Yellowing dinghy

[wasi1961]

Our inflatable is yellowing from the sun. Any tricks to getting it back to its original light grey?

[Jammer]

No. (Well you could paint it but...)


People use dinghy chaps to prevent sun damage. They also cover up existing discoloration. Something to consider. For your next dinghy, hypalon would hold up to the sun better than PVC though it is heavy, expensive, and more difficult to repair.

[JPA Cate]

Hello, wasi1961,

Unfortunately, the plasticizers are going out of it. You may get another couple of years out of it if you put chaps on the dinghy. And, if the chaps are made from Sunbrella, they'd be worth taking with you to your next dinghy if you get the same size. PVC dinghies are often only good for 5 yrs., some hypalon ones may go for 10, but they are still "consumables". Dinghies that last longer are made from timber, fiberglass, aluminum, and then there are PortABotes, like Mike OReilly has. You just pick your poison. We have friends with a nesting dinghy that comes apart into two usable dinghies: when it's together, it is fast with a tiny motor, and he usually rows it for health. Some other friends circumnavigated with a plywood dinghy, which they again drove with a very small motor, or rowed. Rowing is cool: it is quiet, so it is great for exploring mangrove creeks and sneaking up on birdlife. What you actually need in the way of a dinghy depends on where and how you cruise.

You can save a lot by making your own chaps. Sailrite has instructions online, and it can be done on a home sewing machine. If I make another set of chaps, it will be Sunbrella, as I was not happy with the lack of durability with WeatherMax, and its dark red color fades really quickly to colors I don't like.



Ann