Dinghy Chaps - a good or bad idea?

[Muaddib1116]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

Davit details link included in my chaps post, above. (‘…rapidly deploying dink…’)

Brief reply because I’m using phone while shopping.

Cheers! Bill

Good stuff! Thanks! Are your mizzen stays attached to the davits?

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I say they are a great idea. Just check the price difference between a pvc dinghy and a halyon dinghy. I had never used a sewing machine and have now made 2 with a $72 sewing machine I got from Walmart. My first set I did all the work while the boat. Second I did on land so had a table to use and fancy. Materials cost name about $300

For being in such a sunny place like Florida, what made you go with such a dark color? I've been thinking that part of the reason I would like chaps would be to go with an off white, that would hopefully be less hot than my standard Highfield gray.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

...Good stuff! Thanks! Are your mizzen stays attached to the davits? ...

Each of the two davit arms has its own 'topping lift' to the top of the mizzen mast. These davit reinforcing (7x19 SS wire) guys (which I will change to UHMWPE next time they are due for a change...) are independent of the mizzen stays- which go to chainplates on the aft deck.

Those topping lifts greatly improve the integrity and lifting capacity of each davit arm- although the davits are strong enough without these safety lines...

I hope this helps.

Cheers! Bill

[Muaddib1116]

I see, thanks!

[singlespeed]

I always use dinghy chaps, not only for protection from the sun, but also as a secondary protection from hard dinghies poorly maintained rub rails, while tied to dinghy docks and poorly maintained dinghy docks. After our second dinghy was stolen in Deshaies,Guadeloupe, the new replacement dinghy and motor got chaps, which I liberally stained with coffee and lightly sanded in high wear points, after I made them. It makes the dinghy less appealing than other dinghies to thiefs and quite frankly, aesthetics are way down on the list when you return from a shore side excursion and find that you are facing a quarter mile swim to your your home.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

For being in such a sunny place like Florida, what made you go with such a dark color? I've been thinking that part of the reason I would like chaps would be to go with an off white, that would hopefully be less hot than my standard Highfield gray.

It matches the canvas on the mothership. Never seems hot

[Hobiehobie]

I asked AB Inflatables about chaps when getting a new aluminum bottom dink. They suggested if we wanted the dink to REALLY last was to order one with an extra layer of hypalon glued over the original at the factory. It would cost about $2000 additional, which is not so far off what good, custom chaps might be. I heard from experienced cruisers that a potential problem with chaps is that sand gets underneath and can rapidly scour patches in the underlying hypalon or PVC. We have chosen to forego chaps and just clean the dink (which is white!) and coat with 303. It still looks like new, aside from a few scuffs after 5 years of Caribbean sailing.

Another thing about chaps is that most look like a poorly fitted suit. If we were going to do chaps, I’d wait until I was close to as place like A&F in Antigua who can make chaps that fit like a glove: tight and form fitting…but which cost about the same as a bespoke suit from Saville Row.

[Muaddib1116]

Interestingly, I think AB is the only manufacturer that actually offers factory made chaps. I talked to a dealer in RI, and he did say that they are quite expensive and have a long lead time.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

Good stuff! Thanks! Are your mizzen stays attached to the davits?

For being in such a sunny place like Florida, what made you go with such a dark color? I've been thinking that part of the reason I would like chaps would be to go with an off white, that would hopefully be less hot than my standard Highfield gray.

Hello, Muaddib,

I've been telling people for years that the darker color Sunbrella blocks UV better than the lighter colors do. And I have some experience over the years, with light grey Sunbrella (on a close friend's boat), that allowed UV through to damage the sail.

