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Need Advice Repairing Toons

LemonBayBoater
LemonBayBoater Member Posts: 4
edited January 2020 in General Discussions
New here, need expert advice . . . .

We have a '97 Sweetwater that we use in Lemon Bay, FL, and canals, so, saltwater.  We Snowbird, and when we put it in a couple weeks ago, a toon filled with water, and sank.  In the several years we've owned it, it's never done that, and we leave it in the water for 3-5 months. 

We have managed to get it back on the trailer, drilled small drain holes at the rear/lower area of the tubes, and a whole lot of water came out.  Probably ancient water from prehistoric time.
 B) 

I am ready to block it up off the trailer, and go to work.

Anyone know if there's more than one compartment in the toons?  The one that sank, sank in the back, where the little hole is, but the front of the toon stayed up.

1.  Any suggestions for drain plugs I can install . . . prefer non-welded.  Do I need just ones in the back, or front, too?
2.  Same for locating and patching holes.  JB Marine Weld, Aluminum putty, or . . . . ?
3.  Waterproof/sealant I can put on after the repairs are done.

Thanks.

Comments

  • LemonBayBoater
    LemonBayBoater Member Posts: 4
    edited January 2020
    By the way, I have seen videos on the Internet of sealing/waterproofing toons with bedliner, both spraying it on the entire toon and rolling it on the bottom half that is normally antifouling paint.

    Bedliner sounds like a good idea, so I figure it must not be.  I can't think of any reason it would deteriorate in saltwater; it's not like it is "less noble" than aluminum. 
      
    But . . . 

    I would also prefer plastic drain plugs, too, because they would not be "less noble."
  • LemonBayBoater
    LemonBayBoater Member Posts: 4
    3.  Waterproof/sealant I can put on after the repairs are done.
    How about Flex Seal (As Seen On TV)?
  • LemonBayBoater
    LemonBayBoater Member Posts: 4
    Funny, now that I've started blocking up the pontoon, I notice that there are three drain plugs ON TOP of each of the toons, one in the front, pointy section, one in the middle, and one at the back.

    I had not noticed them because I had looked at the back bottom.

    Why in the ---- would drain plugs be at the TOP of the toons???!!!  It would be awfully hard to tip the the boat over to empty them!!!
  • Skiman
    Skiman Member Posts: 11
    The ports on top of the pontoons are where you put air in the pontoons to check for leaks. They typically have plastic plugs screwed into them.