Repairing puncture to inflatable dinghy

[Cspirit]

The dinghy is a Quicksilver, so not hypalon, and the tear is very close to the moulded-in rubbing strake. This means that I can't get a good overlap with the repair patch. It's been suggested to me that I should firstly patch the hole from the inside, inflate the dinghy, let this patch cure (two-part adhesive) and then patch as normal on the outside.

Has anyone done this? Patching the inside of the tube would seem to be very difficult. Any thoughts?

 

[neil_s]

I guess you will need to make the leak hole bigger so that you can pass the inside patch through it? I did something similar when replacing the A5 valves on a Tinker Tramp dinghy. The holes in that case were about 4 inches in diameter, though. A simple patch should only need a hole of about 1 to 1 1/2 inches diameter?

Two tips - I found that feeding in a piece of old supermarket bag stopped the inside patch from sticking to the opposite side of the tube when you come around to applying pressure to stick the inside patch. Also - draw a circle, diameter the same as the hole you are working through, onto the glue side of the inside patch so that when you come to stick it on, you know that it is centred correctly.

I'm sure your plan of patches inside and out is the way to go - my Tramp was fine with its new valves - until it was stolen!

Neil

 

[lille_bee]

PVC repair

Our Wetline is basically the same construction as the Quicksilver and the Rubbing strake is just glued onto the main blow up bits; I seen a number of old Wetlines etc. where the rubbing strake is just hanging off, so it can't be structural. So if it is in the way of making a good repair on the blow up bit why not just "lift the rubbing strake" where appropriate, do the repair on the hole and then glue back the rubbing strake.

By the way, gave up with the two pack stuff years ago and just use lots of lovely "Sikaflex 291" which sticks like the proverbial smelly stuff off the digging tool, dries still flexible, looks awful so I doublt if anyone will nick said dinghy.

I've heard that 3M 5200 is even stickier.. might even try that next time.

Happy patching

john and Elsa

 

[yoda]

Patch repair

I think trying to peel back the rubbing strake is your best bet. Make sure you then use the etch primer for PVC before a repair with 2 part glue. If you can apply clamps to get a strong bond even better.

Yoda