Brendon
New member
First I would like to say thanks for everything the members post here, it has really helped with the mods I am doing on my first tin boat. I recently purchased a 2002 1648 Lowe mod v that had been sitting for a while. The first mod I did was building a casting deck on the bow. Since purchasing the boat I always noticed a small amount of water in the boat nothing drastic though, recently it has been getting worse each time I use it.
I figured the best way to test for leaks would be to install the drain plug and run a garden hose in the boat and look for leaks. During this test I noticed the trailer bunks became drenched, so I jacked up the boat a few inches so the hull was off the bunks. This is was when I realized I had a problem on my hands; all along the hull was pitting and corrosion (as you can see in the pictures). The only part of the hull that is damaged is the part that sits on the bunks. I copied the below from an older post from another forum and I think it is what’s happening to me.
“One corrosion problem that is cropping up frequently on aluminum boats with newer trailers is the copper treated wood bunks and wet carpeting causing galvanic corrosion on the hull of the boat. In the past, wood was treated with arsenic to prevent rotting but that is not allowed now so wood is treated with copper solutions. When you have wet carpeting acting as an electrolyte between the aluminum boat and the copper in the bunks, you have a battery that eats away the aluminum hull.”
The bunks are treated and carpeted. I use the boat in brackish water and usually give a freshwater rinse down but this a hard to reach area. I am going to block the boat up to replace the bunks and do some other needed trailer work. What I’m asking is how can I fix the holes and reinforce the hull, is hiring a welder going to be my only option for a solid fix? Also, could a bad ground on the trailer have caused the corrosion? Thanks!
I figured the best way to test for leaks would be to install the drain plug and run a garden hose in the boat and look for leaks. During this test I noticed the trailer bunks became drenched, so I jacked up the boat a few inches so the hull was off the bunks. This is was when I realized I had a problem on my hands; all along the hull was pitting and corrosion (as you can see in the pictures). The only part of the hull that is damaged is the part that sits on the bunks. I copied the below from an older post from another forum and I think it is what’s happening to me.
“One corrosion problem that is cropping up frequently on aluminum boats with newer trailers is the copper treated wood bunks and wet carpeting causing galvanic corrosion on the hull of the boat. In the past, wood was treated with arsenic to prevent rotting but that is not allowed now so wood is treated with copper solutions. When you have wet carpeting acting as an electrolyte between the aluminum boat and the copper in the bunks, you have a battery that eats away the aluminum hull.”
The bunks are treated and carpeted. I use the boat in brackish water and usually give a freshwater rinse down but this a hard to reach area. I am going to block the boat up to replace the bunks and do some other needed trailer work. What I’m asking is how can I fix the holes and reinforce the hull, is hiring a welder going to be my only option for a solid fix? Also, could a bad ground on the trailer have caused the corrosion? Thanks!
I just purchased and am fixing to install those plastic boat slicks over my runners since they are in good shape and really don't want to try to replace them right now. I figure the slicks should prevent any type of contact with the hull. Sure someone will be around with a solution to your problem shortly.
