Conference unifix::sailing

        I got this off the Sailing Forum in CompuServe, written by an old
        ex-deccie now in the marine business, Ray Thackeray.
    
        CompuServe 73730,2051 or [email protected].
    
        Ashikin.

***"TENDER TIPS", MARCH 1995
This newsletter discusses the care and feeding of your tender,
be it an inflatable, hard dinghy, folding boat, kayak or
surfboard - whether you row it, sail it or motor it.

Opinions and tips are invited and with your help I hope to
grow this into a monthly publication that every recreational
boater will read.

***IN THIS ISSUE:
     Letters to the Editor
     Hypalon Inflatables: Making a permanent patch
                                      - and making it look good!
     Make your inflatable last longer
     Rowing tips

***LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
"I got myself a nine foot wooden dinghy but find that when
rowing into a chop, solid water ships over the bows. What
should I do?" Signed Fatty Knees Jnr.
	
	Dear Fatty, you have a few options:
	1) Sit further aft
	2) Get a bigger dinghy
	3) Buy an inflatable and fill it with helium
	4) Go on a diet
                ----Editor

***HYPALON INFLATABLES: MAKING A
PERMANENT PATCH - AND MAKING IT LOOK GOOD!

-Finding the hole
If you are afloat, get to shore quickly first! If the hole or tear
isn't obvious and it's a slow leak that you can't hear hissing,
then to locate the leak fully inflate the boat and use a mixture
of detergent and water, and sponge or brush the solution over
the boat until you see bubbles. It's always obvious when you
find the leak.

-Kinds of leaks
Usually, a hole is a simple small hole or puncture, or a tear
caused by a ripping action. Hopefully, the tear is not too big.
Sometimes a leak is a bad seam; Hypalon boats are hand
glued with two-part glue, and a badly glued seam may start to
leak.

-Fixing a hole or tear
A hole or tear must be fixed with a patch. Even a large hole
can be fixed, but you must have a good piece of fabric to start
with. If possible, the patch should cover the void by 2 inches
all round, giving the corners a radius. Some pros advocate an
inside/outside patch, but it can be quite tricky to do this
without much experience and is not recommended for the
amateur unless the site is very easy to get at. From a practical
standpoint, I've seen little reliable evidence that an
inside/outside patch is any more reliable than a simple, easy
to apply single outside patch.

-Preparation
Draw around the patch with a pencil to mark where the patch
is to go, then make certain the area is clean. Sand the surface
of the Hypalon fabric within the described area using
sandpaper (this can be slow, because the fabric is quite
abrasion resistant), or use an abrading bit on a drill until
traces of the brown coloured layer of fabric can be seen
beneath the outer surface. Be careful you do not abrade
further. Abrade the back of the patch similarly if it is Hypalon
on both sides (as in Avons), or just scuff the back side of the
patch if it is neoprene (most Hypalon boats).

-Glues and techniques
An emergency repair can be made with the tube of one-part
glue in your repair kit. Note that it will be pretty useless if
more than a year or two old, so ensure that you keep the tube
of glue replaced regularly. Bostik Inflatable Boat Adhesive is
very good, and you apply a first thin coat to the patch and the
boat, let it dry for 20-30 minutes, then a second coat, and let
it dry until just tacky. You can test this with the back of your
knuckles, if you don't stick to it then it's ready. Join the two
sides and roll from the centre to the outside edges with a
decorator's roller or a bottle. The repair will be ready to take
an inflation within minutes.

Remember that this is an emergency repair, and I recommend
that you get a two-part glue kit as soon as possible and do it
properly. To take the emergency patch off, simply warm up
the area with a hairdryer (if you have one available, don't let
the fabric get too hot) and prize the patch up with a blunt
knife. Clean the old glue off with sandpaper and wipe clean
with acetone.

Weaver Glue kits are expensive, but come in a can containing
patch material, brushes, cleaner and glue. My
recommendation, however, is to buy a square foot of
matching Hypalon material when you purchase your boat,
and a can of Bostik, Avon or Weaver 2-part glue. Remember
that the 2-part stuff has a limited shelf life, and it's best to use
it within 6 months to 1 year, so you'll probably be buying it
especially for a repair job, and if there's any left after the
repair, throw it away.

Mix the two-part glue as directed. I use paper cups, and mix
half a can at a time; it's very difficult to measure the right
amount of catalyst if you try to make a smaller batch than
that. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Scientists
report that this stuff can be as nasty as nerve gas in a Tokyo
subway.

If you use a Styrofoam (polystyrene) cup, the glue and
catalyst will melt through the cup and glue your fingers to the
brush.

Using a small brush, paint the glue on both the boat and the
patch and let it dry. Ideally, give it a full day to set, as long as
it cannot get wet or dusty; at a minimum though, give it 30
minutes. Then brush on a second layer, let it dry to just
tacky, then carefully place the patch and roll out from the
centre to the outside to eliminate any air bubbles.

I'm advised by the glue experts that the repair will continue to
get stronger up to 5 days after, before you inflate the boat, so
let it sit for as long as you can. However, even an hour later
this is an extremely strong repair and in every way boat
should be quite serviceable.

-Fixing a leaky seam
A seam leak is quite different, although if it's a small,
localized one, then a patch might do in a hurry. In most
cases, though, I recommend that the seam be undone with a
blunt knife as above, and both sides sanded clean and re-
glued. If it's a large leak, the ideal repair is to do the above,
then cut a tape 2" wide and glue it on top of the seam. You
can make it look good by putting a symmetrical tape on the
other side of the boat to match; you may as well use up the
excess glue, anyway.

-Making the repair look good
You might be able to add rubber rub strakes over the patch to
cover it up, using the same glue. Apply a rub strake on both
sides of the boat, to make it look symmetrical. There are other
things you can do to cover up a patch, depending on where it
is, for example:

     Registration holders
     Running light holder
     Small cleats or rings for mooring, for example
     Davit lifting points
     Bungee cords to hold oars in place
     Go-faster stripes
     Barbecue mount

If you don't know where to go for supplies for any of the
above, call me.

***MAKE YOUR INFLATABLE LAST LONGER

-Protection from UV
Both Hypalon and PVC inflatables will eventually suffer
from continuous exposure to strong sunlight, so here are
some ideas that you might be able to adopt to protect your
investment:

-Boat cover
There are covers available, pre-fabricated, to match most
inflatables, and it does not take more than a couple of minutes
to put the cover on the boat. Some of them have a hump
astern to cover the outboard, too, another plus point. People
complain that it's a pain in the neck to do this every time you
use the boat, so my suggestion is to fit the cover to the boat,
and glue or sew it into the trailing edge of your bow dodger if
you have one. Or you could permanently fit the cover to the
bow and roll it up to a couple of snaps, so that it looks like a
bow dodger when rolled up, and easily unsnaps and rolls
back to cover the whole boat. If you do this every time you
leave your inflatable, it will last for a long time.

-UV protective coating
Although I have not tried these yet (they are on order and I'll
report on them in a future issue), there are some products on
the market that purport to have UV screen coatings, such as:

     MDR Inflatable Boat Cleaner & UV Protectant Kit (for
                  Hypalon, PVC, Vinyl & rubber)
     Starbrite Inflatable Boat & Fender Cleaner/Protector

It will take at least a year to document any results, but I will
report on the cleaner aspect of these products in the next two
months.

-Discipline
Deflate and roll the boat up after every use (yeah, right), or
haul the inflatable onto the deck and stow with the boat cover
or upside-down (and when you've done that, go below, take
a cold shower and whip yourself with thorns then rub salt
into the wounds).

