Are West Marine / Zodiac PVC Inflatables Ok?

[mcaswell]

We just got back from our 5 day trip. On the first day, after going ashore for a while then returning to the boat, the floor of the dinghy (West Marine RU-260) began to peel away, eventually becoming almost completely detached as we slowly motored back to the boat.

So, it's time to buy a new dinghy, and I had pretty much settled on the West Marine HP-310 (high-pressure floor). But now I'm wondering if perhaps that's a bad decision, based on what just happened. But I also don't want to unfairly judge West Marine's Zodiac inflatables, since there are other factors that might have contributed to the problem.

The dinghy was purchased in 2004, and was used for 3 or 4 trips in 2004 and 2005 (stored deflated in our garage in between trips). After Katrina in 2005, the dinghy was not used at all until we purchased a new boat this past November. We've used it for one trip in November, and has been stored rolled up on the deck of our boat since then.

Is 7 months of improper storage (full sun exposure) enough to cause this kind of failure?

--Michael

 

[sailingdog]

That doesn't look like UV damage, but more like an adhesive failure, where the adhesive holding the bottom to the tubes has failed. BTW, seven months of UV exposure isn't good for the dinghy.

 

[mcaswell]

That doesn't look like UV damage, but more like an adhesive failure, where the adhesive holding the bottom to the tubes has failed.

Yes, I forgot to mention... the floor itself did not rip, but rather peeled right off of the tubes.

BTW, seven months of UV exposure isn't good for the dinghy.

Yeah, I recently realized that, and intended to fabricate some sort of cover for it. Naturally, the new dinghy will be stored properly.

--Michael

 

[Prime Time]

Common Problem

I know of quite a few similar failures of floors on PVC boats. Multiple brands. The glue gives way. It can be fixed as a do it yourself job. West sells special (expensive) glue for PVC. Some members out there probably can recommend a cheaper alternative.

 

[RichH]

I've used a WM/GroupZodiac (- dont know the mod., etc. but it has a hard fiberboard 'insert' floor) continuously / daily for the past 3 years with NO problems. This inflatable is 'hard used' - dog has to 'go' at least twice per day when traveling. Most of this time its been in direct sunlight and/or hanging from my davits. This is a PVC inflatable with 'welded seams'. Still seems OK after 3 years of 'hard use'; but, I do keep a large 'patch kit' with me - due to all the horror stories about PVC inflatables.

BTW - I bought the boat during a 'clearance' at WM ... and after a good friend who is the store's manager convinced me of the economic advantage: I could buy a new PVC dinghy (with welded seams) every three years and still be economically way ahead of a Hypalon inflatable. So far after 3 years, he was right.

I do occasionally apply "303 UV protectant".

 

[higgs]

I have a WM 8 footer with slat flooring. I have had it for over 5 years and it is still going strong. I probably leave it in the water for 3 months each season.

 

[RAD]

I have a 2000 WM HP floor model and never again will I own a PVC inflatable, this model does hang on the davits all summer and has had failed do to seams letting go,also have a sticky substance that I cannot get rid of no matter what I clean it with.
I'm thinking of re coating the whole dink with a special paint designed for inflatables
BTW
I have a 22 year old Achilles hypalon that has no problems what so ever other than aged looking

 

[Steve Dion]

Michael: There are NO redeming qualities with PVC dinks except that they are a couple of bucks cheaper. If you leave them out in the sun 24x7 for two years I think that everyone of them would fail.

If you need a cheap go-to-shore dink that you put back in the bag every weekend, they are *ok* but still not worth a shit.

I have a Caribe that we have had since 1994. It needs a pump every weekend and will hold the air for about 4-5 days, but is in need of work. This dink has been out in the sun since 1994, need I say more?

 

[mcaswell]

Thanks for the responses. My first reaction is to go with another WM boat (the PVC HP-310 mentioned above, currently on sale for $1099), with the understanding that it's essentially a disposable boat... if I can get 5 years out of it, I'd be happy. We're not full-time cruisers, so our dinghy usage is fairly light, typically one "big" (well, big for us) trip per summer, as we just returned from, and several short/overnighters as well. A PVC boat is "good enough" for us.

Or is it?

This incident seriously crippled us on this trip. It happened on day one, and we were faced with the possibility of not being able to go ashore for the rest of the trip. A phone call to a fellow sailor I met through this forum (Tom Pfleeger) gave us an option... he would have met us in Biloxi the next day to run me over to the local WM so that I could buy a replacement. But in the end, we decided not to hastily buy a new dinghy under these conditions.

Instead, we decided to limp through the rest of the trip with a floor-less dinghy (though we did get some strange looks and funny comments)...

We had to carefully select our anchorages based being as close to shore as possible, and limited the number of trips ashore, and went VERY slowly. We had a great time on this trip (our first big trip since Katrina), but we would have undoubtedly had an even better time with a fully-functional dinghy.

