Rehabbing a ROUGH Old Aluminum Boat

[MinkHeel]

Good evening All. I recently came into possession of a very rough old aluminum (row) boat. It is 12 ft long with a 50 in beam. No info on manufacture, age, etc. Has original oar locks and its shallow draft. Numerous small holes in the sides and a few holes (up to about the size of a nickel) in the bottom as well.

I’m planning to sand/strip it down, patch/rivet/5200 the holes, seal up the pin holes with (likely) muggy weld, paint, and use it just to knock around the local lake with my kids.

I‘m reasonably handy (I’ve restored an old house), but this will be a new experience. I’ve searched the forums here and bookmarked a number of threads, but am hoping y’all can provide additional advice, guidance, or encouragement. (Or tell me I’m insane and just to turn it into a giant planter).

(I’ll post pics shortly).

 

[MinkHeel]

Here are some pictures of Old Blue.

 

[Piomarine]

If you are asking my opinion, it looks like a great candidate for a giant garden adornment. The holes in the hull are a no go for me as an aluminum boat owner. Welding aluminum is a tough (albeit not impossible) thing to accomplish at home without some specialized equipment and training, and having someone do the welding for you will usually cost a fair sight more than a handshake and a case of beer. 3M 5200 is an awesome product it is also pretty messy to work with at times and unlike home building (done that too) patching holes is not usually a case of "this too caulk shall fix." Unless there is some sentimental attachment to the boat, I would say try and move on to greener pastures. Old aluminum hulls are a dime a dozen and you could find a much better (and much bigger) candidate for restoration and modification, and often for a song if you are patient.

Now all of that said, what you have certainly CAN be fixed up and if it is still a project you wish to tackle then bring it on. You are in the right place. There is also a forum specifically dedicated to aluminum boats at tinboats.net where you will also find a great deal of resources of fixing up your old tinny!

Final words...remember that ANYTHING can be done with enough time and money! (unfortunately I have very little of both)

 

[MinkHeel]

Thanks Piomarine -- no real sentiment but hoping for some distraction during the whole pandemic thing and a new project to entertain me. I should be able to figure out pretty quickly if I'm in over my head ... which I very well may be. But I have a weak spot for old, raggedy stuff that CAN be saved. While my time and money are very limited ... I'll see what happens! If it goes well, I'll have a cool toy to play with with my kids.

 

[MinkHeel]

If anyone has thoughts on when she was made and by whom, I'd love to hear them.

 

[gm280]

Well of course anything can be rebuilt. I would start with sanding it down to remove all the paint and then see what it looks like. It may surprise you that is could turn into a nice little fishing rig that you and your kids could enjoy on a lake

Old boats look bad because, well, they are old boats that someone wanted to get rid of. If it looked like new, they wouldn't be parting with it. So before tossing it aside, go for the sanding and see first. And post pictures as you proceed. We all love pictures on these projects... JMHO