Inflateable dinghy paint

[ronsurf]

I have a Bombard AX2 PVC dinghy which is airtight, but leaks water through the floor. It appears to be lots of tiny holes that are responsible.

I'm considering painting the whole of the floor panel with rubber paint, but I can't seem to find anything suitable in the UK. The US has two products that look like they would do the job, Liquid Rubber and Flexabar buoy paint but I can't fid them in the UK. I found a product called Flexothane, but at 60 quid a tin that covers 5 square metres, it's a bit too much. The floor is only about 1.5msq.

Can anyone recommend any products/repair methods that will repair pin holes in a dinghy floor?

 

[VicS]

Re: Inflatable dinghy paint

I have a Bombard AX2 PVC dinghy which is airtight, but leaks water through the floor. It appears to be lots of tiny holes that are responsible.

I'm considering painting the whole of the floor panel with rubber paint, but I can't seem to find anything suitable in the UK. The US has two products that look like they would do the job, Liquid Rubber and Flexabar buoy paint but I can't fid them in the UK. I found a product called Flexothane, but at 60 quid a tin that covers 5 square metres, it's a bit too much. The floor is only about 1.5msq.

Can anyone recommend any products/repair methods that will repair pin holes in a dinghy floor?

Flexithane is for Hypalon. It's Superflex that you need for PVC ... but the price is the same £47.75 for 500mls from Polymarine
https://www.polymarineshop.com/product/pvc-paint-for-bombard-inflatable-boats/

Sealflex , also from Polymarine , may be all you need to seal a leaky floor
https://www.polymarineshop.com/product/sealflex-500ml/

 

[Scubadoo]

Re: Inflatable dinghy paint

I was in the same situation with my AX2 whereby it was airtight but water getting into the floor. Mine was the seam opening up in places so applied polymarine 2part adhesive then applied new pvc strip around the entire floor seam. I have just finished the repairs yesterday, will be testing in a few days. So are sure there are no seams opening up?

 

[ronsurf]

Re: Inflatable dinghy paint

I was in the same situation with my AX2 whereby it was airtight but water getting into the floor. Mine was the seam opening up in places so applied polymarine 2part adhesive then applied new pvc strip around the entire floor seam. I have just finished the repairs yesterday, will be testing in a few days. So are sure there are no seams opening up?

I went over the seam at the transom with Sikaflex and it doesn't seem to leak there. It sort of seeps in. If you hold it up to the light, there were tiny pinholes I could see, so I sealed those as well. But if the pinholes are where the slats are then I can't see where they are.

So I was thinking of covering the whole floor with some kind of rubber paint or sealant. The Superflex seems the stuff, but it's expensive and I'd have to throw half of it away.

I was considering diluting some sealant and trying that.

 

[Scubadoo]

Re: Inflatable dinghy paint

The superflex seems to be a good solution, I think I would try and patch the tiny holes with pvc "sheets" first over the floor if there aren't many holes, but then again superflex does look like a good solution.

To test for leaks put the tender on two chairs at both ends and support the middle with two wood strips, then fill and see if you can determine where it leaks.