Can you paint an inflatable?

seanfoster

seanfoster

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I have a Bombard Tropik inflatable, which is in very good condition and is a really good stable tender.

The problem is it was made in the early 90s and is Purple. (Who knows what was going through the designers minds!) Is there any way you can paint an inflatable (Not really sure what its made of) without it looking like a complete amateur bodge job?!
 
You can and i supply it /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif but it will cost a fortune. Might be cheaper to get a new dinghy.
edit..... atleast it won't get stolen if its purple.
 
I've just repainted my Pischel Bolero using an amazing product called Tuff-Coat.

See http://www.allinflatables.com/shopping/paint/index.html.

I've no idea whether this is available where you are but the basic 2x1quart kit costs A$100 in Brisbane. It is a two-part system though the basecoat and topcoat are not mixed together but put on separately. A limited range of colours is available.

I've no connection with this company but have been impressed with how tough the resultant finish was. The only possible downside is that the solvent for the basecoat was xylene.
 
What's wrong with purple? It should certainly deter thieves, and if it does get stolen it will be easy to identify!
 
Yes you can ... previous owner of my Avon did it with proper paint for the job.

Few years later when he sold to me - I could have killed him ... that paint has been coming of in bits ever since ... it gets in clothes everything.

IMHO - be very sure you REALLY want to do this !
 
I won't say which co - but one of them also produces a bottle of pour-in glue for old inflatables.

Pump up a bit ... pour in via valves ... pump up more ... roll it around a bit ... pump up more ... etc.

Blew all seams on my Narwhal 240 by dissolving the original glue.
When I took it to Inflatable repair ctre - they asked if I used that 'stuff' ... it was condemned on the spot. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Asking a co. what to use ?

Just thought I'd pass it on ... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Sometimes you can’t avoid circumstances, and your inflatable boat is left in the water a few days longer than you’d planned. To combat marine growth on the bottom, you must protect it with anti-fouling paint. Regular bottom paints don’t stick well to inflatable boats, and they are too thick to deflate without cracking and they make it impossible to store your boat properly. If you thin the paint enough to fold your boat, you’re undermining its protective anti-marine life properties, and it won’t stop growth. Some paints work by leeching into the water. The chemical that leeches out is the active ingredient, usually cuprous oxide, so the paint loses its effectiveness and it also rubs out on everything and is very messy.

There are bottom-paints for inflatable boats available. I’m familiar only with the specific one that is distributed by Inland Marine of Cape Coral, Florida (see Appendix A). It requires two steps because it includes a primer.

The bottom must be cleaned with soap and water, and then scrubbed with solvent (toulane or acetone on Hypalon, MEK on PVC). The advice from Inland Marine is to scrub until no color comes off when rubbed with a clean rag that’s been soaked in solvent.

On a new boat, it’s necessary to remove surface plasticizers from the bottom material. Clean most with a solvent. Some use fabrics that allow the texture of the base cloth to be felt. Use a stiff-bristle brush on those.

If the boat bottom has ever been covered with a restorative agent or cleaned with any silicone-based substance, it’s imperative that all traces be removed. Inland Marine has found one product to be effective: Interlux #202 solvent wash. If any traces of the agent or silicone cleanser are missed, the primer will not stick and the product will not work.

When you’re satisfied that the bottom is clean, paint it with Hy-Grip, which bonds the boat bottom and the paint. It dries so quickly, you’ll be able to paint almost immediately. Any paint for inflatable boats will work, but this manufacturer recommends and distributes Shipbottom Premium Performance antifouling paint. It’s hard-drying and flexible and contains a high (62.5) percentage of cuprous oxide. It’s effective through at least two seasons, and you can fold and store your boat without fear of cracking or messy paint.

The paint line on an inflatable is just above the waterline of a filled boat. Use masking tape for a professional-looking job. The primer should last the duration of the boat if the bottom has no abrasion from being dragged over rocks or woods. If needed, touch up the abrasion with primer before you paint.

Paint RIB’s hard bottoms the way you would any aluminum or fiberglass inflatable. Just remember that the side and stern tubes of an RIB are underwater when the boat is at rest, and they need attention in addition to the bottom. Treat with an appropriate primer, followed by a coat of Hy-Grip, and a coat of Shipbottom paint.

Useful information may be found at:

http://www.inflatable-boats-kayaks-...le-boats-maintenance-bottom-paint/default.php
 
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