arrived at the boat today; I'd secured things against the hurricane and had deflated my inflatable and lashed it on deck. As I untied it, I noticed that the seam where the bottom joins the port tube has separated for about 18-24". When I was down last time, I wondered why there was a bit of water in it, but didn't investigate.
Question; is it worth trying to repair this with the repair kit that came with the boat, or will that only make it more difficult to have professionally repaired? I need to get the dog to shore tomorrow, and have considered using the old standby, duct tape as a temporary fix, then taking it to a pro.
The boat is a West Marine roll up, several years old, but always covered when stored upside down on deck, so I think it's got several years more life in it.
Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay
First find out if its PVC or Hypalon...they use different glues..the longer lasting much more durable hypalon dinghies are worth repairing with the 2 part glue...you can do it yourself..anything but seam repair is relatively easy.I cant advise you on a pvc dinghy as i havnt had one but they are much cheaper and perhaps"disposable"...Someone gave me an old(30 yrs) Avon redcrest a while ago as a backup dinghy..not a patch on it,amazing!
"Sailing Still" 1990 C36 M25 wing
Sail Canada/Transport Canada training
Gibsons Harbour BC
www.landsendbc.ca
I recently assisted one of our club members repairing an old PVC inflatable. It seemed to go fine, the procedure is very similar to fixing a flat inner tube.
Why would you not try to fix it yourself? For that size repair, you'll likely need more (maybe also fresher) repair materials than were included with the boat which you can buy at an inflatable store or maybe other marine store.
The main enemy of inflatables is UV radiation - if there's not much UV, such as in Canada, they'll last along time.
Cheers,
Graham
Graham Mackey
SV Nostromo
1989 C36 908
Tall Rig/Wing Keel
Toronto, Canada
It is PVC, but always protected under a cover while stored on deck; so it's in pretty good condition.
I usually do try to repair things myself, but in this case, I don't want to make a bungled repair that would prevent a pro from doing the job. I have read that you should never, ever, ever put Armor All on an inflatable as you'll never be able to get glue to stick to it if you do.
I think I'll try to get a larger quantity of the glue and glue/clamp it up in my workshop. If it doesn't work, it's a good excuse to build the Chesapeake Light Craft sailing dinghy I've got my eyes on..:)
Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay
Last year I had the same problem with the seams on my inflatable starting to go south. I went to the local inflatable boat store in Alameda which specialized in repairs. The owner declined to take on the job due to the age of the inflatable. He suggested trying to repair the boat myself using a two part PVC glue. The glue comes in a really small can with a catalyst you add before using. If I remember right the can ran around $50.00. I believe West Marine carries a similar product. (Do not use the cheap one part glue. I found it's OK for small repairs but does not stick and hold like the two part. I can guarantee the seams will not hold.)
Following the instructions make sure you clean the surface. You then mix the glue and apply the glue to both sides of the seam. Let the glue dry. After it's dry and you are ready to go... press it together like you would with contact cement. I found the two part glue was bullet proof. I learned the hard way that once you put the two pieces together that's the way it is going to stay. You cannot pull the pieces apart and start over.
Some suggestions: Note how your bottom is put together. I found there were two parts to the floor. One was the bottom of the boat and the other was the seam that holds the floor boards in place to reduce the stress on the boat bottom. Also, if one seam is going there will be a few more to fix. Look for the other defective seams.
I used the boat for the remainder of the season and then sold it to a friend (and yes, with a disclaimer regarding the repaired seams). It's been at least a year and the seams are still holding.
Chris Stewart
S/V "24~7"
1984 Catalina 36 Tall
Hull #251 M25
(SF Bay) Alameda, CA
Thanks, I think that's what I"m going to do. I duck taped the seam to run the dog to the beach and had 4" of water in the boat in no time. Good thing it's an inflatable..!!:eek: If I can get a couple more years out of it, that would be great.
Thanks for the replies.
Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay
Like many, I had a similar problem with a very old inflatable. In speaking to the repair people the major piece of advice they gave , if I was to do it myself, was to make sure I got ALL of the old glue off the pieces or they wont stick together.
I ended up buying a new one.
Chuck Parker
HelenRita 2072 Mk II
2002 Tall Rig - Winged Keel
Atlantic Highlands, NJ