Viking lifeboat repair/concersion

Hi Folks, would just like to show you a photo of my old lifeboat and hopefully get a bit of info from the experienced members here. my lifeboat was built in 1951 by Viking marine in Twickenham No 5142 it 5 meters long.

it was on the Tasman bay dredger, when that was sold the lifeboat and its twin were sold to a local nudist camp for swings (must be some good stories there!) they eventually gave them to the local scouts to sell as a fundraiser and that's how i ended up with it.

i made a little bracket on the rudder for an outboard (no motor just came with dipping lugger sail) and used it to bring home fire wood from a local island.

its now time to give the old girl a birthday as many of the rivets have popped their heads, i would also like to make a small cabin and possibly an internal well for the outboard but the hull repairs are the priority

the question i would like to ask is what grade of aluminum rivets should i use and is there any type of sealant i should put on the rivet before peening?
the hull plates are in good condition and she has never leaked but the rivets are in a shocking(and now un seaworthy condition)

thanks in advance for any advice, tim

 

First choice, 3/16 dia. monel (blind)(closed end) pop rivet. Second choice in 5000 series (5052) aluminium, Third choice 316 stainless. Twirl the head in 3M 5200 or a similar product. I used an air driven rivet gun --available made in asia for about $100. - If required I can can post a photo of the Rivet and the gun. --- Geo.
P.S. this is what I did with my 9M open aluminium life boat. I have since sold her. I used 300 of the 3/16 monel blind pop rivets in the keel shell flange to hull joint alone.

A yacht is not defined by the vessel but by the care and love of her owner

 

ally lifeboat

Hi, Just picked up on this story and wondered how it is coming along. I would like to get one of these. Is yours for sale??

 

Richard go to "boat building" on this forum scroll to "Nancy G" lifeboat/surfboat to motorsailer conversion (might be a couple of pages back,) read thru the build and e mail me thru the "private message" section on this forum. If you have problems , repost on this thread and i will guide you thru the process. ---Tnx. Geo.