-Protection from abrasions
Hypalon is generally much more abrasion resistant than PVC,
but it's best to avoid chafe at all. One of the most common
problems is when the inflatable rubs up against a dock due to
swells and wakes. A good way to stop this, if you are
confident about the painter bull-ring in the bow, is to haul the
bow up to the dock and cleat it off short, so that the bow is
up and out of the water. This stops movement of the boat
against the dock. Or you could use two docking lines and tie
the boat up fore & aft. When you tie your inflatable up
against the boat, bring it up short with just the stern of the
inflatable in the water, or completely lift it out of the water
with a halyard.

-Care when motoring
The golden rules here are:

    Slow down and cut power before you reach the dock, and
          hand the inflatable clear so you don't rub up hard
          against  a nail or splinter.
     Don't roar up onto the beach, there may be sharp rocks or
          other obstacles (like dumped medical syringes in New
          York)

-Storage
If your inflatable is rolled up and stowed on deck, make sure
that it does not move and rub against the deck or sharp
objects in a seaway.

***ROWING TIPS
Whatever kind of tender you have, you should know how to
get the best out of rowing it, because that damn outboard
motor has a habit of failing just at the worst time - usually
when you need to row into a strong head wind for 200 yards
in a 2 foot chop. Either that, or risk a 200 mile accidental
cruise from Providentiales, Turks & Caicos to Montego Bay,
Jamaica. Rowing effectively, however, demands different
techniques depending on whether you are rowing a rigid
dinghy or, say, an inflatable.

The average tender, be it wooden or fabric, is between nine
and twelve feet, intended for two to four people. A twelve
foot inflatable that is rated for six adults will not go very far
when rowing, so be careful how you load it! In any kind of
tender, you are not likely to be able to row very far with more
than two or three people aboard.

-Oars and rowing
Get rid of those lubberly aluminum two-piece oars on your
inflatable - they will break at the worst moment! Try paddling
an inflatable with one oar sometime, just for a jape. Ha-ha,
you won't be a-doing that again. The only oar that makes any
sense is a good, solid wooden oar at least six feet long, so go
and buy some now. If you can't see how to attach rowlocks,
the best way is to cut off the existing system and with some
dinghy fabric, glue on a block of wood then screw rowlocks
to that.

Most inflatables have flat bottoms and do not have much
directional stability when rowing, especially the soft bottom
ones. Even with fitted floorboards and an inflatable keel, they
typically row like pregnant elephants, and if you've ever tried
to row one of those you'd know what I mean. An oar longer
than six feet probably would not help much, and you must
stroke with short, sharp pulls rather than a long, leisurely
stroke because the inflatable slows down rapidly. Don't
bother to 'feather' the oars, it won't make a whit of
difference.

I don't know how anybody can row facing forwards;
certainly you will have a great loss in efficiency in pushing
the oars instead of pulling on the power stroke, and in the
worst case it can get you into trouble.

Tinkers are the exception, however, because they row about
as well as a rigid dinghy and come with the oars to match, so
you would use similar techniques to hard dinghy rowers.

Rigid dinghy users don't have any problem with oars,
because they are designed primarily for rowing, not
motoring, and come with seamanlike oars. However, you
should experiment with different lengths for effectiveness;
shorter dinghies are lighter and have less waterline, and do
not 'carry their way' or coast far after each stroke, so you
need to stroke more rapidly with a shorter oar than in a longer
dinghy. Typically, a 9 foot rigid dinghy needs a six to seven
foot oar, and a twelve footer maybe six inches to a foot
longer.

If your boat rows really well, you may want to practice
feathering, which means rotating the oar blade to horizontal
during the recovery, or back stroke; this reduces the air or
wind resistance for more efficiency. However, the practice is
of questionable improvement in the typical tender.

You can buy a wide variety of rowlocks in stainless steel,
bronze or plastic. I prefer captive rowlocks, which either clip
into the sockets and stay there, or have a ring at the base so
that you can tie them with light line to the socket. Some have
a pin that goes through the oar, keeping the angle of attack of
the paddle perfectly vertical, and this would help a lot of
unpracticed rowers.

And keep a spare pair of rowlocks, they do break. If you
break one while underway, ensure you always have some
spare small stuff (line) aboard, possibly tied to a lifeline, so
that you can make an emergency rowlock with a simple loop.
Or a bungee cord might help.

-Sitting position
This is extremely important. Most inflatables do not have a
good seat for rowing and you must find something that
would help. Your seat should be centre about 18 inches
forward of the rowlocks and be about 10 inches above the
floor. If your inflatable has no seat, consider making a painter
or varnished marine ply seat and fit it on wood blocks glued
with fabric to support the seat on each tube.

-Sculling
Larry and Lin Pardy recommend that you cut a slot in your
transom so that you can insert an oar and scull the boat. This
is very nice when getting into a tight area, because you have
no oars sticking out of the sides, and you can get surprising
propulsion from a single oar this way. If you don't want to
cut a slot, maybe a rowlock might do it, and if it interferes
with the placement of the outboard then offset it.

***COMING SOON
PVC Inflatable patching - emergency and permanent
Foot pumps & Electric pumps
Them damn floorboards!
Stowing your tender on board
Can my dinghy be a practical survival craft?
Survival requirements & characteristics
What choices do I have in sailing tenders?
Inflatable cleaning products

***COPYRIGHT AND WAIVERS
Publisher: Ray Thackeray, Sea Star Yachting Products,
1120B Ballena Boulevard, Alameda, 94501 USA PHONE:
(510) 814-0471 FAX: (510) 814-8030
[email protected] Copyright (C)1995 Ray
Thackeray. Permission to copy this publication in its entirety
is granted universally and for all time provided th this
paragraph accompanies all copies.

"TENDER TIPS" APRIL 1995
If you wish to be on the electronic distribution list, e-mail 
[email protected] 

This third issue discusses the care and feeding of your tender, 
be it an inflatable, hard dinghy, folding boat, kayak or 
surfboard - whether you row it, sail it or motor it. I don't 
know much about punting.

Opinions and tips are invited and with your help I hope to 
grow this into a regular monthly publication that every 
recreational boater will read.

***IN THIS ISSUE:
     Letters to the Editor
     Hypalon Inflatables: Cleaning products reviewed

***LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
"When I was a lad I served a term, as office boy to an 
attourney's firm. I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor, 
and I polished up the handles on the big front door." Signed 
Joe Porter.
	
	Dear Joe:
1) Stick close to your desk
2) And never go to sea
3) And you may become the ruler of the Queen's Navy
                ----Editor

"From: Jacob F Brown II, 72570,2361
Date: Thu, Mar 30, 1995
Can anyone recommend a treatment for cleaning and restoring 
the color to a 10 year old Avon?
Thanks for any thoughts."                Jake

	Dear Jake:
	Keep on reading...
	   ----Editor

"From: Thomas C. Knueppel, 70544,2340
Date: Tue, Mar 28, 1995
RE: March Tender Tips
   Just to let you know that I do enjoy your Tender Tips - keep 
it up! 
   In your March issue you commented on Registration 
Holders - which brings me to my question. I have an Avon 
and painted the registration numbers on the sides of the 
dinghy. However, I have a problem finding a way to attach the 
California registration decal anywhere. I purchased a couple 
of square hypalon patches specifically meant to hold the 
decals. However, I had problems gluing those to the sides of 
the dinghy (using the glue that came with the Avon). I have 
seen other people who have used a rectangular white plastic 
board which they hang on to the sides and have the number on 
those and the decal. Since I have the numbers already painted 
on the sides, having such a large rectangular board simply for 
the decal seems like overkill. Any thoughts???
            Regards"                        TCK
	
	Dear TCK:
Yes, you can buy those plastic registration boards, one on 
each side (a real nuisance, but that's my opinion!). Painting the 
registration numbers on the bows is the other option, and that's 
fine until you sell the dinghy and try to get the paint off; 
usually, toluene or acetone will do a good job, and I've used 
lacquer thinners with best success - but watch the fumes.

