New member 1981 16' mirrocraft deep v

[cbakawood]

New member looking for some feedback/advise on my on going project. It's a 16' 1981 mirrocraft with a new old stock 25hp Evinrude on it. Was a mess inside previous owner had removed front seat and the transom was completely rotted out so I replaced all the seats and replaced the transom and repainted the inside.
Only issue I have is that the previous owner had a crane/winch mounted on the front right through the gunnel for lobster pots and the gunnel is broken.
I have a small Lincoln welder 3200hd mig that I can buy an aluminum kit for, I could get it done at a shop for who knows how much or, I could half A$$ it and do what the previous owner did and pop rivit some flat stock.
I'm leaning towards getting the aluminum kit for future projects but I don't know how well the old aluminum is going to weld to new material.
Thank-Chris

 

[DaleH]

I’d try some U-channel, maybe 1/8” thickness, to span 2’ on either side, riveted in place w/ high shear 1/4” rivets and I’d bet that would solve it. I would not weld that piece as shown ...

 

[cbakawood]

Think that's going to be my solution, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to bent the u channel however, think a propane/butane torch will heat it up enough to make that bend? Also the gunnel isn't a perfect u kind of a crushed u may have to settle for plain angle stock.
Angle stock in photo is just being used as a reference, the outside dia of gunnel is 1in but tampers down a bit.