Hypalon vs PVC

Whitelighter

Whitelighter

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So the tubes on out walker bay genesis are 12 years old and look pitted colour wise where the top layer is starting to fail.

I’m told tune replacement is straight forward as the justcslide on/off. A re tube kit is $1600 for pvc, and $2700 for hypalon. Is the hypalon worth 45% more.

Also, is it possible to paint/recoat the existing rib tubes to make them look better. Structurally they seem ok and are holding air/shape well.
 
what ever you do DON'T paint them.
I painted a RIB a few years back and the stuff never dries properly, gets dirty and is impossible to clean there after.
 
I think it depends on a couple of things as to whether hypalon is worth the money.

A. How long are you going to keep the boat? Or maybe the question is how much longer will the rest of the boat last. Hypalon will last longer than pvc, how much longer I don't know.

B. How much rought treatment will be boat get? Hypalon is much tougher than pvc.

If I was planning to keep the boat a good while, I'd pay the extra and go hypalon, whilst it's 45 % more than pvc in percentage terms it's not a huge amount of absolute money.
 
Hypalon ( on a Willaims anyway) also comes in a wide variety of colours. PVC ones are white.

I use rib cleaner and a magic sponge and the results are pretty spectacular. The rib cleaner is toob shine I think
 
Ironically with WB you get a choice of Grey or White with PVC, and no choice (so iguess the two tone set we currently have) with Hypalon

Given it a good clean with magic sponge and rib cleaner and while its much better the actual top colour coat has pits in it which wont clean off
 
You have the hypalon now Jez iirc- hurricane specced it iirc. When I bought mine in 2009 I had to accept pvc because hypalon delivery was too long. Was expecting rubbish like a blow up sheep but the pvc felt just as good as hypalon. Proper quality rib material feel. I was really pleased with it and happy to have saved the money. So if I were you I’d save the money and buy pvc.
I agree above about paint- looks hideous and collects dirt.
The walker bay tube slide on off is dead easy- works well.
 
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I’ve painted 2 ribs with polymarine.

Was happy both times however....one was black...one was grey.

I can see how white wouldn’t work so well.
 
Bouba said:
If pvc is always covered up to protect it from the sun, it should last forever
Click to expand...

Mine isn't even protected and it has just that. If I was to guess it's age I'd put it at around 20 years. Does it leak air? Not one iota over an entire season. I actually have to let air out as it gets warmer. Maybe the Med sun and UV is the deciding factor, on that I cant comment. Only on my own. Mindyou, the PVC on her isn't this new lightweight material. Without the ali deck, all rolled up I bust a hernia lugging it about and it's only a 280.
 
BruceK said:
Mine isn't even protected and it has just that. If I was to guess it's age I'd put it at around 20 years. Does it leak air? Not one iota over an entire season. I actually have to let air out as it gets warmer. Maybe the Med sun and UV is the deciding factor, on that I cant comment. Only on my own. Mindyou, the PVC on her isn't this new lightweight material. Without the ali deck, all rolled up I bust a hernia lugging it about and it's only a 280.
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Unfortunately everything here deteriorates in the sun. I just use a cheapo thin cover from the diy, only lasts one season but I always replace it. It’s not just the pvc, the glue turns back to liquid if left too many seasons in the sun
 
I painted my old 3.5m Avon Rover Hypalon tubes with Polymarine Flexithane, the grey colour came up really well but I was not impressed at all with the white, in the end, I bought a new RIbeye.

Its good for touching-up to get you through a season but if tubes are easily replaced, I would re-tube. I would have gone for H but having read above PVC does seem to be worth a try.
 
We started with a slatted roll up 2.4 on our S/ skr porto 35 , later used it on the current boat .It was a Seago but lasted over 10 years .Handy grey colour .I don’t really know what it was made of tbo .I think PVC ?
As said ^^^^ by others the glue started to come un done . I did soldier on with repair glue for a season or two .It became sticky , the whole surface and the seam twixt the back board and tubes started to seeping.
How ever in it’s merit in the winter it would pack down for inside storage.

We replaced it with a grp v bottomed Hypalon , Some Italian brand sorry cant remember, but in white.
Now it’s permanently on teak chocks .The Passerelle doubles up as a crane .
Wife using sowing machine and denim needles made a custom cover ( See Hurricanes thread on sailrite ) .
As you can see we put some midline handles and loops in the cover to suspend the ridge so no lake forms .
Cover was a €20 in materials .
It’s on in the off season .
Hypalon feels nice and a quality btw .
I can’t remember what the price differences were tbo but the Hypalon tender was ticketed @€2600 and a paid €2200 delivered to the boat .

I guess really the pvc lasted 6/7 years it’s just it was winter stored out of UV and I basically bodged it along in the final years .You pays your money ! I remember very early on the row locks just peeled off , unstuck in the Med heat .

C5345927-4E8C-48F9-ACA5-288EBAC931BF.jpeg
Old one pic courtesy of Shane .

E35A5318-A149-4D71-A5DB-37622AF775F2.jpg
New one .That where it lives permanently.

5D3DEB5B-E035-441C-86B2-DF9D5AD6589A.jpg
Lifting mechanisms under the Passerelle, you lift and just slide it out over the water easy peasy .
 
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jfm said:
Was expecting rubbish like a blow up sheep but the pvc felt just as good as hypalon.
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I take your word for that, but obviously there must be PVC and PVC.
The tender of my DP when I bought her was a so called "Top Line" Arimar 280 thing with PVC tubes, about a dozen of years old.
Btw, it was also stored inside, and flawless according to the previous owner.
I didn't even bother checking it before buying the boat, so it was annoying to find out that the actual thing didn't deserve to be touched with a barge pole.
Anyway, swmbo googled around a bit and found a similar size Pischel Bolero for sale at a ridiculously low price, and when we went to check it out we understood why: it was 20+ yo.
Otoh, *that* was really flawless, no kidding!
Hypalon red (!) tubes, double bottom GRP hull, and built like a brick sh!thouse.
I have a funny feeling that it will outlive us.
That's the reason why I was going to reply to Jez that hypalon is worth 100% more, rather than just 45%.
But I guess that would be a too stretched generalization.
 
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;) :p You probably wouldn't want to touch my tender with a barge pole either. ~20 years outside hasn't made her pretty, but pretty isn't something I over value. Like your metaphor, she's a brick outhouse. I take on board the glue comments. I have had to reglue the black rubber adornments back on from time to time. Oarlocks, D-rings etc. The integrity of the tubes though is impeachable and she does take an enormous amount of abuse on some of our shingle beaches. I'm waiting for her to die to move on to the latest ali hulled Bombarder but I too feel she will outlive us.
 
jfm said:
You have the hypalon now Jez iirc- hurricane specced it iirc. When I bought mine in 2009 I had to accept pvc because hypalon delivery was too long. Was expecting rubbish like a blow up sheep but the pvc felt just as good as hypalon. Proper quality rib material feel. I was really pleased with it and happy to have saved the money. So if I were you I’d save the money and buy pvc.
I agree above about paint- looks hideous and collects dirt.
The walker bay tube slide on off is dead easy- works well.
Click to expand...

I didn't realize you were Welsh :).
 
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