I have a steel Roamer,according to the book it has 11 gage steel in the bottom. I have found some pitting in a few of the lowest places, all within 6 inches of the keel. The pits are semi globular and about 1/8th inch in diameter.There are about 2 dozen . How would you handle them?
proper repair The best thing you could do, if you plan on keeping the boat for a while is cut out the bad metal and weld in new strips. it doesn't take much to do and if it's properly sealed, and maintained, it should last another 40 some years. It is very hard to stop rust, if not impossible. Did you check inside the hull at the same area to make sure that there isn't even more damage from stagnant water there? A lot of people tend to forget to, or don't realize to check the back side. If you don't have any experience welding, that's ok. Mig welding is very easy to do and I've found a pretty good machine on e-bay for 329.00 or 399.00 with a cart, helmet, gloves, mig pliers and spare tips. The brand of the welder is RealGear. It is made by Lincoln Electric for GTS-WELCO. You just need to spend a little more for wire and gas, then just get on u-tube and study and do some practice welding. You can take the practice parts to a welder in your area and ask for approval if you don't know what to look for in weld quality or are unsure of yourself. I have self taught myself brazing, stick welding, and mig welding and have welded on many construction equipment with no complaints. I have also taught my friend and daughter how to weld with a mig machine in an hour or less and they had solid and fairly descent looking welds from little instruction. If you need a second opinion, there are many others on this site you could talk to also with a lot more time in and certifications for welding. Remember when thinking "quick fix" you can't just jump out and carry her to shore like a canoe. that thinking will cost you more in the long run.
If those pits are deep, you're really pushing it trying to just cover over them. That's good steel that they used on there but it's not very thick. Got any pics of the area, or better yet, the whole boat?
Steel Pitting Pitting can be caused by stray current. Are there any ground connections near them? Chemicals can also cause issues. Has any battery fluids been there. Is the pitting residue (i.e. rust) have a color? Red is Fe2O3, black is Fe3O4, or is a white residue? Are the pits round, and smooth? John
Oh for Heaven sakes, who cares? The bilge is pitted. It was only a hair thicker than a 50 cent piece (1 Euro coin)to begin with and we don't know how thick it is in way of the pits now. If the pits are scattered with less than about 20 percent coverage, a class surveyor (and I don't mean one who shows up in a suit and tie) would tell you that you are OK if the remaining steel is 60 percent of original in the midships area. That would leave you with metal about the thickness of a US dime. That seems a bit thin in my books but it isn't my boat and I am just sitting here tapping away like the rest of the punditti. If you don't have a thousand of them in a small area, you can weld each one separately. That's easy and fast with a MIG gun. If you have a pit ranch, crop and insert is the best approach. If you don't have access to a UT guage and don't want to pay me to go up there and measure them, tap the bottom with a ball peen hammer from the outside and see what kind of dents it makes in the pitted area. Dents mean the hull is thin, or you are getting way too enthusiastic. Whatever you do, don't attack what is left of the hull with a grinder just to make the pits go away! All that will do is leave you with a smooth surface that is ready to stove in the first time a fish bumps into it.
