Cheapest alternative to a re-tube?

[JoshJ]

Hi all, just looking for any last suggestions before I sell off my 2001 5.5m Prestige cat hull rib (130hp) with great disappointment
The hypalon glue keeps coming away and one repair just leads to another burst. According to the local rib shop it's a known problem with the brand and I'm looking at a AU$14,000 replacement cost for the tube alone.

I paid $7000 for the thing and it was a lot of fun for a while, but then it started to lose air too fast for the on board compressors to keep up with. The internal baffles are all gone and the main leak is the front right corner join, and when I opened it up to reglue the seam I found all the internal seam layers look like they're pulling away. So a safe repair is unlikely to be an option. I think the fact that the previous owner sprayed it black just before selling it to me probably sped up the glue deterioration.

I've been trying to work out the cheapest possible way to keep the hull afloat out to my dive sites. The following are ideas I've had and in most cases found some evidence of being done before, but want more feedback on:

A) Foam-fill the old tubes (but takes on water and makes it heavy, hard to fill evenly, can crack).
B) stuff the tubes full of pool-noodles or beanbag beans (but beans are pricey and it still needs to hold air).
C) replace the tubes with inflatable fenders or boat rollers end-to-end (my top pick currently).
D) fabricate some aluminium tubing (but likely pricey).
E) keep it on the plane and hang floats around it to stop it sinking at rest.
F) glass up the sides so it's no longer an inflatable (or just transfer engine/jockey/steering/A-frame to a runabout).
G) join round plastic chemical drums end to end all around.

Obviously I have no interest in making it look nice, it just has to be cheap and unsinkable. If anyone has any solutions or experience with any of the options, please speak up!

Cheers, Josh.

Perth, Western Australia.

[whisper]

I think you can get inner tubes made up?

[JoshJ]

Originally Posted by whisper

I think you can get inner tubes made up?

Yep but pricey. I stuffed an inflatable exercise ball in through the valve hole to test the idea, a perfect fit but hard to ram them down the end when inflated.

[whisper]

$14k sounds way over the top for new tubes, have you shopped about?

[Chris]

What about sticking fresh hypalon strips over all the seams. If its just the seams that are coming apart this might ok?

[Smithyyy]

These people specialise in the inner tube idea and seem to have it well sorted, and pricing doesn't look too bad. And at least the exchange rates in your favour!

Inner tubes

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Smithyyy

These people specialise in the inner tube idea and seem to have it well sorted, and pricing doesn't look too bad. And at least the exchange rates in your favour!

Inner tubes

Hmmm.... Search them on here before thinking about it. They don't have a good reputation.

[chewy]

Originally Posted by Smithyyy

These people specialise in the inner tube idea and seem to have it well sorted, and pricing doesn't look too bad. And at least the exchange rates in your favour!

Inner tubes

They specialise in feck all!

[Poly]

JoshJ,

Certainly pay attention to the warnings above about that particular way of obtaining inner tubes. Their may be other people who could make you something similar though.
The approach seems to work OK as a bodge for fixing tubes - its just that the only supplier specifically marketing it is not well regarded. He has told a number of people that his is no longer trading although the website seems to still exist.

I also think your price for a retube is way OTT though. I'd have thought by shopping around you should be able to get it much cheaper than that. e.g. Barnet Marine Centre - Retubing service for ALL Makes of Rib will give you an idea of UK prices for retubing in polyurethane. From what I can see there is not a huge difference in cost compared to doing the same in hypalon. You would have no VAT to pay in the UK but you may have local import taxes etc. You would have shipping cost to pay, but those are fitted prices and since you don't seem scared of doing some work yourself could avoid that, which I guess would cancel out the shipping cost. So you could be looking less than $6000 aus. That is still alot of money but your boat would still have reasonable value whereas tubes filled with anything probably will not.

Your idea of replacing the tubes with some sort of 'fender/float' it probably sound on some craft where the tubes seem to have been added as an after thought - but it looks to me like they are fairly fundamental to keeping water outside your boat and it would be difficult to engineer some floats/fenders to do the same job.

[r mcdonald]

Josh's
I think I know where you got your quote from.i think you could get a much better price from a UK tube manufactuter. You will need to pay freight,gst,and a customs broker but you will be $1000s better off. I would contact henshaws or tilley for starters.
Regards
Rpm

[Christopher]

Perfectly feasible to put inner tubes inside the leaking chambers. We do what we call an emergency bladder which is made in one size to suit most sizes of air chambers. It is made from a welded PU film, which is very flexible and when inserted in the chamber and inflated, will expand and fill all the voids. The bladder has a C7 valve and will last for a reasonable period of time, certainly give you a few years of use. Just have to cut a small hole in the tube , insert the bladder, with the valve accesible, glue a patch around the hole, which does not have to be air tight of course and inflate the bladder. Works well for both straight air chambers as well as the bow chamber.

