dinghy rub rail

[porman]

The rub rail on my Zodiac is sticky and gummy. Is there anything I can do about it, or just live with it? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[porman]

One week and 107 posts and no suggestions. I guess I got my answer. But thanks to those that looked.

 

[Heron]

https://shop.inflatableboatparts.com/

 

[sdowney717]

You can try Aerospace 303 protectant.

Every surface I have tried it on, it makes slick smooth non sticky surface.
Has lots of positive reviews.

I have not yet tried it on a sticky vinyl surface that is leaching out plasticisers.
Amazon has the best price for 303, 32ozs for $15, I get free shipping with Amazon Prime.

Meguiar's has something similar and cheaper at the auto store.

I never tried the fabric guard yet. There are lots of videos.
The 303 does repel water and dirt.I noticed that right away. I sprayed my refinished wood transom, water beads up and nothing sticks..

If you watch, you will see water is repelled by the fabric.

 

[Old deckhand]

White wall tire cleaner does for our dink

 

[Capt. Jon]

Once the material has reached the stage you discribed there is not much you can do except replace it. I personally have never seen anything that will fix the gummy issue.

 

[HopCar]

I think Jon is right. Once vinyl gets sticky, it stays sticky. You might try painting it with a vinyl paint. A company called SEM makes some that might work. I think Krylon makes a paint for vinyl as well.

 

[sdowney717]

If it is leaching out plasticisers, I doubt any paint will stick and stay on. It is like painting grease.
Has anyone painted sticky vinyl fenders with a acrylic latex exterior paint?

Although it wont stick like normal, a paint might stick like an adhesive on a gummy vinyl surface.
So it may sort of work. A water based paint will dry as it won't be dissolving into itself oil based plasticizers, is what I think.

I have spray painted oil paints on vinyl and they just do not dry. Sometimes they eventually dry in a few months.

 

[porman]

Thanks for the replies. I think you are all right. Once it breaks down there is nothing that can stop it. I might try some kind of paint though, like a couple of you have mentioned. Sdowney, last Spring we cleaned our canvas and sprayed it with West Marine Waterproofing. It took 4 bottles at $15 a bottle. Worked very well though. Went through several downpours and no drips. Old deckhand, what is a white wall tire? Just kidding, I'm old enough to remember them.

 

[Carolena]

I can't speak for rubrail, but we finally found something that worked on sticky vinyl. After trying every cleaner in the book, then some, we used 3M 3M Marine Vinyl Cleaner, Conditioner & Protector on the advise of a friend. Some spots took two cleanings to get rid of the sticky, but it actually worked. My friend applies it with a magic eraser, but we just used terry towles, constantly moving to clean towel as we moved along. We then treated with the 303 Protectant (make sure you get the one for platics and vinyl, not the one for fabric). Two years later and still no sticky. This was for some interior vinyl (roof and wall coverings). The 3M stuff is expensive for a small bottle, but may be worth a try before you resort to paint.

 

[Theoallen]

I used baby oil and a tooth brush on the white middlestrip. See attached video.

 

[porman]

What I ended up doing was carefully scraping off the gummy rubber with a box cutter, cleaning the rubrail with acetone, and painting it with Flex Seal rubber paint that I got at Home Depot. It's still holding up well except for the parts that ride against the dinghy davit. I need to touch those two areas up.

 

[rsn48]

I just bought some paint for vinyl for my bimini and before I apply it I had to by this other mildly expensive (for spray paint and thing) to prepare the vinyl and take crud off of it before I use the paint. Bought it at a chandlery in Nanaimo. Its still in my car trunk and I am being slothful not going to look at it. But there is "stuff" out there.

But I will confess, you made me look to see if my RIB had a rub rail, and sure enough it does:

https://www.oair.ca/gallery

 

[Theoallen]

Re: Gummy Zodiac Rubrails

I used WD40 with a blue scotchbrite pad. Washed it of with dish detergent and water, then put a couple coats of 303 Marine UV Protectant. Came out smooth as new.
Now to see how long it lasts. For some reason the top rubrail is dry and dull looking and never got gummy, but the bottom rail was the problem.