First boat...need recommendations before taking out on water.

General boating discussion
littlefengers
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:56 am
2

First boat...need recommendations before taking out on water.

#1

Post by littlefengers »

Hello, I just purchased my first boat...an 2002 Smokercraft Alaskan. The boat has been under covers the last 5 years. Used previously in salt water.

Based on the pictures, what should I do before taking it on the water? Does the corrosion look bad or just surface?

Thanks!
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kmorin
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Location: Kenai, Alaska

Re: First boat...need recommendations before taking out on water.

#2

Post by kmorin »

littlefengers, Welcome to the AAB.com Forum,
my caution is about the carpet covered trailer bunks - not the visible spots of corrosion between the external keel piece flange and the hull.

If there were conditions leading to corrosion over five years- I'd want to look at the hull that was in contact with the carpet? "Bunk Rot" is the observed corrosion that forms when wet carpet is kept in contact with the aluminum.

Might fill her up to the turn of the bilge w water and see if any comes out? That might be a good indication none would come in... not sure your deck/floor boards situation so maybe hard to see if water is leaking in when you launch her?

From what you've shown, I'd use an an awl or knife and poke around above the spots where you show external corrosion- from both inside to the outside and from outside to inside- this would insure you don't have any fully failed spots where corrosion has penetrated the hull metal? Much like flooding the bilges- it will give some idea of the extent of corrosion depth.

Bunk Rot seems more likely to be the cause of real deterioration? There are grooved, shaped, plastic bunk covers made that allow the interface/top surface of trailer bunks to drain while the boat is sitting on them. This product can be installed right over carpeted bunks and will stop the ongoing problem of 'bunk rot' created in the crevice corrosion cell formed by wet carpet.

Some trailer manufacturers have even used treated lumber for their bunks- in order to get a longer life out of the lumber. However these boards are treated with copper impregnated solutions that, combined with water, make a perfect battery to 'eat' aluminum. Even if there's just wet carpet a cell can form, but with treated lumber, wetted under the carpet? Some boats have had very serious corrosion in this area.

Hope there's just a little surface corrosion and nothing major? Good Luck.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
littlefengers
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:56 am
2

Re: First boat...need recommendations before taking out on water.

#3

Post by littlefengers »

kmorin wrote: Sun Apr 25, 2021 2:07 pm littlefengers, Welcome to the AAB.com Forum,
my caution is about the carpet covered trailer bunks - not the visible spots of corrosion between the external keel piece flange and the hull.

If there were conditions leading to corrosion over five years- I'd want to look at the hull that was in contact with the carpet? "Bunk Rot" is the observed corrosion that forms when wet carpet is kept in contact with the aluminum.

Might fill her up to the turn of the bilge w water and see if any comes out? That might be a good indication none would come in... not sure your deck/floor boards situation so maybe hard to see if water is leaking in when you launch her?

From what you've shown, I'd use an an awl or knife and poke around above the spots where you show external corrosion- from both inside to the outside and from outside to inside- this would insure you don't have any fully failed spots where corrosion has penetrated the hull metal? Much like flooding the bilges- it will give some idea of the extent of corrosion depth.

Bunk Rot seems more likely to be the cause of real deterioration? There are grooved, shaped, plastic bunk covers made that allow the interface/top surface of trailer bunks to drain while the boat is sitting on them. This product can be installed right over carpeted bunks and will stop the ongoing problem of 'bunk rot' created in the crevice corrosion cell formed by wet carpet.

Some trailer manufacturers have even used treated lumber for their bunks- in order to get a longer life out of the lumber. However these boards are treated with copper impregnated solutions that, combined with water, make a perfect battery to 'eat' aluminum. Even if there's just wet carpet a cell can form, but with treated lumber, wetted under the carpet? Some boats have had very serious corrosion in this area.

Hope there's just a little surface corrosion and nothing major? Good Luck.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
Thanks for the response. I poked some of the spots with a knife and I haven't noticed anything.

I'm going to take the outboard off this weekend, get the boat off the trailer, then fill it with water.

I noticed 2 spots under the boat that looks like this...is this some sort of patch?
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kmorin
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Re: First boat...need recommendations before taking out on water.

#4

Post by kmorin »

littlefengers,
glad to hear your knife didn't just push through corrosion spots! Might try to find some way to leave the boat up on a set of blocks to be able to find any leaks if you flood her bilges? I hope you're not being literal when you say "fill it with water"?

Might not help any wiring to be swamped?

But by rolling it back off the trailer's bunks a foot or so, then looking underneath you can surely see if those areas have begun to pit?

Image above? might be some sort of epoxy that was put on the hull- can you get to the inside above this location? that might help confirm if it's a patch? Does look odd, and can't really make it into much I've seen before- have your tried scraping, chiseling, digging into that amber colored 'stuff'? kind of odd shaped so it might have drooped down in the center of a hole? maybe a missing rivet?- when it was still 'runny' before it fully set up? No help from me!

Maybe someone else, here, recognizes that material as a patch they've seen or done with an amber colored epoxy?

cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
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