A few questions, maybe you can help.

[bAcKpAiN]

Question #1 Does a livewell overflow drain have to be above the waterline to work? I see only one thru-hull fitting beside the livewell. I am assuming both the drain and the overflow tubes would go to the same drain, but it appears to be below the waterline, but not by a whole lot. Will it still drain when it gets to the overflow spout? There is no recirculating pump, only the fill pumb in the transom.

Question #2 What is the best way to fix a small leak? There is a small leak in the keel rib of the boat about mid-ship that I found by having water in the hull and it dripped onto the floor. It looked as if the PO simply gobbed silicone caulk on it and hoped for the best. I am not worried, as it has a working bilge pump and I have an emergency backup. It is something I was going to fish now, and fix later. My wife on the other hand is freaked out a bit and wants it fixed. What is the easiest way to fix it? A local welder said he would do it for $225, I said no thanks... A friend gave me some plumbers epoxy (the kind in the tube that you kneed into a compound) and said that should work. I am hesitant to use that because I am not sure it won't corrode the aluminum making the situation a disaster. I wouldn't want to go from a pinhole to a pothole!

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Oddagus]

As far as the small leak JB weld does a great job. Just wire brush and clean with alcohol or acetone and you will do alright. I have patched many a hole with the stuff.

 

[bAcKpAiN]

I got a bit of a closer look at it today, and it appears that there is already a bunch of JB weld there that has possibly developed a leak. I won't be totally sure where it is coming from until I can get in my work clothes and crawl under there. It has been a crazy week and from my vantage point I can't see where the water is seeping out from, only see the drop as it is coming down. I am hoping to fix it with sime 3m5200. I got a tip on another forum to pus some on the area and work it in real good and then put some packaging tape over it (with some waxed paper between the adhesive and the tape) to smooth it out. I am going to try this and see how she works. I am stoked about the boat though it seems very tough and very light. The floor and 90% of the decks are already aluminum.

 

[Oddagus]

Sometimes the JB weld is not applied correctly and that will fail too. One way to prevent any type of epoxy from failing is to use aluminum screen wire as a reinforcing. This work when you have a crack, split, or small hole. If you have a split or crack, drill a small hole at the ends of the crack to help prevent the crack from getting bigger. I use the 3m 5200 a lot on boats and it's good stuff for sealing and adhering, sometimes it's too good, can't get the stuff off. It's not great in an area that is subject to abrasion.

 

[russ010]

the overflow is fine - it will still drain out.

As far as the leak, go to Home Depot and get this stuff called Aqua Mend. It's the stuff you cut off and knead into a little ball, then apply to the hole. Let it set up and you can sand it down if you need to. You can put it on the outside of the boat, but it's a little more cosmetically appealing if you put it on the inside because it dries white...

I used it on all of my thru hull fittings as the moisture barrier and it works like a champ

 

[Quackrstackr]

My drain is my overflow. Your livewell will drain down to the lake level even when you pull the stand pipe.

My thru hull is below the waterline but the bottom of my livewell is about 1/2" above the waterline, so I can completely drain it while on the water or just leave the standpipe out and not have to worry about it filling up.

 

[bAcKpAiN]

Do you notice any reaction between the aquamend and the aluminum in the hull? I am afraid of putting something there that might simply because of where it is, it will not be noticed.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I 2nd the JB weld - just make sure you clean the area really well. If the hole is larger then use the wire reinforcement or, as i did, a small piece of aluminum to make a patch.

 

[Oddagus]

I know I must sound like a JB weld salesman but there is one more thing that the stuff is really good for. If you own a ABS canoe, not the cross-link poly ones, the JB weld is the same stuff Old Town sells at a much higher price. It's the stuff they sell in the clear packages. It all depends on surface prep and mixing correctly.