What would you do in this situation?

[Kris]

I am posting on redoing this boat in another thread but thought this might be a good one to do a separate one. I bought this boat last year and it was used as a golf cart motored reservoir rig for many years. The rear area was boxed in and used as a battery storage area. The whole interior of the box was carpeted just like most of the boat was. I am going to guess from these pictures that they were charged in place many times.
My question is what would you do to limit the damage here? I plan on washing this very well with baking soda and water. Then maybe a skim of body filler to get it flat again. This is the inside skin on my Ouachita and between this area and the outside hull is filled with flotation. Any other suggestions?

Here are the pictures, missed putting them in the first time. The other side is fine and the bottom of the hull looks ok but will still get baking soda and water scrub.

 

[Johnny]

LOL went back and looked at your other post. Now I know what a "a golf cart motored reservoir rig" is.

You are correct, baking soda wash to neutralize any residual battery acid might be a good idea.
media blast, if you can get it done, would save a lot of sanding and wire brushing.
Plus, will knock out any potential raw holes that need repair.
If you can media blast the bottom in that area, you may find some corrosion that is a hair from going
all the way through. Then, you have some serious thinking of how to repair it.

I am a fan of POR-15 products which would strengthen and protect the new bare metal for life.
THEN, do the Bondo and fiberglass stuff. I bought a can of POR-15 rust protector last week at an
auto supply house. One pint = $33 so it is kinda steep. But, it is water thin, so it goes a long way.
also, Eastwood is now carrying their own type of "rust encapsulator" which is basically the same thing.

good luck !!

 

[sonny.barile]

Is that caused from charging batteries while on the boat or just the mere presence of batteries? (Electric field) I keep a battery in the nose of my boat. There was an aluminum support/shelf in the bow and I put the battery case on it. I made a carpet covered protector shelf to put between the battery case and the aluminum. The bow interior is painted. I remove the battery for charging but otherwise it is always in the boat. I have a circuit breaker switch between the battery and the TM and I leave it in the off position and I also unplug the TM from the wire harness. So I think the battery is pretty well isolated when Im not using it. Is this going to happen to me eventually or is simply from charging while onboard?

 

[Johnny]

this is what I am thinking - - -
I know for a fact that the older style car batteries that have removable
caps so you can add water as needed, will spitter and spatter minute amounts of acid while they
are being charged and heat up. Also, spitter and spatter during a rough ride in a boat.
This would account for an older aluminum boat exhibiting this type of corrosion in one isolated area.

the newer style, totally closed batteries don't have an avenue to eject steam,
contaminated air or spitter or spatter. So, the newer boats using the closed cell batteries,
should not have any of the mentioned issues.

But, I would like to know why the battery tray in our vehicles rust out so quickly with the closed cell batteries ???????

I am NOT a student of electrolysis, so I can not comment on how electric current can or can not
react with aluminum and other metals.

 

[Kris]

"a golf cart motored reservoir rig"

I am taking a wild guess here - - - a boat pulled by a golf cart ?? and only used in a reservoir ??

You are correct, baking soda wash to neutralize any residual battery acid might be a good idea.
media blast, if you can get it done, would save a lot of sanding and wire brushing.
Plus, will knock out any potential raw holes that need repair.

I am a fan of POR-15 products which would strengthen and protect the new bare metal for life.
THEN, do the Bondo and fiberglass stuff. I bought a can of POR-15 rust protector last week at an
auto supply house. One pint = $33 so it is kinda steep. But, it is water thin, so it goes a long way.
also, Eastwood is now carrying their own type of "rust encapsulator" which is basically the same thing.

good luck !!

Here in Maryland we have a lot of electric motor only reservoirs. Since a trolling motor mounted on the stern is rated in lbs thrust local guys started coming up with ideas to make it better. This boat had a 1972-75 Model DE/DE-4 electric motor from a Harley-Davidson golf cart which I believe is rated at 5hp. There are now several manufacturers of golf cart outboards here, Ray, Reservoir Runner, then there is always Torqueedo motors which are really something. It was 36 volts and normally run by those big, heavy, electric golf cart 6v batteries. This boat also had two 12v batteries under a front casting deck that I removed. It did not have the same damage under it btw.
Strangest part of this is the carpet over this was not in bad shape. But, chunks of this corrosion were falling out from underneath when I removed it.
I am in my sixties and have some balance problems due to ear problems, probably from Military time. I decided to change it from the electric motor to a 20hp motor to fish a local PA lake which has that restriction. I am also dropping the decks down so that if I trip, I fall inside the boat.
Thanks for the input and I will look into putting some protectant on the panel before I do the bondo and paint. Kris

 

[Kris]

Is that caused from charging batteries while on the boat or just the mere presence of batteries? (Electric field) I keep a battery in the nose of my boat. There was an aluminum support/shelf in the bow and I put the battery case on it. I made a carpet covered protector shelf to put between the battery case and the aluminum. The bow interior is painted. I remove the battery for charging but otherwise it is always in the boat. I have a circuit breaker switch between the battery and the TM and I leave it in the off position and I also unplug the TM from the wire harness. So I think the battery is pretty well isolated when Im not using it. Is this going to happen to me eventually or is simply from charging while onboard?

I'm thinking from charging the batteries in the boat with the compartment closed. The whole compartment was covered in carpet inside and out. There were chunks of this corrosion falling out from underneath the carpet when I removed it. This boat had 6 of those big, heavy, golf cart batteries to run the 36v Harley Davidson electric golf cart motor on the stern. BTW, there was a sacrificial anode bolted to the aluminum in this compartment.
It also had two 12v batteries under a front fishing deck that I have removed. There was not this much damage up under there and it looks like they were charged by an on-board charger. I always do the same thing, unplug the trolling motor when not in use. But there was no way to unplug the 36v golf cart motor that I could see.
If you remove your battery for charging I don't think you could run into this problem.

 

[sonny.barile]

Well.....even if it was.....Its not like Im gonna go out and get some oars. LOL


Gas in the back TM in the front, or Im fishing from shore.

 

[Kris]

Well.....even if it was.....Its not like Im gonna go out and get some oars. LOL


Gas in the back TM in the front, or Im fishing from shore.

Hahaha. I keep an oar in mine because you just never know.
Kris

 

[Kris]

I did the baking soda rinse today twice. Applied it, scraped it, scrubbed it and rinsed it. Gonna let it dry and do it again now or the weekend. My wife commented on how much better it looked. Film at 11:00.