But that leaves the problem of how to attach the sticker; the 
Hypalon patches for your Avon are the best approach. These 
usually come with a clear vinyl window, and they completely 
encapsulate the sticker from the elements if properly glued on, 
and therein lies the rub.

In your case, I bet your tube of one-part Avon glue is old and 
ineffective. Also, you must score the surface of the patch and 
the boat; you should sand the hypalon until you can just see 
the brown fibres below the surface, and that's what the glue 
adheres to. This is a useful thing to practise, because you may 
want to patch the dinghy on a beach on Catalina Island one of 
these days, while your boat's bobbing at anchor! 

The glue needs to be fresh, and for this application I 
recommend the tube of one-part glue. Try to find another 
project for it at the same time, because you should throw the 
tube away after using it, it will deteriorate fast, then buy a 
fresh one. Don't buy the $16 two-part stuff unless it's for a 
structural or air-holding patch, because it's too expensive and 
not necessary.
	   ----Editor

***Hypalon inflatables: CLEANING PRODUCTS 
      REVIEWED
This is the inflatable boat cleaner face-off. I will do the same 
test on a PVC boat sometime soon, but as a sufficiently dirty 
one was not available, I used a Hypalon boat that had been in 
the water for the last few months and had suffered a variety of 
abuses, including chalkiness and oxidation, oily, tarry black 
marks, scratches with dirt ground in, goopy, sticky stains and 
just general dirt and marine slime. The boat was hosed down 
to wash loose dirt off, and I had at it with an arsenal of 
cleaners, some of which are specifically advertised for the job.

Please remember that I don't do this for a living, and although 
I have scientific training this test is not intended to be as 
exhaustive, for example, as the work Practical Sailor does. 
However, I've done my best to assemble impartial results and 
document them accordingly. I accept no liability for any 
recommendation, so don't go off drinking any of this stuff!

-Criteria:
C     Restores color
Bl    Removes black stains (oil, rubber or tar)
Ch   Cleans off chalk and oxidation
G     Cleans goop (sticky residues)
S     Cleans scratches/scrapes
P     Polishing action
M    Leaves mottling after cleaning
E     Effort required
Q    Quantity of cleaner needed to clean boat

-Ratings:
3     Good
2     Fair
1    Poor

-Marykate Inflatable Boat Cleaner $7.99  32fl oz
C 2   Bl 2   Ch 2   G 2   S 1   P 1   M 2   E 1   Q 2   Total=15
Advertised as biodegradable, this cleaner is sprayed on, wiped 
then rinsed.  It comes in a nice spray bottle which would be 
good for filling with another cleaner when empty.

-Sea Power Inflatable Boat & Fender Cleaner & Preserver 
$8.95  16fl oz
C 2   Bl 2   Ch 1   G 2   S 1   P 2   M 1   E 1	Q 1   Total=13
I've heard that this is great for fenders and shore power 
cables, which might mean it's good for PVC inflatables. But 
on Hypalon I was not impressed.

-Star Brite Inflatable Boat & Fender Cleaner $7.50  16fl oz
C 2   Bl 1   Ch 1   G 2   S 1   P 1   M 1   E 1   Q 1   Total=11
It polishes when buffed in well, otherwise it leaves a nasty 
white, chalky layer behind that gets into crevices. Very 
difficult to use, it works like an automotive polish/wax 
without the benefit of working on a smooth painted finish. 
This cleaner did little to remove marks or stains.

-Island Girl Cleansing Lotion $15 16fl oz
C 3   Bl 3   Ch 3   G 3   S 3   P 2   M 2   E 2   Q 2   Total=23
This new cleaner from Hawaii is touted to clean everything, 
and very nearly does. It even dissolves varnish if you leave it 
on long enough, yet is biodegradable and has no toxic fumes, 
abrasives or caustic chemicals. It works very well, although it 
loses a point for effort because you have to wipe it on and 
leave it for a while, say an hour, for it to react with the scum. 
It must be applied on a dry surface, because water deactivates 
it, and sunshine accelerates the cleaning process. Once it has 
had a chance to work, you squirt a bit more on, scrub the 
surface, then hose it off. We liked the smell, too. This one's a 
winner.

-MDR Inflatable & Dinghy Cleaner $17.98  16fl oz
C 2   Bl 2   Ch 1   G 2   S 2   P 1   M 1   E 2   Q 2   Total=15
Another biodegradable, it left mottling and chalkiness behind. 
It contains Potassium Hydroxide. You also get a bottle of UV 
Protective Coating, and I will revue this one day.

-Clorox Soft Scrub with Bleach Cleaner $cheap 44fl oz
C 2   Bl 2   Ch 2   G 2   S 2   P 2   M 2   E 2   Q 2   Total=18
What can I say? This outperformed some of the specialized 
inflatable cleaners, and is a lot cheaper. 'Nuff said.

-CU Peal Products $8.95  22fl oz
C 1   Bl 1   Ch 2   G 2   S 2   P 1   M 2    E 3   Q 3   Total=17
A good 95% biodegradable general-purpose cleaner, but was 
not outstanding on the Hypalon inflatable test. Most of the 
other cleaners would typically only be used once a year, but 
CU goes a long way for a fair cleaning, and should be used 
regularly.

-BC Peal Products $8.95  22fl oz
C 3   Bl 3   Ch 2   G 3   S 2   P 2   M 2    E 2   Q 3   Total=22
Peal Products sent us a bottle of CU (Cleans UP) and BC 
(Bilge Cleaner), and we weren't sure which one they intended 
us to use, so we tried both. To our surprise, the bilge cleaner 
worked very well, and yet is 95% biodegradable, non-toxic 
and non-caustic. It can be used in solution, or scrubbed on full 
strength. Being a bilge cleaner, perhaps it should be no 
surprise that it is effective at cleaning oily, tarry residues. 
Another winner.

-West Marine Inflatable Boat Cleaner/Protectant $7.40 12fl oz
C 1   Bl 1   Ch 1   G 1   S 1   P 3   M 3    E 2   Q 1   Total=14
This is another one that works like an automotive polish, and 
does an excellent finishing job assuming you've taken off all 
the dirt and stains first - with something else.

-Amway LOC $cheap 33.8fl oz
C 1   Bl 1   Ch 1   G 2   S 2   P 2   M 2    E 3   Q 3   Total=17
I slipped this in as a contol. Although this is an excellent 
household multi-purpose partly biodegradable cleaner with no 
phosphates, it also did a fair job of cleaning Hypalon. This, 
like CU, would be an excellent regular cleaner.

-General comments
With the exception of Amway LOC (or any other detergent) 
and Peal Products CU, the rest of the cleaners tested should 
only be used infrequently, as in a 'spring clean', to get the 
stubborn stains out and to spruce up the inflatable boat. They 
are mostly a lot of work to get good results, and a couple of 
hours should be spent on the job to clean up the boat properly 
with them. West Marine Inflatable Boat Cleaner/Protectant, 
left a nice shiny finish which may indeed be an excellent 
protectant coating, but was not good at cleaning.

We have found that spraying and buffing Johnson's Wax 
furniture polish leaves fine polish on inflatable boats and is 
cheap and convenient to use. It also lasts a few weeks and 
stops stains from rubbing into the fabric, and makes bird 
droppings easy to wash off.

