Mojo^
Well-known member
Hi guys. I've been trolling on the forum for some time now and you've inspired me to take the plunge and buy a jon boat for conversion so this weekend I bought a 14' Grumman Scrambler with 25 hp. Johnson. The boat was manufactured in 1988 and the motor in 1997. Now, I've got a few questions about the boat.
While cleaning it up today I noticed a few things that need repairing before I proceed. The boat had been used for several years in brackish salt water conditions and I fully expected there to be leaks around some of the rivets. From this point forward, the boat will only be used in fresh water lakes and rivers. Today, I filled the boat with water and was surprised to find only a couple of pin hole sized leaks in an approx. eight inch area on the left and right sides of the transom. After careful examination it appears that the pin holes are the result of corrosion. In order to seal them, what would you guys recommend? I was thinking of cutting two panels of aluminum material and then using some sort of heavy duty epoxy adhesive to attach them to the exterior surface of the transom and them primer and paint over them when I repaint the boat. Does this sound feasible? Would it need fasteners as well?
Now, this one question is a little tricky and somewhat little difficult to explain. This boat is all metal and only has one bench seat towards the back and a smallish aluminum deck over the bow. Behind the rear bench seat are two enclosures on either side of the boat that fills the gap between the seat and the transom. They are approx. 18"L x 14"W and are attached with bolts and rivets. It appears that they are filled with some sort of foam material from the factory. I'm not sure why they would do that because this area is the perfect size for a battery or two on one side and a gas tank on the other leaving the center area open for a bilge pump and maybe a small back-up gas tank. The seat is also filled with this foam material as is the space under the front deck. Why does the manufacturer do this? What is it's purpose? Would it be advisable to cut-out the top of these two enclosures behind the seat and remove the foam so it would free-up some space? Would it be possible to do the same with the front deck over the bow? I was thinking about adding plywood decking on top and then incorporating a couple of hatches on each side for storage space but I don't want to damage the foam if it's serving some sort of purpose.
Sorry for the lengthy first post. Any advice will be most appreciated.
While cleaning it up today I noticed a few things that need repairing before I proceed. The boat had been used for several years in brackish salt water conditions and I fully expected there to be leaks around some of the rivets. From this point forward, the boat will only be used in fresh water lakes and rivers. Today, I filled the boat with water and was surprised to find only a couple of pin hole sized leaks in an approx. eight inch area on the left and right sides of the transom. After careful examination it appears that the pin holes are the result of corrosion. In order to seal them, what would you guys recommend? I was thinking of cutting two panels of aluminum material and then using some sort of heavy duty epoxy adhesive to attach them to the exterior surface of the transom and them primer and paint over them when I repaint the boat. Does this sound feasible? Would it need fasteners as well?
Now, this one question is a little tricky and somewhat little difficult to explain. This boat is all metal and only has one bench seat towards the back and a smallish aluminum deck over the bow. Behind the rear bench seat are two enclosures on either side of the boat that fills the gap between the seat and the transom. They are approx. 18"L x 14"W and are attached with bolts and rivets. It appears that they are filled with some sort of foam material from the factory. I'm not sure why they would do that because this area is the perfect size for a battery or two on one side and a gas tank on the other leaving the center area open for a bilge pump and maybe a small back-up gas tank. The seat is also filled with this foam material as is the space under the front deck. Why does the manufacturer do this? What is it's purpose? Would it be advisable to cut-out the top of these two enclosures behind the seat and remove the foam so it would free-up some space? Would it be possible to do the same with the front deck over the bow? I was thinking about adding plywood decking on top and then incorporating a couple of hatches on each side for storage space but I don't want to damage the foam if it's serving some sort of purpose.
Sorry for the lengthy first post. Any advice will be most appreciated.