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08-07-2020, 16:10
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ocala FL
Boat: 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB
Posts: 1,953
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Painting the tubes?
After much angst, I bought a used alloy hull AB Hypalon dinghy. Got what seems like a great price on it. I have tried it out and it seems like a good compromise that will meet my needs.
Except... it is black. I am not planning any nocturnal special ops where I need black. While there may be some minor UV resistance advantages, the heat absorbed by this thing in the Florida mid-summer sunshine is intense. I do not yet have a pressure gauge for it, but I imagine the color accentuates pressure fluctuation. More importantly, the thing burns my butt when I sit on the tubes.
One obvious answer is light colored chaps, which have a lot of advantages. Might be awhile before I can make them however. I have thought about painting the tubes, at least the tops, where crew might sit, with white hypalon paint. Quick and easy, relatively low cost. But if it fails (peels, cracks, bubbles, etc) it will be pretty crappy looking. Might add a few pounds, but less I imagine than chaps.
Anyone done this?
__________________
John Churchill Ocala, FL
NURDLE, 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB
Currently hauled out ashore Summerfield FL for refit
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08-07-2020, 16:13
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 1,642
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Re: Painting the tubes?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sanibel sailor
After much angst, I bought a used alloy hull AB Hypalon dinghy. Got what seems like a great price on it. I have tried it out and it seems like a good compromise that will meet my needs.
Except... it is black. I am not planning any nocturnal special ops where I need black. While there may be some minor UV resistance advantages, the heat absorbed by this thing in the Florida mid-summer sunshine is intense. I do not yet have a pressure gauge for it, but I imagine the color accentuates pressure fluctuation. More importantly, the thing burns my butt when I sit on the tubes.
One obvious answer is light colored chaps, which have a lot of advantages. Might be awhile before I can make them however. I have thought about painting the tubes, at least the tops, where crew might sit, with white hypalon paint. Quick and easy, relatively low cost. But if it fails (peels, cracks, bubbles, etc) it will be pretty crappy looking. Might add a few pounds, but less I imagine than chaps.
Anyone done this?
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Black is a terrible color
Overheats and over pressure during the day
Under pressure at night
Cover the tubes
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08-07-2020, 16:15
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Boston
Boat: Farr 50 Pilothouse
Posts: 1,348
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Re: Painting the tubes?
I think I would just try to fast track the chaps. I wonder if you can vinyl wrap inflatable tubes.
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08-07-2020, 16:30
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#4
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Writing Full-Time Since 2014
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: PDQ Altair, 32/34
Posts: 9,568
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Re: Painting the tubes?
I have used MDR topside inflatable paint on hypalon inflatables very successfully with no pealing. Should get 5 years or more. Much easier than chaps and no added bulk.
I'd suggest light gray. Black is very bad. White is too hard to keep clean.
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08-07-2020, 16:36
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
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Re: Painting the tubes?
Black will get nasty hot in the sun. Paint it some lighter colour.
b.
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10-07-2020, 10:45
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ocala FL
Boat: 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB
Posts: 1,953
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Re: Painting the tubes?
Any recommendation for brand of paint?
__________________
John Churchill Ocala, FL
NURDLE, 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB
Currently hauled out ashore Summerfield FL for refit
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10-07-2020, 11:18
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#7
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Writing Full-Time Since 2014
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: PDQ Altair, 32/34
Posts: 9,568
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Re: Painting the tubes?
MDR/Amazons is a brand.
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10-07-2020, 13:33
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2018
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
Posts: 11,832
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Re: Painting the tubes?
Same question for PVC.
Anyone have good results with paint?
Looking for something less time consuming than custom chaps.
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10-07-2020, 13:48
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Sea of Cortez/northern Utah/ Wisconsin/ La Paz, BCS
Boat: Hans Christian 38 Mk II
Posts: 948
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Re: Painting the tubes?
I painted my grey PVC WM dinghy with white acrylic roof paint because it got too hot in the Baja sun and was beginning to deteriorate. So far, so good, it even stopped a very slow leak somewhere on one of the tubes.
The tubes are way, way cooler now. As a previous poster commented, white is hard to keep clean. My dinghy looks pretty shitty, which I think is a positive in terms of its being a target for theft.
I drive beaters for much the same reason.
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10-07-2020, 13:55
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#10
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Writing Full-Time Since 2014
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: PDQ Altair, 32/34
Posts: 9,568
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Re: Painting the tubes?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chotu
Same question for PVC.
Anyone have good results with paint?
Looking for something less time consuming than custom chaps.
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I've used this same paint on polyester and laminate sail cloth for UV strips. I got samples from a bunch of paint companies, exposed them on racks for 2 years, and then tested the samples. It has also been on the sails for 1 1/2 years with zero chips. Experiments for an article.
Practical Sailor tested several inflatable paints some years ago. MDR was top choice on PVC and hypalon.
https://www.practical-sailor.com/boa...after-one-year
This is after 5 years. Maryland, not the south, but it lives on the davits 365. I repainted it again at 7 years, not so much because it look bad, but because the boat was for sale. I used medium gray--You can see the light gray original peaking through, and I wish I had used the light gray (less pressure swing). The white (I have used it on other things) does not cover as well or give as much UV protection. My primary motivation was UV blocking. Two coats will give virtually 100% block, just as good as dark Sunbrella (measured).
So I would say MDR is the choice. Clean and scrub as prep, it goes on like latex house paint. Easy. A roller works well, brushes for the corners. Much easier to live with than chaps.
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