-Editor's choice
Island Girl Cleansing Lotion worked best on the Hypalon 
inflatable and is excellent for a multitude of other uses, such 
as cleaning fenders (better than acetone, we found) and pretty 
much everything else. Peal Products BC came next, and is 
well-proven as a bilge cleaner. Between the two, you can do a 
great job of most things around the boat, including gelcoat. 
With Johnson's Wax to finish the job, you'll spruce up your 
dinghy like a professional.

***COMING SOON
Sorry about the short issue this time, but I have to get to a boat 
show in two days and things have been really busy around 
here. For the May issue, I'll complete this revue with a PVC 
inflatable and hopefully will find time for a couple more 
articles, possibly including:

PVC Inflatable patching - emergency and permanent
Foot pumps & Electric pumps
Them damn floorboards!
Stowing your tender on board
Can my dinghy be a practical survival craft?
Survival requirements & characteristics
What choices do I have in sailing tenders?

***COPYRIGHT AND WAIVERS
Publisher: Ray Thackeray, Sea Star Yachting Products, 1120B 
Ballena Boulevard, Alameda, 94501 USA 
PHONE: (510) 814-0471 
FAX: (510) 814-8030 
[email protected] 
Copyright (C)1995 Ray Thackeray. Permission to co this 
publication in its entirety is granted universally and for all 
time provided that this section accompanies all copies.

"TENDER TIPS" MAY 1995
If you wish to be on the electronic distribution list, e-mail 
[email protected] 

This free fourth issue discusses the care and feeding of your 
tender, be it an inflatable, hard dinghy, folding boat, kayak or 
other form of secondary marine transportation - whether you row 
it, sail it or motor it. However, I don't know much about punting 
in deep anchorages.

Opinions and tips are invited and with your help this is growing 
into a regular monthly publication that every recreational boater 
will read.

***IN THIS ISSUE:
     Letters to the Editor
     Leak sealant (for inflatables) tested
     Sources of small rigid dinghies
     A new antifoulant paint for inflatables
     How to die in your dinghy
     Video on dinghies and inflatables
     Future articles

Sorry I was not able to insert the promised article on cleaning 
products for PVC inflatables, (last month's issue of TENDER 
TIPS had a review of such for Hypalon boats) but I wasn't able to 
find a disgusting enough boat to experiment on. I'll try for the 
next issue.

***LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
"Oh, better far to live and die, under the brave black flag I fly, 
than play a sanctimonious part, with a pirate head and a pirate 
heart" Signed PK, Penzance.
	
     Dear PK:
I charge you yield, in Queen Victoria's name.
                ----Editor

From: Mark Fox -Boomerang Commu, 75430,2134
Topic: Inflatable repair
Date: Sun, Mar 26
     Anyone know whether there is a coating that can be applied to 
an inflatable dingy to re-waterproof it.  The bottom of our dingy 
has been abraded from use.  I have thought about a big patch but 
can not find any patches bigger than 12"x12".
     Also has anyone had any luck / recommendations on the slow 
leak sealers that you spray into the air chambers?

     Dear Mark:
It your use of the word 'dingy' intended to be descriptive, or a 
Freudian slip?

See article later in this publication for sealing air leaks. As for 
water leaks through the floor, if the boat is otherwise in good 
shape then your best bet is to get some replacement inflatable 
fabric, cut out the old floor and using 2-part glue to instructions in 
TENDER TIPS March 1995, glue on a new floor. A good 
inflatables dealer should be able to get you a goodly swatch of 
fabric.
                ----Editor

From: Martin  W. DeYoung, 73441,2477
Date: Tue, Mar 28
     Ray,  Thank you for putting together the news letter.  
     I will be replacing my inflatable this year and I am currently 
evaluating my choices in the 9', and less than $2000.00 range.  
This inflatable will be used on my 36' sailboat, in timeshare lease.

     Dear Martin:
Concerning 9' inflatables less than $2,000, you have a great deal 
of choice. Your yacht tender choices are in the following 
categories:

--PVC or Hypalon
PVC boats are generally much cheaper, but don't stand up to 
much abrasion or continual exposure to sunlight. If kept in the sun 
daily, you would destroy two or three PVC boats for every 
Hypalon boat, so at, say, $800 each or $2400 total for three 
disposable PVC boats (Zodiacs, for example), you would get 
about the same use in such circumstances as one Avon Roll-away 
at about $2200 or so.

--Roll-up floorboards, removable floorboards or no floorboards
I don't know about you, but extracting floorboards to roll up the 
inflatable used to be tantamount to inciting a mutiny aboard my 
boat. If you don't mind a soft floor and the low hp outboard 
ratings, you can get a good inflatable at around $700-$1200. 
Otherwise, I recommend you investigate the roll-up dinghies.

--Rowing capability
Most inflatables are primarily set up with minimal rowing 
capability, the outboard being considered the primary method of 
propulsion. The problem with this is that you can't always rely on 
the engine, and rowing most inflatables is usually pure 
masochism. This is a key area where Tinkers do very well, and 
the 10' Tinker Funsail (without sailing gear) would just about fit 
your budget.

--Motoring speed
If you want a sport boat that can plane very quickly with, say, 
15hp behind you, it may cost more than $2000 and you might 
want to go in the direction of a RIB (Rigid-hull Inflatable Boat). If 
you like the idea of a light outboard, say 3.5hp or 5hp, that's more 
appropriate for a roll-up dinghy, but choose one that planes or 
semi-planes with low power.
I'd be glad to copy you a recent article from Yachting Monthly that 
reviews most of the roll-up boats and does a very nice job. Let me 
know your address and I'll snail-mail it to you.
                ----Editor

From: Jacob F Brown II, 72570,2361
Date: Thu, Mar 30
     Can anyone recommend a treatment for cleaning and restoring 
the color to a 10 year old Avon?

     Dear Jacob:
Read last month's TENDER TIPS for an article on cleaners for 
Hypalon inflatables (your Avon is made from Hypalon fabric). As 
a last resort - and don't do this too often - use Acetone or Lacquer 
Thinner rubbed into the fabric with a cheese cloth. Lacquer 
Thinner is chemically pretty nasty stuff, but very effective at 
taking the oxidized top layer off and restoring colour. It will 
dissolve the black tar in a smoker's lungs, and probably the lungs 
as well. Acetone, I understand from a recent Practical Sailor 
article, is not as nasty as people have thought for some time, and 
is almost as effective.
                ----Editor

***LEAK SEALANT (FOR INFLATABLES) TESTED
Dave and I finally got around to it with a boat made from Hypalon 
backed by neoprene. We had one here with a chamber leaking 
slightly and a liberal sponging with soapy water showed that the 
air leaks were out of the end of one of the conical stern tubes and 
around a large seam, necessitating pumping up twice a day to keep 
the boat firm. I decided not to use the same approach as Scottish 
bagpipe players - pouring in a good stiff porridge - so went the 
route of a rubber sealant.

Incidentally, I've found that there seems to be no 12v electric 
pump available in the U.S. that can properly inflate a rubber dink 
to the desired 4PSI, most seem to make it to between 2 to 3PSI, 
which is too soft. We always top off with a quality foot pump, the 
best I've ever found is the type which comes with Avons and 
Tinkers (a big varnished wooden thing that you can really lean on, 
and is hefty enough to deter sharks with a good blow. But I 
digress.)

I bought the Inflatable Boat Sealant from Inland Marine USA Inc., 
1017-C S.E. 12th Ave., Cape Coral, FL 33990. (813) 458-0302, 
followed the instructions, and immediately found that the nozzle 
they provide wouldn't let me squirt the sealant into the valves 
properly, so I called them and they said I should get a small length 
of PVC tube and attach it to the nozzle. 

It took me two attempts to find the right size tube that would fit 
inside the valve (a Leafield B7 valve) without getting goop all over 
the rubber valve mushroom, and why Inland Marine couldn't 
supply a 2 cents bit of thin hose with the sealant I don't know, but 
it was a real nuisance.

