AluminumAlloyBoats.com

Hi,
You can see from the attached pictures that our little Gregor boat was squished by a falling tree. Before I haul it off for scrap metal I though I would check with the aluminum experts, to see if anything can be done. I am a very handy, very DIY person so my first inclination is to try to fix it, but I don't want to waste my time either. I know you can soften/anneal aluminum with an acetylene torch, perhaps this would allow re-shapng? If this could work how would I re-harden the metal?

I would appreciate it if I could get some expert advice on this, whether it is worth the attempt or if it is scrap yard time. This boat has sentimental value some there is some justification for extra effort if there is any hope.

Thank you 

Rich

What's the wall thickness of the bent metal?

From the pix, the keel looks good and the chines don't look that bad.
The one side might hammer and dolly block to a usable form the other looks like it might need cutting.

richas,
if you drill out (the rivets) and separate the gunwale extrusions from the topsides sheet metal (?) they'll bend in very different manners. Therefore if any recovery is going to happen, you might try separating the two pieces then pressing or hammering the topsides into so reasonable pre-crushed state? 

Bending the extrusion back to a useful shape isn't going to happen unless you have it separated then trying to refit the two and 're-rivet' them together may be a bit of rodeo.  Port side will be the obvious challenge.

Not sure if this is any help, I don't work with that thin scantling a skiff very often.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
 

Ahh - what a shame - Those are nice boats tough little boats. We have one too that I've done a few repairs on. We left it on a preserved wood dock for several winters and the keel corroded out - ripped some Al tubing in half and used 5200 to glue the half tube into the inside of the keel - worked perfectly and stopped all the leaks.

They are a pretty good quality welded skiff so worth fixing. You might try as you describe, softening the aluminum by annealing and bending, annealing and bending bit by bit. The hard part would be how to bend the extrusion and flatten the panel. Some combination of jacks, clamps and hammer and dolly. Google how to shrink metal with a hammer. I've seen amazing metal work done with a hammer and dolly/soft block.

If those results aren't acceptable, then move on to surgery: Cut out the unsalvageable portions and tig weld a panel back in and replace the extrusion with something like a piece of aluminum tubing bent to shape and welded to the panel.

It may look a bit rough, but you can get it back into service.

Last rites it is, IMO. Take the scrap value payoff and donate it to a charity for closure then go buy another straight hull and carry on. By the time you expend the effort to make that one serviceable you'll start hating it and that's not a good way to remember it. Besides it will be so ugly you'll realize it was a mistake.

Hi Rich

If you do decide to scrap it I know a guy living on Gambier Island that would be very happy to take it for scrap value and bang it out. He lives a rural lifestyle but goes to Horseshoe Bay for groceries in his battered 8 foot Davidson look alike even in the winter (if you know Howe Sound's winter Squamish winds you know what I am talking about). He had wanted to buy our Gregor 14 but I wanted to keep it, also for sentimental reasons as my mum had given it to us. For years he was happily running the Davidson with just a little trolling motor and battery, then graduated to a 2 hp Honda.

We were so concerned about him doing the winter crossings in that tiny little boat that I gave him an old Mustang survival suit.