replacing a towing ring......

jonstret · 13 July 2008, 21:14

Hi
I have a quicksilver 380hd and last weekend whilst pulling the boat back in from being at anchor the bow tow ring parted company from the boat !!!

Whilst I accept that it was a breezy day and the boat have been anchored up for 4 hours its fair to say I was a little surprised when the line went slack and the boat was drifting away !!!!!
Anyway.....
On inspection it looks like the stitching where the webbing attached to the boat has parted. It doesn’t look like there is much thread there. The boat is only 10 months old and this was its third time out and the first time it has been left at anchor or pulled in any serious way from the painter for anchor.

So, has anyone else experienced similar issue before? Does anyone know how easy this is to get fixed or replace? Can you recommend anyone to do this work?

I have taken the boat back to the shop where I bought it and I am hopeful that Quicksilver will repair under warranty.

Thoughts?

jyasaki · 14 July 2008, 03:41

Not sure what kind of bow ring you had on the QS, but I believe the one on my Achilles was secured by a piece of webbing stitched to a piece of hypalon, the hypalon was glued to the tube, and a hypalon cover was glued over that.

I'd assume that you cannot repair the thing in-place if it failed; you'd have to replace the entire assembly or at least remove it to repair it.

If the boat is under warranty, it sounds like someone elses problem.

jky

dim. · 14 July 2008, 20:00

Sorry can't help without seeing.
In very windy weather I am attaching anchor rope to D-rings on both tubes using U-loop rope.

m chappelow · 14 July 2008, 22:48

unless its taken off compleatly and put back on properley i think it it will always be a problem . i have had them come unstuck and tear in the past usually on older boats ,but if the old d ring patch is cleaned up with a wire brush and the hull is cleaned and buffed up with some decent adhesive and you really firmly press all the bubbles out you could make it ok again but just trying to stick it back where its coming away and you will always be at it . i never anchor with just the d ring unless its very calm ,i run the anchor line through the d ring but have all the strain taken on a floor board cleat or a bridle through the d ring and back to the transom under the boat .

m chappelow · 15 July 2008, 00:36

for really heavy use look at the size of the d ring patch its spread out about 2ft or 60cms wide .the top carabiner clip is used for anchoring in more than calm sea.

jonstret · 15 July 2008, 15:08

Yes that is certainly much much more robust than my setup. In my case it is the ring that has pulled out. The ring was held inplace by a webbing strap that is stiched into the patch. The patch is still attached and undamaged. (although I guess it is going to need to be removed to fix things)

I'm waiting on quicksilver now to come back and confirm whether they will fix under warranty

If not I guess I'll be looking for some more advice on how to remove the old patch and fix a new one in place. If I have to go down this route how easy is it to get a large bow ring like the ones you have?

jonstret · 11 August 2008, 21:58

Quicksilver say this is fair wear and tear and will not cover under warrenty :-(

I have tonight successfully removed the old patch with careful use of heat gun and removed all traces of the old glue.

I have a new patch arriving tomorrow and hope to glue it on tomorrow evening.

The question I have is should I inflate the boat and to glue the new patch or fix it without any air in the tubes?

With air in the tubes I can easily fit the patch but I'm guessing it will be more difficult to work out any air bubbles. With the tubes empty it is difficult to get the entire area flat enough to be sure their will be no wrinkles under the patch.

Any thoughts or advice?

prairie tuber · 12 August 2008, 05:09

That is really ugly customer service if you bought the boat new from the dealer 10 months ago, and upon having the D-ring patch separate on only its 3rd time being used, you are told by the manufacturer that it is normal wear and tear!

. That definitely is not normal wear and tear! Hopefully the dealer stand behind what they are selling and do something for you, rather than just passing the buck along to the manufacturer.

As for the inflate/deflate question, have the boat fully inflated when you initially press the patch into place to ensure you have it positioned correctly. Then deflate it, and place the tube over a smooth solid surface with a bit of a curvature that is radiused similarly to the inflated tubes' shape. Use a roller to firmly press the patch against the tube, squeezing any air bubbles & wrinkles out the edges of the patch. The reinflate the tube and double check that everything is still properly positioned and that no patch edges are lifting away.

Be sure to use a 2 part glue that is appropriate to the type of boat fabric you have. Are your tubes hypalon or PVC? Also make sure that the D-ring patch is of the the same fabric type as the tubes.

jyasaki · 12 August 2008, 16:39

You can glue PVC to hypalon and vice cersa; it takes a bit more doing (and supplies for both):

Prep each piece normally (sand, clean, roughen, clean, etc.)

Spread appropriate glue on each piece (PVC glue on PVC; hypalon glue on hypalon.) Allow glue to cure. Repeat until you run out of patience. On the last, wait until both are tacky (if the air curing rates are different, you may need to delay the last coat of the faster drying one.)

Slap them together and burnish normally.

The glues themselves should bond quite well to the other glue, and the material interfaces will be correct glue to the correct material.

jky

jonstret · 12 August 2008, 22:59

Thank you for your advice. I have received the PVC patch and glue bits today but had to work late so will have to wait until tomorrow to fit.

I'll let you know how it goes.