The End of Hypalon ?

[Minggat]

OK, PVC is easier to repair and cheaper to buy in the first place. So weighing in with a more frequent replacement might make sense. But I think you're buying better insurance when you go with Hypalon in the tropics.

Nonetheless, when you gotta get a patch on a Hypalon boat and you can't get the proper materials, I'd rather do a Band-Aid than do without the dink.

I carry 2 dinks. My Go-Fast inflatable, and my sailing hard dingy.

[xxuxx]

Originally Posted by Minggat

OK, PVC is easier to repair and cheaper to buy in the first place. So weighing in with a more frequent replacement might make sense. But I think you're buying better insurance when you go with Hypalon in the tropics.

Nonetheless, when you gotta get a patch on a Hypalon boat and you can't get the proper materials, I'd rather do a Band-Aid than do without the dink.

I carry 2 dinks. My Go-Fast inflatable, and my sailing hard dingy.

I carry 3 dinks

[hellosailor]

"Nonetheless, when you gotta get a patch on"
Don't ask me how I know this, but if you apply epoxy and then put duct tape over it while it is still curing? The damned tape also becomes permanently bonded to the epoxy. Same thing for packing tape. Who'd have figured?

If you have a hypalon dink, or life raft, there are "clam" patches, metal ovals with a rubber facing on them, where you slip one inside the hole, the other outside, and a metal bolt tightens them together so the hole or tear is "plated" over from both sides in compression, no adhesive needed. Not practical for a long term dink repair (ride the porcupine?) but extremely effective for fast fixes. On any material.