UV damage on an inflatable

[bobg]

I plan to keep my inflatable dinghy in the boatyard fully inflated. I have been warned that it will suffer bad UV damage if not covered. Is this true? Are we talking months or years before a deterioration and what sort of deterioration?

I have bought a blue plastic "tarpaulin" from a builders merchants to cover it with. Is this sufficient to form a barrier to excessive UV damage? I have now been told that the plastic should be black, not blue. The inflatable only cost me £150 secondhand in the first place.

 

[Tisme]

It will take years in the UK but it is probably worth covering up. I don't know about the colour, I would have thought that just shading the tender would improve things. In any event a blue cover will be better than nothing.

 

[VicS]

It depends what the fabric is. PVC deteriorates much more quickly than Hypalon. If it is PVC then it is essential to cover it I would say. If you have forked out the dosh for a Hypalon one then its worth covering that. I can't comment on the relative merits of blue or black for the tarp but I would worry about how hot it is going to get under either.

I hope the yard is very secure otherwise you won't have it for long anyway.

 

[andy_wilson]

My Suzumar has started to go on the rubbing strip after 4 years of open air storage all summer. the fabric is unaffected.

The 'damage' is jus an oily layer on the surface of the rubber, same way as fenders go.

 

[fireball]

Our club rib is >10 years, hypalon dinghy - kept in garage storage when not in use - the material looks as good as new ...