I have a 9 1/2 inflatable roll up that I haven't used for a number of years. I had repaired some small holes in the past and am pretty familiar with what needs to be done. When I pulled it out of my outdoor shed where it's been residing, I was alarmed to see that some of the outdoor critters had a feast. There are now at least three holes chewed out roughly 2-3 inches in diameter. I'm willing to try and repair them myself but would like some input on whether there is a different technique to repairing larger holes than smaller ones. Any other precautionary notes or advice?
Inflatable dinghy repair
- Thread starter nestorph
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ive not tried it, but id be concerned when applying the glue that it would get glued to the opposite side.. there is got to be a way to glue it while its semi inflated.. with low pressure
There are larger patches available for places like Defender, W.M., etc, as well as the Inflatable boat shops. Just use the right adhesive for the basic material of your dinghy and the patch material. Use the same material for the patch as you have on the dinghy.
That appears to be the consensus advice from different sources. I also found a good Youtube video showing the technique. Definitely a pain in the butt, but doable. Since I've got at least four holes to deal with, I should be pretty skilled by the time I finish!
We had the same problem, though perhaps with smaller or less hungry critters. Being patient with the glue setup/pressure on the patch times and making sure you're overlapping the hole by a large margin with your patch should help ensure success. Doubling the patch -both inside and outside - sounds like a good belt-and-suspenders approach.
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