Need seam repair help. Have pics.

jefflee2k · 06 September 2010, 22:23

Please advise. I have glued patches on Hypalon before but never had to deal with a seam. Can I just glue the material back together or will I have to open up the seam some more? It seems like a pretty complicated junction. There are 3 pieces of material overlapping. Also, I have a bunch of 12" wide rubber skirting that I am about to attach for rubbing strake. Should I cover the whole outside seam with some of this or more hypalon? Thanks in advance for more great advice.

jeff

jyasaki · 07 September 2010, 03:23

Well, if that area came apart, the areas next to it are probably likely to go.

I would open it up a bit more (a heat gun helps a lot) until you get to a soundly glued area, and that should also help give you enough access to prep the surfaces.

Two things: Surface prep is key for an airtight repair, and you get one shot a aligning the parts when sticking them together.

There's a lot of info on here, or you can find guides on-line (Google "hypalon repair" or "inflatable boat repair" and you'll likely be busy for a while.

Luck;

jky

olekils · 08 September 2010, 18:03

Hi Jeff,
I am sorry, but I'm not exactly sure what I am looking at. Could you post a more zoomed-out shot of the area? Generally speaking, I would try to open the joint up a little more, prep with Toluene and re-glue, however you may be able to add an overlap patch from the outside, if the location allows for it. Is your tube holding air now?

Thanks,

Ole

jefflee2k · 08 September 2010, 23:37

I opened up the seam to get a better look and get down to good glue. The seam is at the bottom of the port tube where it meets the cone at the transom. There are about 4 seams that meet at this junction, so I put it in the shop to let the pros handle it. Thanks for the help anyway.

jyasaki · 09 September 2010, 15:52

Less of a headache that way, if a bit more expensive.

Luck;

jky

walruz · 09 September 2010, 17:41

I'd be sending that into a tube place myslef and I've tackled a nasty long gash (done onshore with a knife) myself.

When it comes to seams I'll leave it to the pros.

Ian

olekils · 10 September 2010, 19:32

Sounds good, that's a very tricky area to work as it's constantly thrashed by the water when running. If you have a chance, perhaps you can post some photos of how the pro's handle this kind of repair. Mine was much worse, and I was quoted $1000 to repair just one side which is why I went for it myself...

jefflee2k · 11 September 2010, 03:58

There were a total of 4 seams (tube, cone, wear patches) overlapping plus a piece of seam tape on the inside that had come loose. They are going to completely remove the patches and put everything back together 1 layer at a time and top off with a new wear patch. They quoted me 4 to 5 hours at $100/hr. They also suggested that I put wear patches over the other seams that contact the water while running, and treat the whole boat with "303" UV protectant, or liquid hypalon from a company on the west coast. I will get the product information when I pick the boat up. They said the tubes were in good shape for 17 years old, but suggested that the glue would gradually start to fail over the next few years.

I mentioned that was planning on ordering a set of inner tubes (bladders) from Henshaws, and they said that they had seen good results with that, but you had to pay close attention to the tubes, to make sure you don't take on a lot of water between the tubes and bladders if you get a leak. Also, they said the biggest problem they see, is running with the tubes under inflated. Pump'em up hard (3.5psi).

I will post some pics when I get it back.

olekils · 21 September 2010, 00:21

Sounds interesting! How much are the bladders going to run you? I did a bit of research and aside the Gemini bladders, I never found much. It seems several people have had bad experiences with Gemini stuff.
Thanks for posting your results!

Cheers,

ole

jefflee2k · 21 September 2010, 02:26

My bad. I said Henshaws, but I meant Inflatables Ribs Marine:

http://www.inflatablesribsmarine.com/index.html#repairs

I haven't got a quote from them yet, but I am hoping they are comparable to the prices listed on Gemini's site. I also haven't done any research into them yet. I have also read the bad reviews of Gemini.

Got my boat back, and their work looks great. As I was prepping the tubes to install the new rub rail, I got to picking at all of the seams and decided to go ahead and reglue a few spots where I was able to get a fingernail under the lip. Hopefully, next week I will have everything back together.