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Old 19 August 2011, 20:13   #1
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Country: UK - England
Town: Shoreham-by-Sea
Boat name: Orange
Make: Metzeler
Length: 3m +
Engine: Outboard,petrol 6hp
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 19
Just bought a Metzeler Juca needing repair - is it Hypalon or PVC?!

Hi all,

I've just bought this fantastic old inflatable Metzeler Juca. I’ve posted some photos below. It’s generally in not bad condition, though has had a couple of patches, and I’ve found 2 further leaks. It was sold as such and the price I paid reflected that – I like a project!

However, I do need to find out whether the boat is made from Hapalon or PVC in order to make the repairs. I know the old ones were Hypalon but the newer ones were PVC – after 1989 I believe.

I’ve tried some of the tests which I’ve found published on a couple of websites, namely applying a small amount of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) on a cloth where PVC would go tacky – that didn’t seem to be the case with my boat. The other test was to sand the surface where Hypalon would produce a dust but PVC would be just scratched – it did seem to produce a dust, but could that just be paint? So the tests are not very conclusive. Also, I can’t access any areas where I can see the inner surface to see if it’s the same colour which would be the case for PVC.

Can anyone suggest anything? To be honest, the material does have a fairly shiny finish and feels quite PVC like, but the tests I did above suggest Hypalon, albeit not conclusively. Can Hypalon have a shiny finish? Samples I’ve felt do feel more rubbery, but is that always the case?
I suppose I could just buy some Hypalon glue and PVC glue and see which sticks best – would it be obvious if I had the wrong glue?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! The boat is definitely worth saving.

Many thanks,

Roger

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Old 20 August 2011, 09:38   #2
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Country: Finland
Town: Helsinki
Boat name: SR 5.4
Make: Avon
Length: 4m +
Engine: Toh1 3,5 Yam 90/2S
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 919
Here might be the clue:

*******
Hast du das Baujahr von der Juca oder die ersten 3 Ziffern der Seriennummer?
Wenn ein "XDC" vorne steht ist es ziemlich sicher aus PVC, wenn "LPM" dran steht eher aus Hypalon.
*******
Schlauchbootforum
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Old 20 August 2011, 10:09   #3
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Country: UK - England
Town: River Hamble
Length: 6m +
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 726
They are Hypalon
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Old 20 August 2011, 23:04   #4
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Country: UK - England
Town: Shoreham-by-Sea
Boat name: Orange
Make: Metzeler
Length: 3m +
Engine: Outboard,petrol 6hp
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 19
Sorted! It's pvc. Boat now repaired and tested on the sea on a beautiful calm summer evening. Very slow puncture remaining but otherwise great.
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