How do you look after your tender

DAKA

DAKA

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Each weekend when I leave the boat I deflate the tender 20% in case the summer heat causes it to pop under excessive pressure, then on returning to the boat I have to pump it back up again.
Does every one do this or is it a waste of time, has anyone ever had one pop or pull a davit lifting ring off as the pressure forces it off the davits ?
Also turn angle it so rain water runs out, will the weight of rain water do the tender or the davits any harm ?
 
Do you not have pressure relief valves in yours?

Anyway - you'd be better covering it up and keeping it clean rather than doing a half arsed job of deflating it !!
 
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Bad attitude or what?

[/ QUOTE ] Eh?

First sentence is quite serious ... our "cheapie" inflatable that we keep in the locker has a pressure relief valve - so I'm surprised others dont...

First part of second sentence is also serious ... and the second is tongue in cheek - exactly what Daka expects from my posts ... but I can't find his smiley .... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Perhaps I should've put another smilie in there ...

but seriously - covering up an inflatable will keep it in far better condition ....
 
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I can't find his smiley .... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Perhaps I should've put another smilie in there ...



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Try this one /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif The Fireball smiley

As far as I know there is not a pressure relief valve.

Zodiac 310
 
Not a chance of it exploding! Will withstand far more pressure than you can ever put into it. If you want to be kind to it make sure that it is always fully inflated and put a cover on it - mainly to keep off grime and seagull crap.
 
well - if there is no PRV then keeping it a little under inflated is probably better 4 it than absolutely solid at 3bar ... but then it is designed to be sat on - which must be a much greater pressure than the additional it will get from heating up.
 
"will the weight of rain water do the tender or the davits any harm ? "

Very roughly, a tender with an internal volume of 2m x 1 m x 0.5m could hold 1 tonne of water. That's a rough equivalent of 10 people plus kit. It's not a static load which many lift points or davits fixings are designed to take, so tilting the dink, or arranging a drain valve is important.
 
Agree with the others. I don't see why you have to deflate your tender when it's got pressure relief valves fitted. My tender is grey and it gets effing hot in the Med sun yet it's never exploded. Also I would have thought a deflated tender is more of a prob than an over inflated one when it's davit suspended coz it will sway and move causing shock loading on the davits. I've never experienced a lifting ring failure on a tender but I have experienced a davit failure. Definitely try to drain rainwater/sea water out of the tender coz that sloshing about will also put shock loading into the davits. I'm not a great fan of davits anyway coz the cantilever design coupled with bouncing of the tender and water sloshing about in it puts huge loads on the davits and their mountings
 
Never deflate mine in the meddy, (Zodiac) and it has never gone pop! In fgact I've never heard of one exploding. Leave mine pumped up and have a cover for it, when not in use. Treat mine like it was a car, which when cruising is exactly what it is, keep it clean and serviced.
 
Thank you to everyone who has replied, conclusive conclusion for a change.

That will save a bit of hassle each weekend, just need to find a few more short cuts.........

I check my engine oil after each and every trip , only ever needed to top it up once between service intervals, does anyone else bother to dip the oil or do you just rely on the oil warning lights ?
 
FWIW I tend to dip the oil before a trip. Actually, if I only use the boat for a short trip and then again the next day or even a few days later I tend to do it slightly less frequently. Similarly the strainers.
 
If its a Wetline leave it out in the sun and it will go so sticky you'll be able to stick on davit pads without glue
I discovered this through a careful scientific study :(
 
I'd like to cover my tender, but cant think how to do it on davits. Short of doing some trapeze artist stunt.

Used to check oil, but it's always ok. Mind I checked the water and had to fill it up every time. :(
 
Check my oil before a trip, not normally afterwards. But if doing short hops, tend to check it occasionally, I can see if there's a leak, I have easy entry to the engine space.
 
Haydn, I have a cover, that the lifting wires come through, I put the cover on and leave a bit so I can get out of the tender, then lift it up and just pull the last bit of the cover over, You'd have to see it to really understand what I mean.
But in the summer, tend to leave it open and just use a halyard to hoist it out of the water overnight, if atall.
 
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