However, a long time back, Evan Starzinger posted that North Sails did some experiments with Sunbrella, that demonstrated that it was allowing in UV after 3 years. https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...e-63068-2.html

For dinghy chaps, I think Sunbrella is still a better fabric than WeatherMax80, because my WM chaps didn't last as long as I wanted. I think white would show the dirt like crazy, and it just falls out of air, one can't escape it. Staining, also would be a problem. I chose a medium gray, because I'd read that darker is better than lighter for durability, but it, too, is a compromise. In my experience, the most durable of the Sunbrella colors is the royal blue. I recovered some floatation cushions with that blue sunbrella 40 yrs. ago, this year, and they are shabby, now, should be replaced, but that's a really long time, also. I expect 10 yrs. out of the new Sunbrella-sewn-with-PTFE thread chaps.

Ann

[Jim Cate]

We have chosen to forego chaps and just clean the dink (which is white!) and coat with 303. It still looks like new, aside from a few scuffs after 5 years of Caribbean sailing.

While your experience is valid, are not AB dinks made from Hypalon? That material has pretty good UV resistance, while the less expensive and commoner PVC lacks this benefit. Thus, chaps are more relevant for PVC tubes and will provide more of a benefit in longevity for them.

And as Ann has posted upthread, our experience with a PVC dink and chaps has shown that they provide good protection from UV and other hazards and have not shown any of the postulated wear from "trapped sand" etc... in a full time usage over 8 years.

The material cost for making our recent set was around 250 AUD... a far cry from the 2000 USD bandied about upthread. Yes, it took us quite a few hours to build them, bt we are highly non-professional and make lots of time consuming mistakes. Although we haven't used them, SailRite has lots of advice and videos about the project, and would be a good source of info for a beginner.

In short, I might not decide to use chaps on a Hypalon dink, but feel they are well worth the cost for a PVC model.

Jim

[Muaddib1116]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hello, Muaddib,

I've been telling people for years that the darker color Sunbrella blocks UV better than the lighter colors do. And I have some experience over the years, with light grey Sunbrella (on a close friend's boat), that allowed UV through to damage the sail.

However, a long time back, Evan Starzinger posted that North Sails did some experiments with Sunbrella, that demonstrated that it was allowing in UV after 3 years. https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...e-63068-2.html

For dinghy chaps, I think Sunbrella is still a better fabric than WeatherMax80, because my WM chaps didn't last as long as I wanted. I think white would show the dirt like crazy, and it just falls out of air, one can't escape it. Staining, also would be a problem. I chose a medium gray, because I'd read that darker is better than lighter for durability, but it, too, is a compromise. In my experience, the most durable of the Sunbrella colors is the royal blue. I recovered some floatation cushions with that blue sunbrella 40 yrs. ago, this year, and they are shabby, now, should be replaced, but that's a really long time, also. I expect 10 yrs. out of the new Sunbrella-sewn-with-PTFE thread chaps.

Ann

Hi Ann, I've heard that also, and that makes sense. I guess it would be a decision to make between uv protection and burning your backside.

[derfy]

Thanks to all responders so far. Looks like chaps are good thing. Much appreciated. OP

[sailorboy1]

My chaps are navy blue. In south Florida and the Bahamas I have never noticed it being hot to the touch

[Muaddib1116]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

My chaps are navy blue. In south Florida and the Bahamas I have never noticed it being hot to the touch

I'm not saying you're lying or wrong, but I just don't understand how that's possible. On a bright summer day in New England, if my sunbrella navy cockpit cushions are in direct sunlight they get too hot to stand on in bare feet. Luckily they're under the bimini most of the time, but I am planning on making new cadet grey covers for them.

[sailorboy1]

didn't say they don't get warm, just that e concerned it going be too hot to touch etc isn't a problem

[Muaddib1116]

"Never seems hot" and "never noticed it being hot to the touch" seem slightly different than "too hot to touch", but that's pretty besides the point of the topic or my concerns. I think I need to chalk it up to you having much higher resistance to heat than me, for one or another reasons. It's actually something I'm quite concerned about for when I head south next year, especially with my teak decks. Will I be able to survive on a boat in the tropics? I guess we'll see.