How to Repair Leaks in a Jon Boat

A Jon boat is a type of aluminum boat. These boats are durable and rarely need maintenance, but sometimes leaks will occur in the rivets of the boat. While these leaks rarely accumulate much water in the boat, it is best to repair them as soon as possible. If you’re interested in repairing leaks in your Jon boat, this short guide can help you through the process.

Step #1: Find the Source or Sources of the Leaks

To repair leaks in your Jon boat, you will first need to discover where the leaks are coming from. This is not an easy process. Sometimes where the water is located is not where the water is coming from.

To start locating the leak, look over your entire Jon boat while it is still in the water. Use a marker to mark wherever water is located. Make sure that the bottom of your Jon boat is dry before attempting to discover the leaks in this fashion.

If you are unable to determine the source of the leak in this fashion, there is another trick you can try. Take your Jon boat out of the water and let it dry off. Fill your Jon boat with water and look underneath and mark the areas where water is leaking.

If you were able to locate the sources of the leaks using the earlier method, you will still want to take your boat out of the water. Mark the opposite side of the boat where you identified the source of the leak originally. These are the areas you’ll focus your repairs.

Step #2: Clean the Area around the Leaks

Using a wire brush, clean the area around the leak. Make sure to remove any dirt and grime you find there. Clean both the inside and outside of where the leaks are found.

Step #3: Dry the Area around the Leaks

Make sure that the areas around the leak are dry before applying epoxy to repair the leak. You can do this by either leaving the boat out in the sun to dry or using a hobby torch to expedite the process.

Step #4: Apply Epoxy on the Leaking Areas

The best location to seal the leak is on the outside of your Jon boat. This forces the water pressure to press against the seal rather than having the seal have to fight against the water pressure as it would if sealed on the inside. However, if the location of the leak makes it impossible to seal on the outside, seal it on the inside instead. You can always seal both the inside and outside if you want to play it safe.

Apply epoxy thoroughly to cover the leaks found in the boat and let it sit for at least 2 hours to dry.

Step #5: Check for More Leaks

Once you’ve sealed your leaks, place the boat back in the water and repeat step 1 again to check for more leaks. If you find your Jon boat is still leaking, repeat this process until no more leaks can be found.