Out in the Cold!

Keith Hart · 06 October 2001, 23:28

I will be up in Scotland for the new year and weather permitting plan to get the boat out. I was out in March this year in the Cromarty Firth and it was so cold that there were sheets of ice in the water!

I noticed that the boat was harder to pack away as the fabric was cold. Does the cold have any effect on an inflatable boat? Are there any problems associated with these types of boats in very cold weather?

Keith Hart

Alan Priddy · 07 October 2001, 12:13

Hi Keith

Check out www.offshore-expeditions.com and have a look at the Atlantic Challenge page. You will see that your idea of cold is miles away from what cold really is. To my knowledge, most tubes are ok to about minus 40! it is the glue that is the weak area. Unless you have to deflate the tubes, they are better off being inflated for trhe winter.
Cheers

Alan P

Keith Hart · 07 October 2001, 12:53

Brrrrrrrr...

Now THAT'S cold .

I shall now consider myself a bit of a whimp if I don't take my boat out in January, in a force 9, naked and with razor wire wrapped around the seat!

I did have the feeling that it was better to leave it inflated for the winter. It is in my garage up at our house in Scotland. I just took a little bit of pressure off the tubes. I flushed the engine with fresh water, polished it up and sprayed all the exposed metal bits with WD40 (tool box in a tin - great stuff).

Cheers

Keith Hart