Anyway, we put eight ounces of goop into the offending air 
chamber, lightly inflated the boat and rolled it around to internally 
cover the bad seams. After a short time, we saw sealant coming 
out of the worst of the leaks, so washed it off immediately, then 
turned the boat over every half hour for three hours to stop the 
goop from pooling.

After fully inflating the boat, we found that it really, really works! 
The stuff gets right into the leaks and heals them nicely, as good 
as new. Please note that you really have to roll the boat around to 
ensure that you get a good even coating. Don't get it into your 
valves, or you'll have the inverse problem...it will never deflate! 

From this experience, the bottom line is that for small seam leaks 
and pinholes, and possibly even abrasion leaks, this stuff is a 
good quality internal sealant. For large seam delaminations, the 
only practical repair is to patch it or take up some of the seam and 
re-glue with 2-part Bostik (see March issue of TENDER TIPS).

Now comes the interesting part...one day, I'm going to find a 
really hopeless case full of air leaks and I'm going to try that stuff 
you get for car tyres to seal emergency leaks, that's under pressure 
in a can and comes out as a thin foam. It's much cheaper than the 
Inland Marine stuff, and because it foams up it might be easier to 
apply, but the proof is in the pudding. I'll let you know!

***RIGID SAILING DINGHIES FOR CRUISERS
This is a list of sources for small rigid sailing tenders that I've 
pulled together from personal contacts and other various sources. 
My criteria for a good yacht tender are  boats that can be sailed or 
rowed and can mount an outboard. If they attract good-looking 
women as well, that's a bonus, but don't bank on it, Wally. 

JY9 by Rod Johnstone. 9'. About $1795 US for a fully rigged 
catboat. Sail, row and motor, outboard bracket optional. Rows 
with three. JY Sailboats, 5 Colton Rd., East Lyme, CT 06333 
(203) 739-3033 FAX 739-2905

Whitehall Rowing and Sail, (800) 663-7481, Box 1141 Station E, 
Victoria B.C., Canada V8W 2T6. The Minto Sail, 9'1" 90lb plus 
sailing gear (standing lug) at about $3500 US. Also the 
Westcoast, 11'6" at 120lbs plus sailing gear at about $4500 US.

McNulty Longstone 9', in timber. Very expensive but beautiful at 
3000 pounds sterling from McNulty Quay, Corstophine Town, 
Commercial Road, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England NE33 
1RZ +91 456 3196

Cormorant 12' cat rig tender by Cornish Crabbers Ltd., Rock, 
Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 6PH, England +208 862666

Sinbad the Sailer Dinghys (their spelling!) 8', 100 lbs complete. 
$1395 US with sail option. Box 143, West Bend, Wisconsin 
53095. (414) 338-8619

Puddleduck Cadet, Catboat Pram. New England Skiff Builders 
Inc. PO Box 267, Wakefield, RI 02880. 120 lbs rigged, 8', 
$1495 US for the sailing version with the least wood. (401) 789-
4609

Bauer 8, 8'2", 150 lbs rigged. about $1750 US with rig.  Also 
Bauer 10.  (904) 824-8826

Transfusion 101. High-tech epoxy/airex pram.  The sail version 
about $2600 US. (508) 356-1764

Trinka by Bruce Bingham. 8', $2450 US with sailing rig.  Also a 
10-footer. (800) 869-0773

Ocean I & II 9' and 7'11" tenders from Hood Ocean Systems, 52 
Maritime Drive, Portsmouth, RI 02871 (401) 683-7860

Columbia Tender 11'6" from Edey & Duff, Ltd. 128 Aucoot 
Road, Dept. SG, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 (508) 758-2743

American Classic Yacht Tenders, PO Box 70385, Seattle, WA 
98107 (800) 868-9380. Standard sailing dinghies 8', 9', 10' and 
11' catboats. US price for 8' boat is $1920.

Drascombe Scaffie, for the big boat owners, is the ultimate. 
14'9", a beautiful single standing lug boat with a tanbark sail at up 
to 5000 pounds sterling! Honnor Marine, Dartington, Totnes, 
Devon, TQ9 6DP, England. +1803 862228

If you know of any others, please let me know and I'll add them 
to the list for a future update.

Because the problem of storing a rigid sailing dinghy is a severe 
one for people with small boats due to space, bulk etc., there will 
be a special listing of easy stowing sailing dinghies in a future 
issue of TENDER TIPS.

***A NEW ANTIFOULANT PAINT FOR INFLATABLES
For those Wilburs and Wallies who can't take the time to deflate 
their inflatable boat or haul it up on deck after use, there is a new 
antifoulant on the market to compete with Inland Marine USA, 
Inc. It's by Pettit Marine Paint, and it's supposed to resist 
cracking and peeling even after the abuse of being on the bottom 
of a rubber ducky (I'll believe it when I see it). Don't ask me what 
the active chemicals are, I don't know.

Preparation is a good detergent wash, rubbing down with bronze 
wool and a Bonding Agent, then two coats of the paint brushed 
on. It's not clear to me whether the paint can be allowed to dry and 
take repeated relaunchings, but the Pettit salesman said it only 
needs a wet scrubbing before each launch and will last two to three 
years. Scraping the old stuff off for repainting must be like paying 
the devil with tar.

So for the truly deranged, (heard the one about the masochist who 
loved to take cold showers? He took a warm one instead) here are 
the two sources for instant murder to all marine life:

Inland Marine USA Inc., 1017-C S.E. 12th Ave., Cape Coral, FL 
33990. (813) 458-0302.

Pettit Paint, 36 Pine Street, Rockaway, NJ 07866 (201) 625-
3100.

Now here's an alternative: have you heard of Practical Sailor's 
revue of bottom paints recently? They've found a baby bottom 
creme that works well as an antifoulant, apparently someone 
decided that if it stops diaper rash, it'll do anything. I kid thee not. 
It's called Panaten-Creme, which is mostly lanolin, zinc oxide, 
talc and petroleum distillates. Another one is Pfizer Inc's Desitin 
($4.07 for a 4oz tube). Anyway, it might just work out on 
dinghies.

If anyone tries this, let me know how it went. If a buck an ounce 
seems like a lot of money, by the way, look at the price of normal 
antifoulant. And if you have copper paint left over, you can't 
brush it on your baby's bottom.

***HOW TO DIE IN YOUR DINGHY
There is a very interesting cautionary tale in Cruising World June 
1995, page 21 called "Against the Wind", which describes how a 
cruiser in the Turks & Caicos Islands used his inflatable to take 
out a second anchor and forgot his dinghy kit. The upshot is that 
he accidentally dropped the anchor (which was his lifeline to his 
boat) AFTER realising he'd fouled the outboard prop and broken 
the shear pin. He found himself loose and drifting off to Jamaica 
pretty quickly in the trade winds because the (all too usual) 
pathetic oars on the dinghy wouldn't make progress in 15 knots of 
wind, so he abandoned the dinghy and tried to swim back! He 
was lucky to be rescued.

