Click here to zoom in Inflatable Boats Repairs: Leaking Seams

Click here to zoom in Inflatable Boats Repairs: Leaking Seams

Click here to zoom in Inflatable Boats Repairs: Leaking Seams

Click here to zoom in Inflatable Boats Repairs: Leaking Seams

Leaking seams can vary in severity, from nothing but a minor problem to a full-blown disaster, depending on how serious the problem causing the leak is and whether the manufacturer of your boat will honor the warranty that it gave you. M of the time, leaking seams are due to manufacturing issues more than any abuse of the boat by the owner. In general, seams are fairly resistant to abuse, except when they come into excessive contact with certain solvents or cleaning soluti ons. No matter what the cause, however, leaking seams are generally beyond the skills of a regular person to repair, and will entail you bringing your boat to a professional repair shop that specializes in inflatable boats.

Wicking and Leaking Fabric

Wicking is a fairly common problem, particularly in the more expensive boats that are made from heavier fabrics. Wicking occurs when air escapes from the inflation chambers by means of the threads that run through the fabric of the boat. th heavier fabrics, it is often easier for air to escape through wicking because the heavy fabrics are not as completely saturated by the neoprene, Hypalon or PVC as lighter fabrics are. Wicking is usually an insignificant problem in new bo ats, but over time can turn into a major issue.

Abrasions often scrape away the outer coating on a boat, allowing air to escape right through the fabric. On older boats, the outer coating sometimes falls away or is worn off over time, and the same problem occurs. There are two solutio to this problem - painting the outside of the boat or sealing the inside of the boat. You use one or the other of these two solutions, or you can also use them both together.

Inflatable Paints

Wicking and other leaks sometimes cannot be detected with a soap solution, but the evidence of the steady deflation of your boat will be evident in the way it becomes baggy after some time, and regular pumping is required to maintain the r pressure. A boat that experiences these problems is probably fairly old, and there is a good chance that the paint on your boat is dull and faded, so that there is more than one reason to apply a new coat of paint.

While paint is highly effective at preventing loss of air through wicking, you will still need to patch substantial rips or tears. So if there are any substantial leaks, you will first need to patch them with a repair kit before painting er them in order to ensure that your boat is as airtight as possible.

There a number of different manufacturers that make paint suitable for use with inflatable boats, while some of these paints are suitable for use with both Hypalon and PVC boats, some are suited for use only with one material or the othe If you own a Hypalon inflatable boat, then coating it with liquid Hypalon is among the best treatments available.

Inflatable Sealant

You might find yourself in the unfortunate position of having multiple small leaks in your boat which are practically impossible to patch from the outside. If you find yourself in such a situation, you will have to resort to internal sea t in order to solve your problem. You will easily find internal sealant at almost every reputable marine outlet or store.

You should always try to patch your leaks with external patches if possible, and only turn to internal sealant as a last resort for problems that simply cannot be solved using external patches, such as excessive wear at the joints, serio wicking or widespread abrasions.

If you need to make use of internal sealant to repair your inflatable boat, always use proper sealant that has been formulated specifically for use with inflatable boats. Some people have attempted to use tubeless tire sealant that is co nly available at auto stores on their inflatable boats. The problem with tire sealant, however, is that it is specifically formulated to remain in a semi-liquid state, so if you were to use it on your inflatable boat, the next time you defl ate the boat, the insides will stick themselves together and you will face a problem much worse than mere leak or wicking.

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