Need to replace bottom on Avon Redstart - where to buy fabric etc

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eonolan

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Good morning,

I’ve just counted 19 small leaks in the floor of my old redstart. The tubes are still good, so I’d like to stick a new floor over the old one.
what fabric (boat is hypalon) should I use, and where can I get it, please? Also, any advice gratefully accepted on adhesives, solvents, technique etc.

thanks!
 
Any inflatable repair shop example here ribstore.co.uk plenty more if you google will sell you the fabric and adhesive. However doubt you will be able to do it yourself successfully. I trained as an inflatable repairer when these boats were current and floors were always the worst job. Getting the old floor unglued and then cleaning up ready for the new was a horrible job. If I remember rightly the floor was glued and taped. plenty of good used inflatables around - I have just sold a Plastimo in perfect condition for £150
 
Tranona said:
Any inflatable repair shop example here ribstore.co.uk plenty more if you google will sell you the fabric and adhesive. However doubt you will be able to do it yourself successfully. I trained as an inflatable repairer when these boats were current and floors were always the worst job. Getting the old floor unglued and then cleaning up ready for the new was a horrible job. If I remember rightly the floor was glued and taped. plenty of good used inflatables around - I have just sold a Plastimo in perfect condition for £150
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Yeah, coming to similar conclusion. I do hate throwing things away, though….I’ll spend a day patching her up, most likely.
 
If the holes are small, I had great success using bicycle tyre repair kits and patches with rubber solution. The edges of the tapered patches resist getting caught - lasted years on mine.
 
eonolan said:
Good morning,

I’ve just counted 19 small leaks in the floor of my old redstart. The tubes are still good, so I’d like to stick a new floor over the old one.
what fabric (boat is hypalon) should I use, and where can I get it, please? Also, any advice gratefully accepted on adhesives, solvents, technique etc.

thanks!
Click to expand...
Only 19? I had 22 in a Redcrest that I bought at a boat jumble. I already had a couple of repair kits and some hypalon fabric so I set to work repairing them. I didn't use the adhesive from the kits however, as I have previously had problems with patches becoming unstuck. I used the two part Polymarine stuff instead. Just ensure that you get the one for hypalon.
 
Further to what Tranona was saying, the only Avon that I bought new came with a leak where the floor was joined to the tubes. Not only was water leaking in but there were bubbles indicating that the air was leaking out. Avon agreed readily to it being repaired under guarantee and directed me to a repairer in the Glasgow area. I had a chat with them about the problem and gained some understanding of the complexity of the structure in that area and the difficulty of repair.
 
This company Rib Repair – Emergency Repairs & General Servicing helped me bring back to life the inflatable floor of my Avon Redstart after another company declined to work on it. They are near Lymington, Hampshire. Maybe they could give you advice.

If you know where the holes are in your (non-inflatable) floor, it’s well worth trying dabs of Stormsure. It has worked wonders for me on other inflatables. No patch is necessary. Buy the really small tube and you can experiment inexpensively.
 
Many years ago you could get some sort of rubbery paint for the bottom of your inflatable that did a pretty good job of making it waterproof again - depending on the size of your holes.
 
I've had great results I the past for small holes using products like Seamgrip or similar glues for glueing g down seams in jackets et
Basically, after cleaning pace a small blob on one side of the hole, then do the same on the other side, and basically form a rivet of the glue.
As it dries / cures it seem to shrink a little and pull together.
Much better than patches that tend to get pulled off especially if close to a fold area.
 
Why not just glue another "floor" onto of the existing ? Not only would that strengthen the floor but also prevent more micro holes appearing .
 
clyst said:
Why not just glue another "floor" onto of the existing ? Not only would that strengthen the floor but also prevent more micro holes appearing .
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Except that would allow water to penetrate between the layers at the very least increasing the weight and still wet feet.
What might be an idea is to copy the technique that sailmakerers use when they replace windows in a spray hood. To retain the "shape" they stitch new o e on top of the old ones then carefully cut the old ones out with a sharp blade.
For the dinghy, you could fully inflate, glueing the new floor onto the old one around the edges.
When glue fully cured cut out the old one from I inside.
 
There are times when replacing with a new leak free tender is more environmentally friendly given the amount of time and ‘stuff’ needed to repair an old Avon. Ok, you lose the kudos points that matter to those that espouse Avons but new lighter and bigger tubed tenders are just so much better in use. You don’t need water proofs just to go ashore. Our cheapo Seago lasted over ten years before we sold it on and it is still good at 15 if you look after it. Not bad at half the price of an Avon.
 
ctva said:
There are times when replacing with a new leak free tender is more environmentally friendly given the amount of time and ‘stuff’ needed to repair an old Avon. Ok, you lose the kudos points that matter to those that espouse Avons but new lighter and bigger tubed tenders are just so much better in use. You don’t need water proofs just to go ashore. Our cheapo Seago lasted over ten years before we sold it on and it is still good at 15 if you look after it. Not bad at half the price of an Avon.
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I fully agree with this, if a customer came to me with a Redstart requiring a full new floor I'd advise writing it off.
 
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