As described in a previous TENDER TIPS, it is frighteningly easy 
to get into trouble in your yacht tender. Here are some regular 
examples of dinghy death:

a) The outboard won't start after casting off and oars have been 
forgotten, a totally unforgivable start to an unintentional offshore 
passage. I made a complete doik of myself in the marina once, the 
outboard died when I was the greatest possible distance from any 
dock and still be in the marina. It was a neat trick trying to look 
like I REALLY intended to be drifting at 0.001 knots to the nearest 
slip, but the Complete Works of Shakespeare, suntan oil and 
Jimmy Buffett on the boom box seemed to do the trick...

b) Overloading and swamping by a small wave. Rigid dinghies are 
prone to this with just one or two people aboard, but how many 
times have you seen four fat folks in a eight-foot rubber doughnut, 
with the sea lapping at their bulging bums?

c) No lifevests aboard. Now it's illegal in the US but still ain't 
cool. Perhaps someone should invent the positive flotation speedo 
pouches for men and the inflating bikini tops for women. I 
volunteer to blow them up. The bikini tops, I mean.

d) No anchor aboard. OK OK, it's a pain to put a small Danforth 
and 100' of 3/8" nylon aboard, but it can save your life. I bought a 
little Fortress for the job, it's small and light and can even be 
disassembled and put into a bag to take up less space. And being 
aluminium, it won't rust.

e) Breaking an oarlock and having no spare or even some small 
stuff (bits of rope) to jury-rig the oar. Have you ever tried to 
paddle your dinghy with only one sweep? It's possible to scull 
slowly in a dead calm, but forget it if you have to go far.

Just to see how easy it is to shuffle off this mortal coil, fill your 
rigid dinghy with water sometime in a safe place and get in. If it's 
still afloat, make sure that you know how to bail it and get going 
again. Learn how to climb in without capsizing it (har, most 
people can't do this). If it sinks, leave it there and buy an 
inflatable. 

If you have an inflatable, it is essential that you can row it, loaded, 
in at least a 15 knot breeze and a chop. If you can't, it's a death 
trap. That means most of the buggers. Test your oars and locks 
and if unsatisfied, buy a decent pair of 6 foot wooden oars and 
locks, glue a pair wooden blocks (not on the same side, Wally) to 
the inflatable with spare fabric and screw the oarlocks to it.

***VIDEO ON DINGHIES AND INFLATABLES

I haven't seen it yet, but I found a source for a video that some 
people might be interested in, "The complete how-to video on 
dinghies and inflatables - learn how to buy, maintain, stow, row 
and sail your dinghy or inflatable." At 49 minutes, the title is 
longer than the video. Boat/US Item 951824-10.

***COMING SOON
PVC inflatable boat patching - emergency and permanent. Long 
promised, but I've been just too busy to write it...
Foot pumps & Electric pumps
Them damn floorboards!
Stowing your tender on board
Can my dinghy be a practical survival craft?
Cleaning products for PVC inflatables reviewed

***COPYRIGHT AND WAIVERS
Publisher: Ray Thackeray, Sea Star Yachting Products, 1120B 
Ballena Boulevard, Alameda, 94501 USA 
PHONE: (510) 814-0471 
FAX: (510) 814-8030 
[email protected] 
IMPORTERS OF THE TINKER INFLATABLE SPECIALISTS 
IN QUALITY DINGHIES
Copyright (C995 Ray Thackeray. Permission to copy this 
publication in its entirety is granted universally and for all time 
provided that this paragraph accompanies all copies.

"TENDER TIPS" JUNE/JULY 1995
=============================
If you wish to be on the electronic distribution list, e-mail 
[email protected] 

This free fifth issue discusses the care and feeding of your 
tender, be it an inflatable, hard dinghy, folding boat, kayak or 
other form of secondary marine transportation - whether you 
row it, sail it or motor it. However, I don't know much about 
punting in deep anchorages.

Opinions and tips are invited and with your help this is growing 
into a regular monthly publication that every recreational boater 
will read.

***IN THIS ISSUE:
	Letters to the editor
	Footpumps and electric pumps
	Them damn floorboards!

Sorry I was again not able to complete the promised article on 
cleaning products for PVC inflatables, (April's issue of 
TENDER TIPS had a review of such for Hypalon boats) but I 
wasn't able to find a disgusting enough boat to experiment on. 
I'll try for the next issue.

***LETTERS TO THE EDITOR/THREADS
"When I was a lad, I served a term
As office boy to an attourney's firm.
I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor
And I polished up the handles on the big front door.
I polished up those handles so carefully,
That now I am the ruler of the Queen's Navy" 
	Signed Joe Porter.
	
	Dear Joe:
Stick close to your desk and never go to sea
And you may remain the ruler of the Queen's Navy.
                --Editor

From: Michelle Simon, 72256,74
Date: Fri, Jun 23
I just skimmed thru TENDER TIPS from May--lots of useful 
info.  Thanks.  Please add me to the electronic distribution list. 
By the way, I heard the suggestion about using Desitin to 
prevent fouling of hypalon inflatables--it probably would work, 
but would be incredibly messy--have you received any other 
feedback? We left our Avon in the Ches. Bay water for about a 
month last summer and it took hours (and many fingernails--the 
brushes didn't work) to clean the 1 in. of "junk" off--including 
barnacles. I like the idea of suspending the boat from a web 
sling with a spare halyard to just keep it out of the water from 
weekend to weekend--we'll try it soon. I have a 10 yr old Avon 
that is holding up well!
        --Michelle

	Dear Michelle:
Practical Sailor made the Desitin suggestion for anti-foulant on 
larger boats, and it would appear on the face of it that it's 
perfect for dinghies of all kinds, especially inflatables, if it 
works. I'm waiting for a report, folks.
                --Editor

From: Michael Cohn (SoCal), 71033,1571
Date: Mon, Jun 26, 1995
I have some yellowing of the ? vinyl ? on the seats of my only 
2 year old, always covered Avon, which will not come off 
short of using acetone, which I am NOT prepared to do for 
obvious reasons....does anyone know of a SERIOUS cleaning 
agent, or alternatively, how I can get in touch with Avon? 
thanks!     --MC

	Dear Michael:
Don't use acetone on vinyl (or PVC), it destroys the surface 
and it will get worse very quickly afterwards, collecting dirt 
and discolouring faster. See the April issue of Tender Tips for 
hints.
                --Editor

From: Robert Schramm, 73622,1652
Date: Sun, Jul 16, 1995
Over twenty years ago I built a Mirror Dinghy kit. It is a kit 
boat that originated from a design contest sponsered by the 
London Daily Mirror newspaper. Last year I completely 
repaired the interior and exterior. Now I need to find a new set 
of sails, main and jib. I'd like to know if there is a dealer in the 
states that has them, or find a good place to have new ones 
sewn. TIA for any information.
        --Robert

From: Peter Ripaldi, 73354,735
Date: Mon, Jun 5, 1995
I came across "such a deal" the other day. An 8 foot inflatable 
with a 2.2 hp motor for $600, of course the devil made me buy 
it. The only minor detail is I have no idea what make or model 
it is. However I knew that at least 1 person  out here would 
know what it is. Here's the info: 
A round black logo with an R in the middle (at least I think its 
an R) 
Around the logo is RIS ZAGREB OOUR SPORTNAUTIK 
GRADACAC
On one of the points on the stern is RIS 3
It's in good shape with a wooden 4 piece floor, we think it's a 
1989 model
The air valves have Halkey Roberts Corp 690 BV on them.          
Soooooooooo whats does i have?  --Pete

From: Bob Padlowski, 74541,720
Date: Mon, Jun 5, 1995
Hey! I don't believe it!  You've got yerself a Yugo inflatable!!!  
That jibberish (to us) is Yugoslavian, which I'm sure someone 
in this whole wide net can translate it exactly, but it's roughly 
"RIS (?) Zagreb (Yugoslavia, to those of you who flunked 
geography) Water Sport Factory".  
        --Bob

From: steven t. kerr, 74740,532
Date: Mon, Jun 5, 1995
You be havin' a RIS 3.  The material is hypalon (like Avon) 
supported by 1000 denier Trevira cloth, inside coated with 
neoprene.  Halkey Roberts valves are US made.  The boats are 
or were made in Croatia I believe.  I don't know whether they 
are still being imported.  Boats US house brand inflatables 
were made by RIS I think. The importer was Edwards Marine 
Products,  1926 6th Ave S.,  Seattle WA 98134   1-206-622-
2964.  I have a RIS 6 that I bought directly from Edwards.  I 
have a flyer that shows your boat to be 8'2" x 4',   load 
capacity 595lbs.,  (3-4 people), 5hp,  3 air chambers,  12" 
pontoon diameter.  If you'd like a copy of the flyer just E-Mail 
me your address.  I haven't used mine much but I'm pleased 
with the quality of materials.  

