has a few dents but they can be hammered out and filled with ease.

Any ideas that may work to fix this or make it look any better?

 

[drewpster]

Re: Dented rail on aluminum boat?

If you can access the under side of it you may be able to use a piece of rounded pin stock (steel dowel) to tap the dings out. You would need to find a small piece of hard pin stock and a body hammer. Some light pecking on the outside while holding the rounded pin underneath will bring the dings back to shape. A common mistake is to use too much force with the hammer. Light pecking is generally all that is needed. always keep the pin (dolly) in firm contact under the rail.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Dented rail on aluminum boat?

Well.... I highly doubt clamping will do anything but flatten the area where the clamps touch.

I guess a "quick fix" would be to fill the dents with JB or pc11 and sand smooth.....then paint the rail.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Dented rail on aluminum boat?

The rail is actually a tubular extruded piece of aluminum, there is no open underside. It's sort of three sided round when perfect, but in the dented area it's been squashed down about 3/16" or so. It's super heavy gauge, what ever dented it had to hit it hard.
I'm not too concerned with making it perfect, I may just slide a foam pad over that area on both sides as sort of a dock bumper anyhow. There's also a dent in the console but I can tap that out and either fill it or just replace that panel of aluminum. I could also just carpet the top of the console, or glue on some rubber mat.
The damage isn't really noticeable unless your looking for it, I didn't notice it first off myself. Until I actually put my hands on the rail there. I guess it already having a few dents will let me a bit less worried around docks. Its built like a tank overall.

I like the boat since it's rated for a 40hp, it only weighs about 220lbs in all as well. It should really move with a 40hp on it. I'm not sure what did the damage but I got the boat for almost nothing. I will be painting it in the spring, but for now its usable, but it looks like it will wait till warmer weather now as their predicting snow.
I can't wait to drop this in the river and give it a run.