Dinghy sealant

So I think I am pretty good at most things i put my mind to but I have come to the conclusion that sealing a pinhole leak on a hypolon dinghy is NOT one of them!! *

I have been agrevated with 2 pinhole leaks at a seam on our Avon RIB and despite repeated attempts, cannot get it to seal. *Now, I am breaking out what I hope will be the big guns:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=11151&partNumber=444679&langId=-1

Anyone ever used this miracle maker concoction? *I am hoping to try it out asap!

I have had several pinhole leaks in my dink over the yrs, and for me the hardest part was finding the wee bugger. Once located, just a patch of the hypolon about 4cm square (or larger if you're anal about these things), and a good contact adhesive is all you need. You must rough up the area on the pontoon and the underside of the patch with sandpaper, then apply plenty contact on both patch and similar area on the pontoon around the leak, wait a good 5 mins for it to get good and sticky before placing the patch on, and then apply firm pressure for about ten minutes. Works every time for me. It should certainly work with that adhesive you listed. My repairs are still good to go yrs later. Were you not roughing the patch and pontoon area or not using a contact type adhesive...? Otherwise it's just a glorified bike tube repair - remember those....?

We have*used it with excellent results.* You put it in through the vales, inflate, roll the dinghy around, deflate and then inflate.* The air exchange helps the curing.** We went from pumping up a dinghy every other day to once in six months.** We have also used it on an inflatable keel for a roll up. The seam must of had 6 little pin hole leaks.* It never lost air after the fix.

If you have a legitimate tear or hole, this is not what you use.* I know 2 other people who have used it and both had better than expected results.* Be careful when you put the sealant in through the valve.* We took the valve apart so we wouldn't spill any of the sealant on the valve assembly.* Don't worry if you do, you can clean it off, it just takes more time.

PolyMarine also makes a similar product.* http://www.polymarineshop.com/repairs/fabric-repair-kits/sealflex-500ml.html

Peter B wrote:
I have had several pinhole leaks in my dink over the yrs, and for me the hardest part was finding the wee bugger. Once located, just a patch of the hypolon about 4cm square (or larger if you're anal about these things), and a good contact adhesive is all you need. You must rough up the area on the pontoon and the underside of the patch with sandpaper, then apply plenty contact on both patch and similar area on the pontoon around the leak, wait a good 5 mins for it to get good and sticky before placing the patch on, and then apply firm pressure for about ten minutes. Works every time for me. It should certainly work with that adhesive you listed. My repairs are still good to go yrs later. Were you not roughing the patch and pontoon area or not using a contact type adhesive...? Otherwise it's just a glorified bike tube repair - remember those....?

Click to expand...

Ditto on finding the pinhole leak. I have a leak on the bow section of my hypalon dink that I have failed to find. This winter I will haul her home again and attempt it again. I use soapy water which worked with two other leaks. Always use fresh glue! smile Marin- I saw on a post yesterday where you put the smiley in parenthasis. I have copied it twice shamelessly since then biggrin

I know exactly where the leaks are and they are small pinholes at a seam and every time I try and seal it...well- it just doesn't work! I want to fix it b/c I am tired of having a sad, deflated dinghy hanging off the weaver davits on the swim platform and I really, really want to install the swivel mount base for the engine to the dinghy so that I don't have to lug the dumb thing up any more to the aft deck!
That is all assuming I don't sell the boat and buy the Defever 49 my wife is telling me she really likes. As a married man, would you all not agree that I have an obligation to make sure my wife is happy and buy her the Defever 49???

i have a RIB which loose a little air over time, could be the valves or could be pin holes..

A few months ago, I pulled it out of the water onto a trailer and put it in my drive way.
I gave it a good cleaning, inside out and bottom.

NOW HERE is the MYSTERY.

a few days later, I notice a small water stain on the ground below the aft port pontoon, i did a taste test and sure enough - salty.
Is it possible to get sal****er inside a tube through a small pinhole ?

I am contemplating a fix.. so thanks for this thread, looks like it might point me in the proper direction but PLEASE if anyone have experience with this problem, please chime in..

Also, just adding to above bicycle fix
hypalon is typically two layered, the exterior layer is like a rubber paint and beneath this layer is the actual hypalon.
In order to get the best and strongest fix you could remove the top layer, this way you fix the leak where there is an actual leak not where the leak is escaping..

Buy the DeFever 49, dingy fixed or not. *The last time I had a pin-hole leak like that, I cut the tube big enough to pinch a patch to the inside, pulled it flat from outside, and patched the outside cut. *So far, so good.



-- Edited by healhustler on Thursday 10th of November 2011 06:02:08 PM


-- Edited by healhustler on Thursday 10th of November 2011 06:05:36 PM

Sorry, Woodsong, I did not twig immediately to the fact the bottle of stuff you linked to was one of those stick it inside, roll it round, then blow her up type of fixes. I have done that to my dink also, and was a bit disappointed with the outcome, it is so dependent on the internal makeup of the pontoons as to whether that will work, but if you have already done all the right things as I described putting on an outside patch, then what's to loose...? Let us know the outcome. It would be nice to fix it because the De Fever 49 may not come with a dink. Owners often rotate those through other boats. Ours has been the tender for 3.

After locating the hole or tear, my procedure for patching is:

1. Totally deflate the tube to be repaired.
2. Scrub the contact-area of both dinghy and patch with wire wool/sand paper.
3. Wash surfaces with acetone.
4. Apply adhesive per mfg's instructions.
5. Sandwich repair between two pieces of plywood squeezed together with a 6" G-clamp.
6. Leave for at least 12 hours.

The G-clamp/pressure bit is the charm. It makes the patch blend with the parent material and greatly reduces any tendency for the edges to lift.

This method lends itself to attaching D-rings for a towing bridle. The trick is to cut slots in the plywood for the D-rings so that the plywood lays flat in contact with the patch material.
*

Shoalwaters wrote:
After locating the hole or tear, my procedure for patching is:

1. Totally deflate the tube to be repaired.
2. Scrub the contact-area of both dinghy and patch with wire wool/sand paper.
3. Wash surfaces with acetone.
4. Apply adhesive per mfg's instructions.
5. Sandwich repair between two pieces of plywood squeezed together with a 6" G-clamp.
6. Leave for at least 12 hours.

The G-clamp/pressure bit is the charm. It makes the patch blend with the parent material and greatly reduces any tendency for the edges to lift.

This method lends itself to attaching D-rings for a towing bridle. The trick is to cut slots in the plywood for the D-rings so that the plywood lays flat in contact with the patch material.
*

Click to expand...

*do you glue it to the exterior tube? its my experience anything glued to the exterior can easily separate, it simply pulls off the exterior layer which is the rubberized paint on top of the actual hypalon.

but i have never seen any instructions to remove this top-layer and glue to the hypalon itself, anyone have?

Per, my Tinker Tramp is completely assembed from hypolon and all the joins and extras, including the attachments for the grab ropes along each side, and the floor sections, are glued, and are still as sound as the day it was made, and in all cases it is hypolon to hypolon. The secret is the sanding down through the coloured outer layer to the black underneath. Also the clamping together is essential for a really good result, but is not necessary for a simple pin-hole peak, except perhaps in Woodsong's case where the leak is adjacent to a join. There I think the deflated state and decent clamping is the way to go.

Peter, got it - to me that makes sense.
I have had O rings and davit pads rib off as they were only glued to the outer-layer.
Now I have work to do..(again)