hard flat bottomed inflatable

[simonfraser]

i have finally cut a hole in my inflatable from the many oyster shells. i know i can get a V bottomed inflatable for use with an engine, but they are big money & i only row mine, 5 mins each way.

furthermore i will ground it every time recovering the boat, hitting the V section on the hard / oysters.

probably a mad idea, but why don't i put a sheet or two of glass fibre matting and suitable gloop on the bottom tubes of my current inflatable ???

 

[billcowan]

because it wont stick properly

instead why not buy a polypropelene pram dingy, they are very cheap (c£300), tough and being double skinned in places, unsinkable. they dont weigh much more than an inflatable, and you can fit them with wheels.

 

[yoda]

Why not sandwich the bottom with ply?

Yoda

 

[simonfraser]

pram dinghy, not keen on that idea as my inflatable is v. stable & i don't think the pram will be ?

sandwich the bottom with ply, hmm, you mean stick a big sheet on the bottom and bolt it on through the floor ?? that sure woud protect it . . .
anyone tried this ??

 

[janeh]

Another idea maybe,

buy a large (full size base) piece of Hypalon or PVC (whichever matches boat)

Glue this onto the bottom of damaged piece BUT sandwhich some suitably hard material in between - could be resin impregnated glass mat, or a nice bit of canvas, or a strong rigid material like plastic (lots of different types of plastic of course)
This just obviates the need for the hard material to adhere well (beacuse the Hypalon to hypalon does all the holding)

just another idea off the top of my head to consider maybe?

Of course, boat won't roll up very well anymore /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[simonfraser]

thanks, it's more important that it floats rather than that it rolls up /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

after closer inspection i have at least 10 cuts on the bottom, any of which could have caused a previous leak !

 

[homa]

If replacing, have a look at Walker Bay

The best of both worlds. They do come up s/h on e-bay from time to time.

 

[simonfraser]

thanks, i shall have a regular look on e-bay