When is a dinghy to old?

[kevinnem]

Hi all, I am looking at used tenders .. was wondering what you thought was an age range where I should just say no? I am inland so the types of boats I see are ones used only a little and stored slot, some times 10 or more years. Just wondering you r general ideas on the subject.

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[JPA Cate]

We don't determine it by years: the old hypalon Avons (if stored under shelter for half the year) would still be good little inflatable rowing dinghies, to the limited extent of any inflatable's ability to be rowed.

PVC dinghies in tropical areas, usually toast within 5 years.

You really have to see how beat up they look, and try and find out how often they must be pumped up.

We had an old hypalon Zodiac--it was 15 yrs. old at the time, but for the last two years of its life, Jim was having to patch it once a week. That's not good enough.

For a data point, our present tubes on our RIB are constructed in China with German PVC. It is only about 2 yrs. old, and needs a top up with air maybe once a month. This is in constant use. We made chaps for it, for UV protection and will be pleased to get a good 5 yrs. out of it.

Ann

[sailorboy1]

I've had my dinghy for 7 years and it was pretty old when I got it. As long as it keeps holding air I'm Ok with it.

[Wanderlust]

I have an old Avon Redcrest that would be at least 25 years old. It's made of hypalon and it's still supple with no signs of being near end of life. The valves seal well and there are no patches. Being a rollup it has probably been stored most of that time, so UV degradation is not an issue. It will probably outlast me.

On the other hand, I have just replaced my 1999 Zodiac PVC RIB. It spent most of its life hanging on davits. Its cover is well used and faded so the dinghy was probably somewhat protected. When I tried to patch it recently the surface was so rough the patch leaked. But when I tried removing the patch to put on a bigger one, the material delaminated and tore. It's now in the "too hard" basket, and I bought a replacement. 16 years in a harsh environment was a little too long.

These are both good brands, and made with quality tubes. So I would prefer an older one of quality over a new one with cheap Chinese tubes. Hypalon has much better longevity than PVC but I would still buy PVC regardless of age if the material looked OK and it was not cracking from being folded.

[sartorst]

When you are towing your grand kids in the dinghy and they keep pointing down and you think they want to go slower only to find out later that the floor has detached and dragging behind the dinghy !!!!

[Tetepare]

Age has less to do with it than exposure.

I had an Achilles for 14 years, used in summers, kept covered. When it had a few too many leaks I gave it to a friend, who put that stop leak stuff in it and kept using it- in fact, he still has that 1996 Achilles.

Replaced it with an Avon 310 Rover which I love. It's circa 2006 and wasn't always kept out of the sun and shows it. But I now care for it. No leaks anywhere, solid as a rock.

PVC won't last long in the sun. Hypalon will last longer. A dinghy that was cared for and kept from over-exposure will be fine for years; one that's been beat and abused is already junk.

[JstaRebel]

I have a 12 yr old Caribe that was a year old when I bought it. It's been a daily user for all 12 years, but has been taken care of and maintained including reattaching the inside seams that were coming loose. Two small patches topside, nothing below. There is also a patch where my butt has worn away the coating down to where fabric was noticeable from driving but not leaking air. It was just a preventive measure. I Pump a little air into her every two weeks but she doesn't go flat, just softer than I like. Considering that I'm now searching for a replacement, I would say that 10-12 years is the most that can be expected out of a caribe.

[gunnado]

The glue has a life span even well stored.

10-15 years hypalon glue

Pvc glue 5-10 years.

Welded pvc would maybe be as long as the material was ok.

That has been my experience so far.


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[astokel]

When is a dinghy too old? When it's dingy!

[hamburking]

Its all about condition, not age. Most of my dinghies have been at least 10 years old. Anyone with an avon redcrest will agree.

[Hudson Force]

I have an eight year old Caribe that is still in excellent condition, but I'm taking steps to ensure that it lasts longer than my former Caribe that started pin hole leaking at eleven years.

I use my dinghy full time and do not elect to use any type of fabric covers. While my current eight year old Hypalon dinghy is in good condition I've painted it with the Heng's rubber coating.

I just finished the first coat on the top side today and I'll complete the rest and then a second coat. I'll post some photos of my progress.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I have an eight year old Caribe that is still in excellent condition, but I'm taking steps to ensure that it lasts longer than my former Caribe that started pin hole leaking at eleven years.

I use my dinghy full time and do not elect to use any type of fabric covers. While my current eight year old Hypalon dinghy is in good condition I've painted it with the Heng's rubber coating.

I just finished the first coat on the top side today and I'll complete the rest and then a second coat. I'll post some photos of my progress.

Yes, please do post the pics. I really get where you're coming from about the covers/chaps like we have being ways to catch dust and/or bugs, but I didn't know about protective coatings that work. The stop-leak idea has some appeal, too.

Ann

[CatboatWilly]

When is a dinghy too old ? When no one wants to steal it !
Mine is a 1968 Skimmar 10' foot sailing dink built in Connecticut built in Fiber glass. Still going strong and pushed by a 3.5 hp Tohatsu.
Some folks like a ratty looking dink to reduce the possibility of theft.
Mine's called 'Row v. Wade' !

[Kenomac]

Our hypalon dinghy "Flo" passed away two weeks ago, she was 14 years old and spent most of her time out in the sun. The last four years time was very hard on her, in and out of the repair shop for leaks and some I fixed. But when she finally went.... It was fast. Fix, blow her up, boom, another leak etc. So unless very well taken care of, I wouldn'd waste any time or money on something older than 8 years. We've had three different dinghies over the past six years and our new Highfield makes four. I spent quite a bit of time fixing up dinghies over the past six years, but they get to a point where you're just wasting time and money. It's like plugging leaks with your fingers in a leaky dam or playing whack-a-mole.

Flo looked excellent following a paint job last season, but.... the leaks continued and all the paint wore off below the waterline.

[Jsta_Rebel]

Originally Posted by CatboatWilly

When is a dinghy too old ? When no one wants to steal it !
Mine is a 1968 Skimmar 10' foot sailing dink built in Connecticut built in Fiber glass. Still going strong and pushed by a 3.5 hp Tohatsu.
Some folks like a ratty looking dink to reduce the possibility of theft.
Mine's called 'Row v. Wade' !

+1 for preferring at least a ratty looking motor. I just got a new 15 Yamaha two stroke. Took the crappy looking cowling off my old motor and use it on the new one.. Nobody wants an old beat up motor that looks like it won't even start..