Mouse that Roared

[Charlie]

As I'm packing my dink for the upcomming trip to the PNW I noticed a little bit of ground rubber from the dink. I wondered what it was. Well as it turned out a mouse thought that my dink was a good place to chew and chewed two hole in it. One is about the the size of a softball in the floor the other is a little bigger than a golf ball but it is in one of the the main tubes. The dink is a Zodiac 310 on Zodiac websites it is recommended that holes this big should be patched professionally. What do you guys think?

[S/V Elusive]

Get a cat.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Charlie

What do you guys think?

I'm thinking that damn mouse from Wheels' boat sure does get around!

TaoJones

[Kai Nui]

Pay the piper. Better to have it right the first time. Besides, nothing will create a negative story, like a leaky dinghy that your first mate will tell over and over and over...

[Pblais]

I'm thinking that damn mouse from Wheels' boat sure does get around!

Too well fed.

[Charlie]

I think that I will have to have a pro repair job. Sure makes me thinkthat I want a hard nestling dinghy. Don't know what it will cost to fix it but the new price on these things is under $1k.

[delmarrey]

Yeah! get a pro to do the job. They'll know how much over lap to use. Plus a warrantee of work, I would think.................._/)

[hellosailor]

Charlie, given the usual fuss the alleged pros often make about these kind of things?

I'd find out the correct repair material (i.e. a Bostik adhesive) and simply do the repairs myself. A patch is a patch, it is either done wrong or right, and basically if you use the right materials and a generous overlap (probably an inch for the small hole, two inches for the larger, add another inch to either if it makes you more comfortable) and keep your work CLEAN and SMOOTH...no problem.

Most patch failures happen because someone cheaped out and used the wrong material, the wrong adhesive (the right stuff IS expensive and DOES have a limited shelf life), or they get lazy and don't do the prep according to the instructions.

I'd do the patch on the inside first (a bit tricky but you can practice "dry") and then apply a second patch on the outside as well. Air pressure keeps the inside patch sealed, without relying on the adhesive bond.

Besides, it is good practice in case you get another mouse--farther away from an authorized repair station.<G>

[SkipperCanuck]

I have patched a really bedraggled Zodiac successfully. The fabric is Hypalon and there is only ONE glue that actually works. It is a two part glue: Part one is a liquid cleaner that also acts as a catalyst for the Part two, which is a colorless goop, and which is a sticky substance.
It takes some heat to form the bond under moderate pressure, such as from a very hot hair dryer. I did it while pressing with the hand against the edges of the patch. The glue sets up very quickly. Once it is done, if it is done right, it is a very strong and inseperable joint and it is as good as new. Minme lasted for years and then I sold it and it has been in use now for about 12 years since repair. The actual trade name of the glue has been hard to find, but think that it is not polyurethane.

I used a hypalon glue available from a dinghy patch kit specifically for hypalon dinks. As to patch overlap, I usually follow the rule that the total area of the overlap be at least as big as the hole, and in no case should there be less than an inch and a half of overlap on each side of the cut or hole. By the way, Hypalon, when deflated, folded and stored in a locker or emergency cannister, is perishable, especially in tropical conditions; the usual shelf life is about 5 to 7 years. If you see light-colored powdery spots appearing in blotches when you inspect it, then it is probably unsafe to rely upon it, as those spots will leak air quite quickly under moderate pressure. If it is a lifeboat, replace it.

[Charlie]

what little I've read on the repairs the air temp and the humidity needs to be within a certain range. These requirements would be easier to accomplish in Kalifornia rather than the PNW in the Northwest. It might depend on how fast the pros can get it done. I certainly don't think the pros are the only ones that can do it.