From: FRED CASTELLO, 72460,1322
Date: Sun, Jun 18, 1995
My Zodiac Dingy de-laminated (like many others of its type 
which are part of that Class Action law suit) and I need to buy 
another one.  Has anyone a strong opinion as to good value in 
this area.  I dont need a big one (8-9 feet) and would like to 
spend no more than $1200.00.  
            --Fred Castello 72460,1322  
            Capn of Wind Shadow IP 31 
            Chesapeake Bay, Deltaville VA

From: Henry Boswell, 75570,1643
Date: Sun, Jun 25, 1995
I have about a 10" Zodiac that I traded a canoe for. The transom 
came unglued from the main tube on one side shortly after I got 
the boat. I have tried twice to reglue it with special glue for 
inflatables, but with no lasting success. I tried to follow 
directions precisely. Is there a secret/ Is there any dealer in NC 
who would fix it for me? I'd appreciate any suggestions.
        --Henry

From: John M. O'Connor, 76101,3515
Date: Sun, Jun 25, 1995
Glueing an inflatable is an art  !!!! Do not know the age of your 
boat but the more recent Zodiacs are PVC which is alot easier to 
work with than the more common Hypalon. but you absolutely 
have to have the right glue.  Alot of prep/cleaning with MEK 
seems to be key with PVC. I would suggerst you call Zodiac 
and see what they recommend- they had a real delamination 
probelm for a couple of years and ended up with a class action 
suit in Calif  - your boat may be one of those - if so there 
maybe no solution - although the suit did  provide remedies to 
all owners - I have a Zodiac RIB that came after the problems  
and am very happy with it -Do not know of a dealer in NC but 
again Zodiac of North America in Stevensville, Maryland will 
be able to -Sorry can not find their phone number. Full address 
is PO Box 400 and zip is 21666.  Hope this is helpful -
        --John SV knockatoone/Annapolis 

From: David Puchkoff, 75120,3422
Date: Mon, Jun 26, 1995
< You can talk yourself into anything you want.
 I say, you mostly get what you pay for ...>
That might be true, but when we all can't drive around in 
BMWs, or sail in Hinckleys, we try to find the best alternative 
value. I'm trying to find someone who knows specifically 
about the Bear dinghy. Right now all I know is that the 
materials seem somewhat equivilent to Avon's, and the price is 
almost $1,000 less. Defender has privately contracted with 
Zeppelin Industries in Quebec to produce this knock-off. But I 
still don't know much about it. Thanks Louis for your sage 
advice, and your specific reference. I'll call them and see what 
they say.
        --David.

From: David Puchkoff, 75120,3422
Date: Tue, Jun 27, 1995
<From Chuck Hawley: Buyer beware: There is more to an 
inflatable than a claim that Hypalon is used. While Hypalon is 
probably present, it varies in % of the mixture, and in 
thickness. Unless a boat speficially uses Avon or Pennel and 
Flippo fabric, I would be very cautious.  You will also find 
numerous PVC boats which are superior to cheap Hypalon 
boats. Please note: I have no personal experience with the Bear 
inflatable you mention, but rather with dozens of other 
inflatables.>
Chuck, thanks for your suggestions. I called up the Bear 
distributor & he stated that the basic fabric is a polyester (for 
non-stretch & stiffness characteristics) coated on the interior 
with neoprene (to stop air seepage) with an 80% Hypalon 
(1100 Decitex Pennel & Flipo) coating on the exterior (for 
abrasion & UV protection). Avon uses Nylon as the base 
material (which can stretch), and coats the inside with Hypalon 
(which seems unnecessary as there is little abrasion or UV 
requirements on the inner lining). It seems the Bear dinghy by 
itself is a good value purchase. I think Avon's accessories 
(oarlocks, tow rings etc) might be of a higher standard. But for 
a $1,000 difference I can either live with those issues or replace 
them for one or two hundred dollars. Again, thanks for your 
warning of caution, it spurred me on to call the distributor. I 
wish I had a response from someone who has purchased & 
used the Bear.
        --David

From:	Michael B. Holt, Richmond, Virginia 
I'm hoping to purchase this weekend a small Sevylor
inflateable, the 9' K85 Caravelle.  Has anyone out there had 
any experience with these little boats? I'd like to know how 
careful I have to be to prevent puncture. How stable are they?  
How easy to paddle are they?  Do they leak air? The application 
for this vessel is to be the same as a canoe: to throw into the car 
and carry to interesting places where the water is still and thin.
        --Michael 

From: Eric Engel, [email protected]
Michael, I just bought the Fish Hunter HF360 from them and I 
am on my way right now to but it into the ocean (marina).  I 
only heard good things about the boat.  I am planning to put a 
small outboard on it.  It is 12' long.  I will let you know how it 
went today.
        --Eric 

From: Eric Engel, [email protected]
Ok.  I am back.  It really stunk.  I have exchanged the boat 
twice and even this third one had defects.  The internal  
chambers are not sealed off from each other.  A leak in the 
outer tube will let the air out of the main tube and leave you in 
the water with just an inflated bottom. I did get to row one 
around in Marina Del Ray for a few hours with my wife and 
really enjoyed it.  I just don't think the quality is there and will 
be taking mine (the third) one back tomorrow for a refund. 
Don't base your opinion solely on my experience. It might have 
just been a fluke.
        --Eric

***FOOT PUMPS AND ELECTRIC PUMPS
Tired of pumping up your inflatable by footpump? Sore legs? 
Chafe in your trousers? Here are some suggestions and 
thoughts on the pumps available on the market today.

What does a footpump do? In the case of inflatable boats, a 
number of things:

1)	Inflates the boat. You need about 3psi for a dinghy to 
be properly inflated, although there are some cheap brands that 
can't take that kind of pressure (such as Sevylor). Anything 
less than 3 psi is soft and flabby and can be quite unseaworthy. 
Incidentally, psi = pounds per square inch. I can't find a 
millibar conversion table at the moment.

2)	Deflates the boat. An ability to suck air out can be a 
boon when deflating, because it will compress the boat to the 
smallest possible size. Ever tried to get the last bit of air out of 
an inflatable? It's great sport watching two or three people lying 
on their flaccid, wet and slimy rubber ducks trying to squeeze 
the last bit out. Er, that doesn't read very well, does it?

3)	Keeps the boat inflated when there is a leak. This 
depends, of course, on whether you remembered to stow the 
pump in the boat before casting off for the deep blue sea.

MANUAL PUMPS
There is a small variety of manual pumps, most of them 
footpumps for a good reason-your legs are a lot more effective 
at pumping than your arms. If you don't believe me, try 
walking a mile on your hands sometime. 

Some pumps are low capacity, some are excellent, high 
capacity units (like the Avon pump), some are high quality, 
some are outright tosh. Here's my rating scale, totally 
subjective, derived from my own whim of the moment but 
guaranteed to be expostulated without a breath of alcohol except 
for that party last night, but this is what I think so damn you 
whining manufacturers if you don't agree with me; and don't 
bother to sue me-I'm broke!

