PVC dinghy UV breaking down

[Tayana42]

This may have been covered many times before but I can't find it even with Google search so I'm asking.

Yes, I went the cheap route and bought PVC rather than Hypalon. The dinghy is two years old and not leaking, not joints coming unglued, but all of the PVC add ons ( rub strake, logos, oar locks ) are a gooey mess from UV exposure. Is there anything I can use at this point to replasticise or paint over these parts?

Yes, I should have bought Hypalon. Yes, since I bought PVC I should have used a UV protectant more often or kept it covered. I admit it. But here I am now. All "I told you so" comments humbly accepted. Any help is greatly appreciated.


S/V B'Shert

[a64pilot]

Only thing comes to mind is to make some Sunbrella covers (pants) for the tubes and keep the sun off of it.

I believe the rub strakes on my Hypalon dinghy are PVC too.

[Tayana42]

Thanks for the quick reply a64pilot. Yes covers or chaps are one solution but cat more than the dinghy is worth.


S/V B'Shert

[Charlie]

There is a paint available but I have no experience with it. https://jet.com/product/aac4cc29092d...kHIaAqB98P8HAQ

[malbert73]

303 aerospace protectant is sunscreen for dinghies. Probably easiest and cheapest compared with chaps and new dinghy

http://www.goldeagle.com/product/303...ace-protectant


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Tayana42]

Charlie, thanks for the link. I'll look into it. Don't know if it is good over the deteriorated PVC but I'll check.


S/V B'Shert

[Tayana42]

Malbert73, thanks. I do have the aero 303 which I should have used more often before having this problem. I did try wiping off as much of the sticky stuff as I could with terry cloth rags and then applying the 303 but it didn't solve the problem. Didn't stop it from getting worse.


S/V B'Shert

[IdoraKeeper]

Pressure wash the goo away. I know, I know... but do it anyway. Then wrap the whole thing up in white plastic like they shrink wrap boats in. You can cut the plastic to make a cover. That will stretch out the life of the PVC. Then when the poor thing eventually fails you can remember to buy a hypalon dink. My exact situation now....Oh the humanity!

[Tayana42]

IdoraKeeper, thanks for that suggestion. Did you do the pressure wash yet? Did it remove the goo? I'm concerned that it might damage the glue joints but it may be worth the risk and may buy some time with this piece of ... PVC. Did you use the heat type of shrink wrap to cover it? Did you wrap the entire dinghy or could you just cover the bad spots? Any photos?


S/V B'Shert

[Delancey]

Just throwing it out there, but we have a lot helicopters that fly overhead our marina as well as commercial jets.

I have noticed some softening of a vinyl coating on the top side only of our bike locks while our neighbor had a PVC dinghy he said got ruined buy unburnt fuel raining down from the aircraft exhaust. Don't know if it is true or not.

Maybe a64pilot could confirm this is a possibility.

[Tayana42]

Around LA and San Diego there is a lot of air pollution from aircraft, from the major commercial ports and from truck exhaust. That might be part of the problem.


S/V B'Shert

[JPA Cate]

Tayana 42,

Idora Keeper's the only one who has posted so far who has tried to deal with the situation when it got this bad. That solution should work.

I'd think you could take off the rub strake and glue another one on. Then paint it with house paint, or any cheap latex-based paint that is easy to use. When you don't like how it looks, paint it again. Same treatment for the rowlocks: clean as well as possible and paint.

We recently purchased a new PVC set of tubes for our RIB. We made the chaps for it out of WeatherMax. Cost maybe $200 or less Australian, but we already have had the sewing machine for a long time.

Should you get interested in making your own in the future, Sail Rite's web site has an article you should read before you start to make the patterns. (Don't ask! ) Also, the Sewing Group here on CF has quite a bit about making your own "chaps" for the dinghy.

Good luck with it. Icky problem.
Ann

[Tayana42]

Ann, thanks for your comments, wise and practical, as usual. I think I'll try IdoraKeeper's suggestion of the pressure washer first, then paint. I don't think this dinghy in its present condition is worth the effort of chaps ( 8'6" air floor and icky ) and the next dinghy will be larger so chaps would not transfer easily. But chaps for sure on the next one. My wife is looking at the SailRite site right now.


S/V B'Shert

[Panope]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

Pressure wash the goo away. I know, I know... but do it anyway. Then wrap the whole thing up in white plastic like they shrink wrap boats in. You can cut the plastic to make a cover. That will stretch out the life of the PVC. Then when the poor thing eventually fails you can remember to buy a hypalon dink. My exact situation now....Oh the humanity!

Hello IdoraKeeper,

I have read about PVC disintegrating in a few short years in the tropics. I am curious how many years of exposure your PVC dink had our climate before it started to deteriorate.

Thanks, Steve

[HopCar]

I would treat the sticky stuff like it was an adhesive. I use 3m adhesive remover or WD40 to remove adhesive. You might give that a try and see what happens.