Want To Buy: 9'6" hypalon inflatable dinghy (not RIB)

[tomtriad]

Looking for a 3-4 man inflatable hypalon (or CSM) dinghy in good serviceable condition. Avon, Achilles, Carribe, ABI, Walker Bay all come to mind. No PVC please, also no RIB's.

[lateral]

Um, not trying to be pedantic but I thought an inflatable was a RIB?
I have a hypalon tender(10'6") with a fibreglass hard bottom & it was sold to me as a rib?
Do you mean you want a fibreglass dingy(with gunnels) with inflatable tube around the sheer?
Does CSM mean chopped strand matt or something else?

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by lateral

Um, not trying to be pedantic but I thought an inflatable was a RIB?
I have a hypalon tender(10'6") with a fibreglass hard bottom & it was sold to me as a rib?
Do you mean you want a fibreglass dingy(with gunnels) with inflatable tube around the sheer?
Does CSM mean chopped strand matt or something else?

Ahh ,RIB means a rigid inflatable boat, either glass or alloy.
An inflatable has no rigid hull, it has either an airfloor or slats of some variety to provide a servicable floor.

[lateral]

So Op wants a soft bottom inflatable, or a fibreglass dingy.
Guess I'm a bit slow on the uptake.

[tomtriad]

Found an Achilles SPD 290 yesterday and bought it. All set with the new dink.

FYI from wikipedia:
Hypalon is a trademark for chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) synthetic rubber (CSM) noted for its resistance to chemicals, temperature extremes, and ultraviolet light.

It is far more durable than PVC; I've had Hypalon dinghies last for 20 years whereas typically PVC will go only 4 or 5 even if well treated.

[messias]

Originally Posted by tomtriad

It is far more durable than PVC; I've had Hypalon dinghies last for 20 years whereas typically PVC will go only 4 or 5 even if well treated.

Yes and no...
I have had all sorts of RIB's and "softies".
PVC does last more than 4 or 5 years, even if you treat them poorly (still have one with 9 years. Still very usable)
Hypalon lasts longer, without a doubt, and has a much higher resistance to puncture, but the downside is that if you will need to make an emergency repair, you will not go back to "the mother ship" on the same day with Hypalon. With extremely nasty cuts, you simply cannot fix it and it needs to be repaired with special glues that require high temperatures.
(yes... you can probably "fix" simple punctures the same way as a PVC boat, but rest assure that the "fix" WILL come off when you least expect it.

And both WILL get punctured somewhere along the line. It might just be a fish bone hole...but it might also be a long cut.

• PVC gets repaired in minutes and they all come with a suitable "repair kit" for "cold gluing".

• You can just "glue-on" protection rubbing sheets in the areas that you feel are the most sensible ones.
• 3 or 4 times cheaper than a good hypalon boat

I'm NOT saying anything against hypalon, on the contrary, but I am just pointing out that PVC also has a lot of advantages.


Ahoy,

[tomtriad]

I'm sure PVC is a good material for its cost. My "lifetime" assessment is based on continuous use in the tropics, as opposed to seasonal use in New England where a dinghy sees service less than half the year and the sun is much less intense.

PVC's life is extended by covering - a lot of tropical cruisers do this.

I've never had a problem patching Hypalon. I usually do it on the fly while the dink is hauled out on deck. I've had great results using Devcon ( the one formulated as a contact cement for rubber). 5 minutes dry time, press the patch on firmly, and bingo - ready to launch in 10 minutes. As long as you carefully abrade the Hypalon on both the dink and the patch and clean the site carefully with alcohol or acetone it will hold up quite well - for years.

Never tried a hot patch - maybe I should. Also never used the 2 part catalysed Hypalon glue although I hear it works quite well.

[George DuBose]

I have recently heard about Avon or Achilles, one of the big inflatable manufacturers going Chapter 11 or being taken over by another company. Have any of you heard anything like this?

[tomtriad]

I googled Avon bankruptcy and found that Z Marine, a French holding company that owns both Zodiac and Avon was declared insolvent on April 15 2015. They have a 6 month probationary period during which they can remedy the finances or sell the brands.

Surprised to discover that Achilles are now made in China. The one I just purchased (2011 SPD 290) seems well built but it is heavier and clunkier than my old LS4 which has become porous. Floorboards are now 1/2" ply and edged with beefy aluminum extrusions. New dink weighs 104 lbs. as opposed to 81. I hope it planes with a 3 hp Tohotsu.

[onestepcsy37]

Quick Hypalon repair.

Gorilla Super Glue.

I did a quick fix on my Avon, and having nothing else available other than 5200, decided to try it. Mainly because, when reading the instructions, I discovered that Gorilla Super Glue contains...Rubber! Figured that was a good sign so I glued a patch on and, four years later, its still there! I'm certain it dried in maybe 15 minutes although we waited a few hours before pumping her up. Now I keep a small tube and a patch in her seat bag all the time. And at a few dollars each you can toss them out once a year and buy fresh stock.

[tomtriad]

Wh8ch did you use successfully - 5200 or Gorilla Glue? I figure the GG as 5200 takes a full day to cure to a usable state. I'm guessing 4200 might work well too. Does the GG maintain sufficient flexibility for the patch? No hard edges to chafe? And how can it be removed? Do any solvents attack it?

[onestepcsy37]

sorry tomtriad, that first sentence in my post was a bit nonspecific. I used Gorilla Super Glue. DO NOT confuse this with Gorilla Glue! They are not the same. Gorilla SUPER Glue comes in small tubes like ordinary super glue, but one of its components is rubber, which is what led me to try it. It was a small patch, 2 inches by 2 inches, to close a single puncture hole. Its still holding is about all I can tell you - I've never tried to remove it or clean it with solvents.

As for 5200, I used that maybe 30 years ago to fix a long gash in the side of my almost new Avon Redseal. I let it set for two days before pumping it up. Its been there ever since - I cant seem to part with that old Avon. It now sits in its original bag with its original pump and original oars in a corner of my garage. And the patch is still holding.