Need advice on fixing aluminum boat

[Handy]

I got a new boat for a bargain but it has a hull tear near the front(but on the bottom) and would like some ideas on how to repair it. My brother says to make a patch panel bigger than the tear and silicon and bolt it in place on the inside. It is a 1977 15 foot crestliner. Some previous owner tried a weird epoxy patch but it did nothing, I popped it right off. I thought about taking it to a welding shop but I am concerned about how much that would cost as I don't want to put allot of money into it, would rather just save my money for a new jon. Any thought or tip would be appreciated. Thanks.

Paul

[slonezp]

How about some pics? HTS 2000 is a good aluminum "weld" that is relatively easy to use.

[Fishing Rhino]

How long a "tear", and where?

You can get a price on a welded repair.  The estimate shouldn't cost a cent. 

If that turns out to be more than you want to put into it, the patch panel is a good idea.  I'd use 3M 5200 marine adhesive to bond it.

Clean the area and the patch thoroughly to the bare metal, then apply the 5200 to the patch in an even coat.  The coat should be thick enough to ooze out slightly (or a lot) around the edges.

I'd apply the patch to the inside of the hull if possible.

Allow several days for the adhesive to set.  The directions will tell you how long.

Once it is well set, you can, if necessary, then smooth any irregularities on the outside of the hull.

You should not need any type of mechanical fasteners if you have properly prepared the mating surfaces.

Clean up any excess ooze out with mineral spirits right away.  If you have a largish bead of ooze out, use a putty knife to remove it, then clean the knife and the excess adhesive remaining with the mineral spirits or paint thinner and a rag or paper towel.

Again, check the instructions.  I'm going by memory as to the mineral spirits or paint thinner.

[Goldstar225]

Welding may not cost you very much.  I just had 6-8 rivets and a 5" crack welded on my Bass Tracker.  Only cost $100.00.

[Handy]

the tear is about one inch long and is located at where the v part of the hull transitions to the flat part. I was told they ran it aground hard enough to rip it. The other part of the problem is someone pulled out the other 2 bench seats to put in a flat floor and they didn't put any support under the floor. So as I fix the rip I plan to add some support to the hull to beef it up.

Paul