Available to order here Emergency bladder - Henshaw Inflatables Ltd

Alternatively of course you could have a new tube made. Likely cost would be in the region of £2,800.00 excluding freight. That price would be for the basic tube in 1300gsm(1100Dtex) Hypalon coated fabric with a fitting kit including strake, handles, fitting fabric and lifeline patches and line. The only drawback is that you would have to ship either the Port or Starboard sides of the old tubes back to copy. The price of Aus $14,000 seems to be ridiculous in the extreme. Time to open an Australin branch I think!!!

[Poly]

I've just walked past a big bit of plastic gas pipe... it reminded me somewhat of 'flugga boats' (8m Fluggaboat) and I wondered if you could find a way of capping the ends and using something like that?

[kubcat]

Josh, I am in Sydney and Dockitjet in Queensland sold me a set of brand new Hypalon tunes for my 5.6m Dockitjet for $3000 from memory. Not sure if Steve can make you what you need but may be worth a try. They are quite well made. Google Dockitjet in Queensland.

Having said that, my bigger boat has Henshaws tubes and the quality is significantly better. I would love Henshaws to open a branch in Sydney.

I really like the Henshaws emergency tubes. Looks like they will get you out of trouble and keep some sort of resale on the boat for not a lot of money.

Having imported boat bits many times, keep each individual package under $1000 if possible. That is freight and item. Not only will you pay no gst or customs duty, you will also avoid the parasitic customs brokers. I just paid $1500 customs brokers fees and taxes on a $1500 gearbox that I had already paid $1500 to get it shipped from the US. And it was in the customs brokers hands for almost 3 months. Don't get me started.

As for freight companies, DHL and UPS are ones to avoid as they add gst and taxes and other fees sometimes on items under $1000 and will not give you your item until you pay. They then threaten you with storage fees if you question them and give you some baloney about how you can get a refund from the government if they are wrong. Sorry, rant over.

[JoshJ]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the suggestions. I've decided to stick to my original budget and not further extend myself, so I've advertised it locally for basically what the engine and trailer are worth. Hopefully someone has a slightly bigger budget and will simply stick some new tubes on it and this beautiful boat won't go to waste.

[kubcat]

3 Henshaws emergency tubes and freight will be around AU$250. If you are neat with the slice and hole for the valve, it probably would not be very obvious. Cheaper than foam filling or perhaps even pool noodles and the shape will probably look a lot better which were some of your original suggestions.

But I see your point, to get it right it needs a retube and a fair sized budget and selling it may be the way to go.

[Rogue Wave]

like the bladder

[BogMonster]

Hmm. Tube inserts ... quite a familiar concept though not one I want to see again any time soon

http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/explodin...2-a-22371.html

[foxinsox8]

Originally Posted by Poly

JoshJ,

Certainly pay attention to the warnings above about that particular way of obtaining inner tubes. Their may be other people who could make you something similar though.
The approach seems to work OK as a bodge for fixing tubes - its just that the only supplier specifically marketing it is not well regarded. He has told a number of people that his is no longer trading although the website seems to still exist.

I also think your price for a retube is way OTT though. I'd have thought by shopping around you should be able to get it much cheaper than that. e.g. Barnet Marine Centre - Retubing service for ALL Makes of Rib will give you an idea of UK prices for retubing in polyurethane. From what I can see there is not a huge difference in cost compared to doing the same in hypalon. You would have no VAT to pay in the UK but you may have local import taxes etc. You would have shipping cost to pay, but those are fitted prices and since you don't seem scared of doing some work yourself could avoid that, which I guess would cancel out the shipping cost. So you could be looking less than $6000 aus. That is still alot of money but your boat would still have reasonable value whereas tubes filled with anything probably will not.

Your idea of replacing the tubes with some sort of 'fender/float' it probably sound on some craft where the tubes seem to have been added as an after thought - but it looks to me like they are fairly fundamental to keeping water outside your boat and it would be difficult to engineer some floats/fenders to do the same job.

The OP's quote is sadly pretty typical of the crazy prices asked for retubes in Australia. I think importing is the better option but then you are still likely to be fleeced for the work of putting the new tubes on the hull. Inflatable Boat Worx in Melbourne is one of the better operators in Oz. cheers Tim

[GARYSHORT]

What about flexible hypalon paint? Multiple thin coats and sanding between each for a smooth finish. If you have a lot of pin hole leaks, then some sealer on the inside (polymarine or toobseal).

[A1an]

I’m reckoning he’s sorted or flogged it by now.