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Old 18-11-2014, 08:07   #1
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Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

The ever building wish list for my recently acquired boat includes a dinghy to facilitate trips out to the barrier islands on the Mississippi Sound. My research is telling me that paying the $$$ for Hypalon will be worth it over the long-term as I live at a (relatively) low latitude here on the Gulf Coast. However, that trade-off seems to be more apparent for a much higher UV exposure than my cruising schedule would demand. My thought is that a PVC dinghy used for mostly weekend excursions and otherwise stored may in fact be the more economical route. I am assuming that since UV damage to PVC will occur at a much slower rate, the lifespan of a PVC dinghy will be more in line with a Hypalon equivalent. Are there other non-UV related (construction, durability, etc) factors that should still be considered when picking material type? As always, any input would be extremely appreciated.
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Old 18-11-2014, 08:24   #2
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

For week end only use I probably would do what you are planning. PVC is just so much cheaper that as long as you kept it indoors when not in use I think it would be a good plan.
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Old 18-11-2014, 08:35   #3
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

I think that in part depends on the cost and headache associated with storage. Will you have to pay more to store it in a covered area at the marina? If you are taking it home to store, how will the effort to deflate and 80 lb dinghy, shove it in a vehicle, take it out of the vehicle, store it, put it back in the vehicle, take it back to the boat, inflate it, and stow it away affect your decision to actually go out cruising for a weekend?

Another thought is that a tender need not be a dinghy. I used an inflatable kayak for my trip from the BVIs back to the states and it was much easier to inflate and stow, and paddled much faster than most dinghies row. A used rigid dink might be cheaper and hold up to UV far better. Just other options to consider.
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Old 18-11-2014, 08:40   #4
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

IMO go with the hypalon. While you won't be using it much or at all during the week, you will get tired of deflating or even covering it every Sunday. The result is you will likely end up just leaving it and it will be in the sun all week.

If you were to go PVC, another option would be to make a set of dinghy chaps for it. I think Coastal brand PVC dingies are pretty cheap and come with the chaps. Still won't last as long as the hypalon but longer than a PVC with nothing.
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Old 18-11-2014, 08:48   #5
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

We have a dinghy cover. Works perfectly with minimal effort to protect against UV damage.

We would have purchased a hyperlon dinghy, but needed a small size to enable it to be pulled up on our transom and this was not available in hyperlon. The cover has worked well .
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Old 18-11-2014, 09:27   #6
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

although i have hypalon (florida/bahamas) i can understand your position on pvc. just be aware that, even with pvc boats, there are good and bad. some of the really cheap pvc stuff is suitable only for swimming pool toys. friend of mine bought a new pvc 'dinghy' for under $200 and it was leaking badly within a few weeks. He found an older hypalon dinghy for a few hundred bucks and it's still going strong, although he's only had it for about six months. if you go pvc, try to get a 'better' brand....
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Old 18-11-2014, 10:12   #7
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

Quote:
Originally Posted by nautical62 View Post
I think that in part depends on the cost and headache associated with storage. Will you have to pay more to store it in a covered area at the marina? If you are taking it home to store, how will the effort to deflate and 80 lb dinghy, shove it in a vehicle, take it out of the vehicle, store it, put it back in the vehicle, take it back to the boat, inflate it, and stow it away affect your decision to actually go out cruising for a weekend?

Another thought is that a tender need not be a dinghy. I used an inflatable kayak for my trip from the BVIs back to the states and it was much easier to inflate and stow, and paddled much faster than most dinghies row. A used rigid dink might be cheaper and hold up to UV far better. Just other options to consider.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JK n Smitty View Post
IMO go with the hypalon. While you won't be using it much or at all during the week, you will get tired of deflating or even covering it every Sunday. The result is you will likely end up just leaving it and it will be in the sun all week.

If you were to go PVC, another option would be to make a set of dinghy chaps for it. I think Coastal brand PVC dingies are pretty cheap and come with the chaps. Still won't last as long as the hypalon but longer than a PVC with nothing.
Ya'll actually hit on another thing I meant to ask and that was whether I am kidding myself that inflating/deflating would be manageable or worth the benefit.

