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[Pmartin]

I have 10 foot jon I want to fix up. I am going to start with th bottom. it has some leaks that I used flex seal on should I remove ? should I sand the whole bottom ?

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

What do you mean by fix up? There are better ways to fix leaks on tin boats.

 

[LDUBS]

Welcome to tin boats. It would be helpful to further explain what it is you want to do.

It sounds like flex seal was used in an attempt to seal a leaky hull. It would help if you can share more about the problem. A few leaky rivets, leak along a seam, or ?? Circle back with more detail and pics if you can, and you will likely hear from folks who have dealt with a similar problem.

With apologies to those who use it properly, I am going to admit I have a strong bias against using stuff like flex seal on a boat hull. Reason being it is often improperly used as a quick and dirty band aid that does not really address the problem.

 

[airshot]

On my old Jon boat, not only were rivits leaking the ribs on the bottom were worn thru from dragging it over rocks and sand. I didn't need a fancy fix as I just use it in my pond. I thoroughly cleaned and sanded the bottom and inside bottom. Not removing all the paint but just giving it a good scuff. I found a product called " leak stopper" available at Home Depot and Tractor Supply. It is a water proof roof coating that stays clear. It is fairly thick but is brushable. I used painters tape on ribs on the bottom so the sealer didn't run thru while giving the inside bottom a good heavy coat. After drying turned it over and gave the bottom a good coat, extra coat over ribs. When dry ( one week) I used rust plum exterior enamel and rattle cans to paint inside and outside. A roller on flat areas and spray cans on hard to reach areas. That was done almost 9 years back, hasn't leaked a drop since !! Still gets dragged over sand and gravel but kept under a leanto to keep it out of direct sun. Still looks as good as the day I finished it....well Maby a lot dirtier, but still ggod.