Small hole in aluminum boat

[Bubba14]

I figured I'd ask the question here and hopefully get some good advice on some good and maybe not so good fixes.

I have acquired an aluminum boat that has a small hole in it, discovered it this past weekend when water was getting in. The hole is tiny, no more than 2 mm round. The boat has a floor in it and the hole is below floor level so I can't readily access it from the inside.

I'm looking at suggestions on how to repair it. Any and all suggestions welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

[blasted_saber]

A quick fix would be some JB Weld

Ive patched up a lot bigger holes then 2mm with that stuff

[Bushmoose]

A quick fix would be some JB Weld

Ive patched up a lot bigger holes then 2mm with that stuff

I concur. Follow the instructions on the package and it should work just fine? However, are you sure it's an actual hole, or perhaps just a loose rivet? A loose rivet can be peened if you can access both sides?

[Muskyhunter]

What about drilling the hole to the smallest size rivet. Then rivet it with either JB or silicone and that way you will know if will never come off.

[Bubba14]

Not a rivet, not even close to a rivet and no, because of the floor I can't access both sides. JB Weld was one of the options I was considering as was epoxy.

[tom gobble]

marine epoxy is good and dries hard. The one i used was like a putty/playdough

[benjhind]

I had some small holes in a fiberglass boat. A weak floor was flexing, and some of the screws from the seats pounded holes through the floor.

Marine silicone easily lasted the season. I left the boat on the water for multiple days with no issues. Junked it the next year so I'm not sure how many years it would have lasted.

[dean.f]

They make blind hole rivets specifically for boats. I would just drill the hole out and stick one of those in.

[greatwhite]

JB Weld

[puc911]

Dean. f has it.
Closed end pop rivet with 3M 5200 is the answer.
I've done this several times for old transducer holes and it works like a charm.