Click here to zoom in Inflatable Boats Repairs: Catastrophic Damage

Click here to zoom in Inflatable Boats Repairs: Catastrophic Damage

Click here to zoom in Inflatable Boats Repairs: Catastrophic Damage

Click here to zoom in Inflatable Boats Repairs: Catastrophic Damage

Damage to an inflatable boat is classified as being catastrophic damage if it renders the boat useless until essential repairs have been carried out. Some examples of catastrophic damage to inflatable boats include cuts or tears that are rious enough to deflate or collapse an entire inflation tube or that damage the bottom such that water enters the boat in large quantities. Much of the time, a boat that has suffered catastrophic damage is simply impossible to salvage, such as in the case of a boat that is tossed directly onto sharp rocks by rough seas.

Sometimes, however, boats suffer catastrophic damage that can nevertheless be repaired, although such cases usually require the attentions of a professional in the field of inflatable boat repair. If the transom has detached itself from side tubes of the boat, for example, you should immediately give up on the idea of attempting repairs yourself. Seams that have come apart are also quite beyond the abilities of a regular boat owner to repair.

In a number of cases, the damage would be of a sort that is covered by the manufacturer's warranty, except in the case where the owner has attempted some form of amateur repair. It is therefore highly recommended that you first check wit our manufacturer whether the problem you are having is covered by the warranty. Most inflatable boats come with 5 or 10 year warranties that continue to cover boats that have been used in a reasonable manner. If you do not already know of a place to get your boat repaired, then you can simply approach the dealer who sold you the boat in the first place, as he is sure to have the contact details of reliable local repair shops.

On occasion, you will find yourself in the unenviable position of having your boat suffer catastrophic damage such that it should be sent to a repair shop immediately, but for the fact that the damage took place while you were out in the ddle of nowhere, with no other means of transportation over the water besides your damaged boat. One fairly common example of such a situation is when fishermen engaged in gutting fish accidentally slip and slice through their inflatable bo at with their knife.

Major Emergency Repairs

When you are faced with an emergency situation that requires major repairs, most of the materials that you find in a conventional emergency repair kit are often useless for the purposes of repairing the damage. In such a situation, you w need to make full use of your creativity and resourcefulness to effect rough repairs that will allow you to return to civilization at least.

In the case of a large gash cut into your boat by a knife, you will most probably have to stitch the gash together in order to prevent your boat from simply deflating and collapsing immediately. You can do this with a something to approx te a needle, such as a straightened fishhook or any other relatively thin and sharp object. Once you have the necessary materials a simple in-and-out baseball-style stitch should suffice to draw the gash or tear closed long enough for you t o cross to wherever you need to get to.

Duct-Tape Repairs

Another great method of repairing catastrophic damage without the requisite materials for a proper repair job is to simply use duct tape. By using copious amounts of duct tape, you can effect repairs that will work for the purposes of ma aining the buoyancy of your boat long enough to get you across the river or lake that you need to cross to return to civilization.

Start by deflating your boat or the affected part. Then cut the duct tape into strips of the necessary length, then lay them over the tear, ensuring that the strips overlap by approximately half their width. This will ensure that your te rary patch is as secure and airtight as it can be. Your duct tape patch should cover the entirety of the damage and extend several inches in all directions around it. Once you have applied at least three layers of tape, your duct tape patch should be strong enough to hold air in your boat for short durations, particularly if supplemented by continuous pumping.

Warning: include(../mid-banner.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/content/32/7595332/html/inflatable-boats-kayaks-and-canoes-com/inflatable-boats-repairs-catastrophic-damage/default.php on line 1579

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '../mid-banner.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/php5/lib/php') in /home/content/32/7595332/html/inflatable-boats-kayaks-and-canoes-com/inflatable-boats-repairs-catastrophic-damage/default.php on line 1579

Warning: The information and photos of this Web site are provided only for informative intentions.