Quality: Excellent, Fair, Rubbish (self-explanatory)
Capacity: High, Medium, Low (amount of air pumped in a 
stroke)
Pressure: Firm, Flaccid (Firm is better!)
Rated viz: Quality/Capacity/Pressure. Simple as that!

Bravo 6100. 5 litre bellows, nice screw fitting from pump to 
hose, $13 street price. ABS body/PVC bellows. Metal fittings 
rust easily. Inflates and deflates. Rubbish/Low/Flaccid.

Bravo 1. 5 litre, fibreglass/polyamide body/PVC bellows, 
street price $20. Metal fittings rust easily. Inflates and deflates. 
Fair/Low/Flaccid.

Bravo 2. 6.5 litre, fibreglass/polyamide body/PVC bellows, 
street price $27. Metal fittings rust easily. Inflates and deflates. 
Fair/Medium/Flaccid.

Bravo 10. 5 litre, fibreglass/nylon body/PVC bellows, street 
price $36. Metal fittings rust easily. Inflates and deflates. Has a 
pressure indicator so you don't overinflate the boat (Har, har, 
har). Fair/Low/Flaccid.

Bravo 6/6M Single/dual action standup handpump, capacity 
300 litres/min at 60 strokes/min (Har, har, har again). If a 5 
litre footpump does 5 litres per stroke times 60 equals 300 
litres/min, you tell me how you can do it with your arms as fast 
as your legs? $29 to $40 with guage. Fair/Low/Flaccid.

Sevylor Large Foot Pump. $20. Not rated because I have not 
tried one. Don't hold your breath. But it's probably better to 
save your breath to blow your boat up with.

Sevylor Double Acting Hand/Floor Pump. $32. 1.1 gallons of 
air per stroke (about 5 litres) with guage, not rated because I 
have not tried one.

Avon wooden foot pump. The only pump I know that inflates 
boats to a proper 3 psi or better. Stainless fasteners and 
varnished wooden body seem to last forever, and reinforced 
neoprene/nylon bellows don't deform much. A 250 pound man 
can stand on this pump at full pressure and it won't break. The 
metal fittings won't rust. The only way to go, but a pity they 
don't make it with a deflator fitting as well. I carry a second 
cheap Bravo pump for deflating dinghies. One of these Avon 
units will last better than 5 of the others. Typically $95 to $120. 
Excellent/High/Firm.
[Note, if you have problems finding these pumps, ask me - 
Editor]

ELECTRIC PUMPS
Here's where we hear some true bovine excretum. The bottom 
line is that I have not yet found a 12v electric pump that can 
achieve more than between 2 - 2.5 psi, which simply is not 
enough to properly inflate a rubber dink except maybe a 
Sevylor, which might go bang.

However, they do have their uses, and here they are:

1)	Fast and effortless inflation prior to topping-off with a 
foot pump. Except for the effort of getting out the 12v battery 
(and the attendant hernia), taking the pump out of its box, 
connecting the wires, pumping the air then disconnecting and 
stowing the wires, stowing the pump carefully because it can't 
stand up to sea water or air for long, then putting away the 
battery...

2)	Fast and very effective deflation (with the above 
caveats). One of these days, I am going to fit one of these 
electric pumps in my engine room with a hose fitting and 
switch on deck, to overcome the inconveniences.

3)	Inflating rubber women.

There are a few on the market and here is my rating scheme:

Quality: Excellent, Fair, Rubbish (self-explanatory)
Pressure: Stated maximum pressure by manufacturer. Don't 
believe it!!
Speed: # cu. ft. air per minute.	

LVM. $90. Excellent/3 psi/21.

Metro. $40. Medium/0.4psi/20.

Metro make a 110v a.c. unit too, that delivers 85 cu. ft./min. 
up to (they say) 2.06 psi. This sounds reasonable, at $115, for 
commercial use. However, I've seen advertised ratings of 
between 25 and 85 cu. ft./min. so I don't know what to believe 
yet.

Air America. $30. Medium/1.1/17.

Sevylor. $40. For toys. Rubbish/??/??

Coleman Inflate-All HV Inflator. $25. Their ad says "HV 
stands for High Volume, not High Pressure. Too much 
pressure can result in the blowout of your water sports 
inflatable" Ho, ho, ho. No rating because I haven't tried it.

Bravo Turbo 12T. At $160, this is a highly priced 12v unit, but 
it is touted to deliver 500 litres/min to 3.2 psi. I'll believe it 
when I see it, but the claim is good; this unit is supposed to be 
multi-staged so that might explain how they manage to get the 
high pressure. I'll try one some day, and if you have one please 
let me know your experience.

***THEM DAMN FLOORBOARDS!
Stowable inflatable boats come in various kinds: 

1)	Roll-up. The floorboards, which may or may not be 
extracted, roll up with the boat for stowing. The first roll-up 
was the 9 foot Tinker Tramp, which has painted marine 
plywood encapsulated floors. This boat concertinas down to a 
small size and the floor is not removable so cleaning grit, etc. is 
as easy as hosing down the inside - and the whole boat weighs 
only 58 lbs. Another quality roll-up is the Avon Roll-Away 
series, but they are rather heavy (the 9 foot boat is 90 lbs!) and 
if you really want to clean out the accumilated grit, you have to 
extract the clever roll-up floorboards, which is a pain in the 
arse.

2)	Slatted floorboards. These boards are light, simple slats 
that fit into pockets in the floor athwartships. An example is the 
West Marine Roll-Up Sport Dinghy RU260. This 8'6" boat is 
light at 39 lbs. These are slightly better than doughnuts though 
fairly slow under power.

3)	Inflatable floors. Avoid these like the plague!! The 
Zodiac Fastroller with the inflatable floor has a terrible 
reputation for punctures and the drop-stitching failures 
producing bulges. They appear to be very stiff and nice at the 
showroom, however.

4)	Extract-before-you-stow floorboards. Having one of 
these aboard is the most likely single cause for a mutiny. If 
HMS Bounty had them, Mr. Christian would have put a 
harpoon through the floor before casting off the unfortunate 
Captain Bligh. The Avon Rover 2.80 9 foot boat is a perfect 
example; even though it's a high quality boat, taking out the 
floorboards every time you stow the dinghy is a miserable 
experience, and the fittings and boards seem to go in differently 
every to you try to reassemble it. I'm surprised that examples 
of this type are still on the market, but the inflatable business 
moves slowly.

5)	Doughnuts. These are the most basic of inflatables, 
with the soft fabric floor and typical doughnut shape. Although 
relatively cheap, they are not to be recommended except as a 
simple, short-distance runabout. They typically don't come 
with an engine mount and they are also terrible to row or 
paddle. An awful compromise and pretty obsolete these days.

So what do I recommend? If your choice is to be a stowable 
inflatable dinghy, get a roll-up boat with built-in, roll-up 
floorboards. These are the latest design style and are an 
excellent compromise between powered performance, rowing 
capability, stability, weight and convenience. 

***COMING SOON
PVC inflatable boat patching - emergency and permanent. Long 
promised, but I've been just too busy to write it...
Stowing your tender on board
Can my dinghy be a practical survival craft?
Cleaning products for PVC inflatables reviewed

***COPYRIGHT AND WAIVERS
Publisher: Ray Thackeray, Sea Star Yachting Products, 1120B 
Ballena Boulevard, Alameda, 94501 USA 
PHONE: (510) 814-0471 
FAX: (510) 814-8030 
[email protected] 
IMPORTERS OF THE TINKER INFLATABLE 
SPECIALISTS IN QUALITY DINGHIES
Copyright (C)1995 Ray Thacker. Permission to copy this 
publication in its entirety is granted universally and for all time 
provided that this paragraph accompanies all copies.





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% Subject: TENDER TIPS June/July 1995
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