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taz2 · 26-11-2020, 12:10

Hi everyone, I want to get fellow sailor's thoughts on this matter. I have been offered a brand new PVC dingy that im hesitant to accept purely because I'm not sure if it would make or be good as a tender and survive saltwater!!

Are PVC dingys widely used as tenders? Does saltwater corrode them?

Any thoughts please.

dougweibel · 26-11-2020, 12:55

There are lots of PVC dingies out there. I don't think they care at all if they are in salt water. Sunlight is what they don't like - UV radiation degrades the PVC over time. Sailors frequenting locations like the Caribbean with lots of year round sunshine prefer Hypalon as it holds up better, but I wouldn't hesitate to take a free PVC dingy. I wouldn't expect it to last for 10 years without exceptional care, but at a price of free who cares.

If you do take it then you might look at getting a set of covers for it that cover the top half of the tubes and protect it from the sun. I have also heard repeatedly that a generous coating of 303 Aerospace Protectant does a great job of reducing the UV damage to PVC.

Bean Counter · 26-11-2020, 13:14

Assume you are talking about inflatable vs rotomoulded plastic. For inflatables PVC as the material is fine, but as noted UV degrades it so a set of covers would extend it's life. If you are not handy with a sewing machine a set of fitted covers may set you back $1000 or more.

The problem with cheap PVC inflatables is the glue tends to let go when the seams are exposed to the sun for long periods and are a PITA to fix. Better brands have welded seams.

chasfgr · 26-11-2020, 15:30

PVC dinghies, in my experience better than rubber - all depends on the thickness of reinforcement.
Neither stand the sun, and both require at least 3 layers of reinforcing fabric and welded rather than glued seams to be any good.
Unfortunately, of the best brands none are made in the UK - being highly labour intensive, most come from the Far East.
The main advantage of PVC is the fact that it's welded, rather than glued as is a rubber dinghy.

**GordMay** · 26-11-2020, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

... The problem with cheap PVC inflatables is the glue tends to let go when the seams are exposed to the sun for long periods and are a PITA to fix. Better brands have welded seams.

Seams on hypalon boats are glued. They appear much flatter in profile than PVC boats. The seams are simply overlapped and glued.
Seams on PVC boats are usually heat (or sometimes chemically*) welded. They are 'thicker' in profile than Hypalon boats. Often the seams are covered with a strip of material which makes it difficult to see the heat welded seam.
* Chemical welding uses a solvent cement, not technically a glue.
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taz2 · 26-11-2020, 19:28

Thank you for your input. I like the idea of making a cover for the dingy. I hadn't even thought about UV rays. I thought PVC dingys are solely used for fishing!

The dingy is 10ft with 3x layer of PVC, with paddles and is in good shape.

My boat refit is going slowly, there are many original parts that need replacing and with a limited budget i have to prioritize what areas need fixing or replacing.

I have a leak that I cannot find. I have rebedded all the chainplates and stanchions on both sides of the mizzen and aft of the deck.

I have repaired the 2 soft spot areas and yet I found water inside the quarterberth this morning.

I have yet to decide alcohol or propane stove, if I go for propane where do I store it safely, then I have to decide what brand Chartplotter to get that has AIS system that is affordable.

The boat came with only a Lowrance Depthsounder. I currently have 2 acid type batteries, new. However I have come to learn about 2 other types of batteries (Battle Born and Carbon Foam, both lithium)that are more efficient. Any thoughts is greatly appreciated. I need an autopilot, wind vane">Aries Wind Vane, replace the lewmar 40 2 speed with self tailing winches of the same brand!! Any thoughts?

The mast I intend to get done by a rigger (tuned). The refitting journey is daunting and costly. Which leads me to another issue, I reside in Maryland and I cannot find a company in or a distributor of Nidacore. To cut some cost I want to make my own dodger using nidacore. Any thoughts.