ADVISOR
REPAIR ADVICE:
The repair kit is a thing, which should always be with you, when you go boating. The most necessary things are:
• An assortment of patches of different sizes – normally you get some from a boat complete set and some from your dealer or distributor. 10-15 different patches are enough. Be sure that the patches you have are made of the same material as your boat (PVC or HYPALON)
• A two-component glue (100ml set), which is appropriate to the type of the boat fabric you have: PVC or HYPALON. Check if the volumes with ingredients are full and closed tight. Read and understand the instructions how to use it
• A small polyethylene cap (appr. 50ml) for preparing a glue mixture
• 1-2 middle-size acid brushes
• Small scissors, a knife or razor blades
• Waterproof sandpaper and masking tape
All these things are very easy to get, just do not forget it!
The damage of inflation valves is one of the most typical defects. Problems can be different: the calve cap lost, air leakage through inlet opening, air leakage between the valve body and tube fabric. In most cases the only way out is to change or reinstall the valve. You can do it at a service station or by yourself (in this case you need a especial tool for valve replacement).
To dismantle the valve you must:
• STEP 1. Deflate the boat
• STEP 2. Squeeze the valve nut through the tube fabric by hand or by any mechanical means (something like vice) gently, without damaging the tube material
• STEP 3. Insert the valve tool and screw out the valve body from the valve nut (the nut stays inside the tube) After dismantling inspect the condition of the valve for damages, cracks, deformations. As a rule it’s better to take a new one for exchange
To install the valve :
• STEP 1. Insert the valve nut inside the tube, or use the old one if it’s in a good condition – just clean it
• STEP 2. Put some marine sealant onto the valve treads and the surface, which contacts the fabric
• STEP 3. Screw up the valve body to the valve nut by hand, and tighten it then by means of a valve tool hard, holding the valve nut through the fabric (same as when dismantling)
• STEP 4. Leave the valve for a 24-hour sealant cure
• STEP 5. Check the air tightness with the soapy water.
Air Leakage is of the problems of all inflatable boats. The air pressure gives strength and safety to your boat, and to loose it means to loose everything. You have to know:
THERE’S NO INFLATABLE BOAT IN THE WORLD WHICH IS 100% AIRTIGHT ! EVERY BOAT IS LEAKING, AND THE ONLY QUESTION IS HOW MUCH!
How to recognize that your boat is leaking:
• IN CASE THE PRESSURE LOSS IS LESS THAN 20% PER 24 HOURS – THE BOAT IS OK, IT’S ACCEPTABLE
Such boat can stay without inflation for 3-5 days.
• IN CASE THE PRESSURE LOSS IS MORE THAN 20% PER 24 HOURS – LOOK FOR LEAKAGE
Such boat becomes soft much quicker – in 1-2 days.
Till now the best and most effective way to find the leakage is soapy water.
• STEP 1. Prepare the mixture: take 50% of liquid soap and 50% of water and mix them
• STEP 2. Inflate the boat hard till maximum pressure allowed
• STEP 3. Paint the mixture rich over all the places to be checked
In case there’s a leak you will see it immediately: there will be columns of tiny air bubbles
Very often the leak source is very small and it’s a real problem to find it. Use the following scheme for search:
Here are some things of note about adhesives in general. First of all, the glue you are going to use should be recommended for inflatable boat repairs. You can get it either from an inflatable boats Dealer, Distributor, or from any marine shop.
Depending on the type of the fabric your boat is made of you will need glue for PVC or for HYPALON. They are different. So, choose the right one for your boat and always check the product’s description before you buy it.
Glue can be one-component or two-component. What is the difference?
One-component glues are mainly for a very common use. They are more easy to use than the two-component glues, but the strength of one-component glue joints is not high, especially when the weather is hot.
Two-component glues have the second component, called “hardener”. This ingredient stimulates the polymerization of glue, which sufficiently increases the strength and temperature stability of joints.
The recommendations are:
– One-component glue is applicable for very easy and momentary repairs, when you have no possibility to repair the damage with two-component glue.
– Two-component glue is a preferable one in any case – use it as the main one!
The technology of glue application in case of repair is quite easy:
• STEP 1. Locate the place of repair and choose or cut out the proper patch.
• STEP 2. Prepare the glue mixture: add the exact quantity of a hardener to the glue and mix them hard. The ratio of a hardener is always mentioned in your glue application instructions. In general the hardener ratio is about 4 – 5%: 4 – 5 parts of a hardener to 100 parts of a glue. Use the mixture within 1 hour maximum as it cures quickly.
• STEP 3. Bind the gluing area on the boat/tube with masking tape in order to minimize the glue excess.
• STEP 4. Carefully clean of dirt & grease. Let dry both surfaces to be glued. In case you have a HYPALON boat it’s absolutely necessary to rough the fabric and the patch with sandpaper to make the surfaces 100% mat (for PVC it’s not necessary).
• STEP 5. Apply the first thin layer of a ready mixture on both surfaces and dry for 30+ minutes until completely dry.
• STEP 6. Apply the second thin layer of ready mixture on both surfaces and let dry until it is tacky (3-5 minutes)
• STEP 7. Take off the masking tape, put the patch onto the previously marked place and press it for full contact, avoiding air bubbles.
• STEP 8. Place the ready joint onto any flat and hard surface. Heat the glued materials with hair dryer up to 60 degrees Celsius and press the joint as hard as possible using a metal roller or any other hard round tool (scissors rings etc.). Heating may take some time (a minute or 2) as you make passes about the new joint to heat it up gently and evenly; be patient as it is possible to damage the materials you are glueing.
• STEP 9. Leave the ready joint to cure for 2 days without stressing it before you inflate the boat
In case of an emergency repair leave it for 2 hours at least without moving it, and then inflate the boat until the pressure is less than nominal. In 2 hours the seam reaches about 70% of strength, which can be satisfactory to reach the place of destination driving with care.
There are several ways to find if your boat tube is PVC or HYPALON:
WAY #1. Easiest way to find if your boat has PVC or HYPALON tube is to have a close up look at the tube seam. The answer is related to the difference in PVC and HYPALON materials color structure. PVC boat materials usually have the same color PVC coating on both sides of material, while all HYPALON materials have the interior side coating always in black or dark dray color.
To find the answer if your boat tube is PVC or HYPALON:
- if you still have the patches from the original repair kit, then appearance of the patches can answer your question (see images above).
- have a close look at the any seam on your boat tube, specifically on the edge of overlapping material, using either magnifying glass or close-up camera of your cell phone. On PVC boat the material back side color will be same as on face side. On HYPALON boat the material back side will be black/dark gray.
Remark: this will not work of your tube main color is black or dark gray.
Way #2. These days most of PVC tubes are produced using heat welding technology. Look at the main structural seams of your boat.
If you can see:
- glossy stripes around the seams, while the main material finish is matt,
- or melted and pushed over material on the seam edge
then your boat is definitely PVC.
Way #3. Check the exact boat model name, as written in your Bill of Sale. If you see the letter “H” in the model name, (i.e., “A330HL”, “V500H”, ..) then most likely your boat has a Hypalon tube.
Way #4. Contact you boat dealer or the manufacturer. You will need to provide your boat’s full model name and the HIN number (14 character code), located on the transom of the boat, with your request to confirm the material of tube. This method can take some more time, but it will give you the most correct answer.