I have also considered the kayak option (and still am) but my 16 month old freeloading son (and his future siblings) complicates having one as a primary tender.
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Old 18-11-2014, 10:18   #8
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

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although i have hypalon (florida/bahamas) i can understand your position on pvc. just be aware that, even with pvc boats, there are good and bad. some of the really cheap pvc stuff is suitable only for swimming pool toys. friend of mine bought a new pvc 'dinghy' for under $200 and it was leaking badly within a few weeks. He found an older hypalon dinghy for a few hundred bucks and it's still going strong, although he's only had it for about six months. if you go pvc, try to get a 'better' brand....
I was sold on hypalon in general but thought I was maybe overthinking the need in terms of my planned usage. Even if I go the PVC route my aim is to throw enough $$$ at it to get a durable, quality made craft.
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Old 18-11-2014, 10:20   #9
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

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We have a dinghy cover. Works perfectly with minimal effort to protect against UV damage.

We would have purchased a hyperlon dinghy, but needed a small size to enable it to be pulled up on our transom and this was not available in hyperlon. The cover has worked well .
I have been considering stowing on transom as a means of storage underway. Does this work well for you? As far as the cover, did you have to get it custom made?
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Old 18-11-2014, 10:38   #10
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

Inflating and deflating can be easy, or not, depending on the kind of floor you choose...

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Old 18-11-2014, 11:45   #11
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

My two cents:

Whether you decide hypalon or PVC, make a cover for it. Sailrite has good instructions for making the pattern. Ironically, I found them after Jim and I finished making the cover for our new dinghy tubes. If you click on the "Community" button, there are groups you can join, and the link to the sailrite instructions is to be found in the sewing group, in the section about making a dinghy cover.

The reason I say cover it regardless of its material is that friends of ours bought other friends old Hypalon Caribe, and put a cover on it. It was 5 or 6 yrs. old when they bought it, and it's been about 15 yrs., and the covered hypalon is in very good condition now. In that same period of time, we had to re-place not covered hypalon tubes at 8 yrs. of age. Now, the story behind that is that not all hypalon is created equal, and some dinghy tubes may have thinner hypalon outsides, ours was the thinner. All these dinghies are RIBs.

There are a bunch of dinghy threads on CF, that you could search, as well.

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Old 18-11-2014, 12:11   #12
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

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Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate View Post
My two cents:

Whether you decide hypalon or PVC, make a cover for it. Sailrite has good instructions for making the pattern. Ironically, I found them after Jim and I finished making the cover for our new dinghy tubes. If you click on the "Community" button, there are groups you can join, and the link to the sailrite instructions is to be found in the sewing group, in the section about making a dinghy cover.

The reason I say cover it regardless of its material is that friends of ours bought other friends old Hypalon Caribe, and put a cover on it. It was 5 or 6 yrs. old when they bought it, and it's been about 15 yrs., and the covered hypalon is in very good condition now. In that same period of time, we had to re-place not covered hypalon tubes at 8 yrs. of age. Now, the story behind that is that not all hypalon is created equal, and some dinghy tubes may have thinner hypalon outsides, ours was the thinner. All these dinghies are RIBs.

There are a bunch of dinghy threads on CF, that you could search, as well.

Ann
Thank you! By cover, are you referring to chaps on the tubes, storage cover, or both?
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Old 18-11-2014, 12:42   #13
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

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I have been considering stowing on transom as a means of storage underway. Does this work well for you? As far as the cover, did you have to get it custom made?
Storage on the transom works brilliantly. I can launch the dinghy on my own in less than a minute. The only drawback is that max dinghy size is about 2.4m for us. This is also a positive though, as it makes it light enough that I can drag it ashore on my own.

The storage cover was custom made, but with minimal fuss. It just needs to be roughly the right shape and a drawstring line at the base keeps it secure.
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Old 18-11-2014, 12:49   #14
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

Had a couple PVC rafts, really took very good care of them but they would fail with internal seams then the bottom separation etc, nothing to do with the sun, but right around 7 years and bam. Bought a hypalon had for 15 years no issues at all, so its the pay now or pay later thing.
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Old 18-11-2014, 13:00   #15
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Re: Hypalon: Overkill for Weekend Only Exposure?

I go with the posters who say "quality". The problem is how to tell what IS quality, not marketing hype. I have one of the original Aquapro NZ made RIBs 15 years old. It's PVC, and had a thrashing, and still working well. Never had a cover, lives outside, mostly inverted on the foredeck. I know of newer Aquapros that have fallen apart in under 3 years - the Chinese made ones. It is often the seams that fail, rather than the material. I know of Hypalon boats that have failed before 10 years. The issue is how to tell the one from the other. Sorry, I have no answer for that :-(
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