So, I think it's worth it for even casual cruisers like us to spend the extra money for a more durable dinghy... I'll be ordering an Achilles or maybe a Walker Bay Odyssey.

--Michael

 

[Terry in Naples]

Here in SW Florida no one buys anything but Hypalon. The Zodiak boats with the PVC all do exactly like yours did. Not everyone has indoor storage for their dinghy most set them on davits or on the hard on top. I had a similar experience with a Zodiak bombard. Lasted 2 summers in the sun and the bottom fell off. No warranty and no one would repair it. It is the material not WM.
T

 

[Dromquinna]

We purchased a 6-year-old Avon (Hypalon) 10 years ago from a friend. The floor is plywood. Admittedly, it is a bit of a pain to store the wooden floor and to re-oil it every year; and of course you can't roll it up. But, the boat still works well after 16 years of being in the sun at a dock all season (6 months in North Atlantic). We have had a few tube leaks (mostly our fault) and at least one water leak (probably our fault again), but the patches work. We paint the bottom every year since it is always in the water. One small additional advantage: it is very heavy in the water. A couple of years ago a microburst blew through our area. It tore every other dinghy, including hard ones, off the dock. The newspaper picture showed a lone Avon still tied up. Adding to the weight was the 1/2 inch of water in the bottom from a slow water leak. Sometimes older is better. Do the math: Is a "disposable" boat really worth it?

 

[Patrick S/V Shangra-La]

Michael: There are NO redeming qualities with PVC dinks except that they are a couple of bucks cheaper. If you leave them out in the sun 24x7 for two years I think that everyone of them would fail.

If you need a cheap go-to-shore dink that you put back in the bag every weekend, they are *ok* but still not worth a shit.

I think you're a bit tough Steve. I have a zodiac PVC it's 7 years old with the inflatable floor. Granted I keep it rolled up in the shed most of the time. When I need it though, with an electric pump it's ready to go in 5 minutes. It has met my needs and does well with a 3.5hp tohatsu motor. I got it used, for a song and a dance, and could not be happier.

 

[Chris Burti]

It is the adhesive that is the problem and it is heat, not sun that causes the problem. It happened to my Zodiac, which was repaired under warranty. I had been storing it in a hot garage. Get the repair adhesive from a discount supplier clean off the old adhesive and re-glue the floor. Store it in a cool place when not in use. It will make a good back-up even if you get a new dinghy.

 

[seadaddler]

I vote

I vote to get a dinghy with an air floor,which is easy to roll up and pack away in the little carry bag and very light.
Look around for a good used one,a friend just got a Mercury for $600 and he packs it away when not needed.
nick

 

[Bob S]

My 1996 WM did the same thing last year. I wonder if towing her behind us on all our adventures caused it. I bought a Zodiac Zoom 2006 on Craig's List. I plan on rolling it up ant re-inflating it when we get there. Maybe dinghy davits.

 

[MrBee]

My dinghy is about as old as fiberglass and the bottom has never come off.... Oh that's right.. my dinghy IS fiberglass.
just had to throw that in there.

Bee

 

[bffatcat]

inflatable dinghys

Ive got A 1975 Avon hypalon dinghy I bought new. Ive still got it. It works fine. No trouble
no leaks, water or air etc: I store it rolled up in the cabin

 

[Rich Stidger]

Michael, I think your picture tells the answer....

In my experience PVC dinghies are a poor choice. I also had a Zodiac and had the floor separate on a Maine cruise. It nearly trashed our trip. I got some of the two-part PVC glue and did an emergency repair on my foredeck. This incident cost us two days time.

Early in the season the next year we arrived at our boat to find the dinghy had exploded and was deflated on the deck. We took the day and bought a Achilles hypalon dinghy.

Our previous Achilles lasted 20+ years. The Zodiac PVC lasted 6 years with trouble for 3 of those 6. All seam issues except for the explosion where the fabric just parted.

If you want a matched pair of bottomless dinghies, buy another PVC.

If you want a dinghy that actually floats and you can put stuff in, buy a hypalon.

 

[mcaswell]

Rich,

Actually, the bottomless dinghy did have one redeeming feature... it made arriving at and departing the beach really easy (though we looked like the Flintstones version of boating). Of course, this convenience was completely negated by the utter tediousness of getting on and off the dinghy at the boat.

--Michael

 

[DougM]

I don't know whether its a myth or fact, but I had been told many times over the past few years that if you use a dinghy in salt water it had better be Hypalon. If in fresh water PVC is fine.

Bear in mind: There are West Marine brand inflatables and Zodiac Brand inflatables. Don't confuse the two. There are significant differences in quality. It appears that the West branded types come from China.