Anyone ever travelled on a flubber with one air chamber punctured and flat?

[Cerebus]

I’ve always assumed that if you punctured a flubber en route somewhere you could get by by shifting all your weight onto the two still inflated tubes. Is this correct? Anyone been forced to do just this?

I have 2 avons; the midsized and the largest sized with floorboards. I never took them to sea without 2 pumps; I learned from a problematic events.

 

[Cerebus]

I’ve always assumed that if you punctured a flubber en route somewhere you could get by by shifting all your weight onto the two still inflated tubes. Is this correct? Anyone been forced to do just this?

No.

I always carried 2 pumps in the dinghy and hence solved any leakage.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

I once sailed with a guy who needed three people to get his inflatable out to his moored yacht. One to row, one to pump and one to bail.

 

[ducked]

I was one of many that were asked to come to Baltics to help when the Russians were moving out. I ended up not only assisting in Baltics - but also Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan,

Interesting times. I wonder how the signalled impending US withdrawal will be managed.

The Trump Presidency 2.0

 

[fredrussell]

No.

I always carried 2 pumps in the dinghy and hence solved any leakage.

How do you solve a long tear caused by an old broken bottle on beach with your two pumps though? I would have thought ONE pump and a repair kit and some pvc would be more useful.

 

[sarabande]

No.

I always carried 2 pumps in the dinghy and hence solved any leakage.

An interesting logistical decision.

I was trying to think how you might use 2 pumps to inflate a side or a transverse tube fitted with a single valve. Don't think I have ever come across an Avon equipped with twin valves into a single tube.

Even my Tinkers have only one valve per tube, even though there is the added safety benefit of each side 'tank' having a small tube inside each main one.

 

[Cerebus]

How do you solve a long tear caused by an old broken bottle on beach with your two pumps though? I would have thought ONE pump and a repair kit and some pvc would be more useful.

Quite right. I did not read op properly and note the damage.

I suddenly remembered being with a friend in an Avon and one tube was deflating. Only had forward and aft chambers.

We got wet and only just made it to shore.

I always double up on equipment if I can; one old original pump and one new style large volume pump.

 

[James_Calvert]

To expand on Sarabande's remark, a Tinker is the inflatable to be in if one of the two main tubes are punctured.

I once blew up ours on a slipway which turned out to have sharp pottery shards on it. Set off to the moorings. One tube got softer and softer until only the internal small safety tube inside was still providing some shape and buoyancy. (It extends from the transom to the thwart.)

Managed to motor along out of trouble.

 

[Dellquay13]

The other week we had used our very lightweight 02lite tender (2 tubes and inflatable floor) to go ashore at Fishguard lower town for a beer. We came back to the harbour to find one side nearly flat.
I had a buttock clenching mad dash row back to the boat (mostly going in circles) to get the footpump back in action, then a dash back to shore, pump it up again and then another frantic row to get the missus and the valuables back to the boat. I was fit to drop at the end.

The next night at Solva, when we went ashore in the repaired flubber we made sure we had the footpump with us, and haven’t left it behind since.

 

[sarabande]

One tube got softer and softer until only the internal small safety tube inside was still providing some shape and buoyancy. (It extends from the transom to the

The second (inner) tube on the Tinker has two functions, 1 safety flotation 2 makes pressurising the larger outer tube much easier when inflated after the main tube.

Brilliant inflatable dinghies.

 

[Fimacca]

I call my old avon rudolph hiss. Must be 30years old.
A landlubber friend refuses to get in any dinghy I have now since he hung on to the old style avon air valve. thinking it was a handle in the dark, pulled it out, and his end deflated.
Mine was fine and I kept rowing. it was a 4 knot ebb tide in the exe and I wondered why he was asking me to go faster. I didn't notice his end deflating until is ass was wet and the plastic bag of rubbish on the floor shot off out towards the sea.
I made it to shore dry. he did not. The boat stayed afloat for 10 minutes rowing with 2x 15 stoners in.........