Dinghy Repair

[fishingdad]

AFter a big wind I discovered a 6"x8" area on the dinghy that the grey outer layer has rubbed off. Still hold pressure though. Is there a coating or paint to restore the outer coating or does it need a patch? Its on a ranger tug dinghy (2016)

 

[Chimo]

AFter a big wind I discovered a 6"x8" area on the dinghy that the grey outer layer has rubbed off. Still hold pressure though. Is there a coating or paint to restore the outer coating or does it need a patch? Its on a ranger tug dinghy (2016)

When this happened to me years ago I thought about taking the risk and then I patched. Never regretted it.

 

[Martin610]

Definitely patch. You have a weak spot there now.

If you haven't done it before, Defender and other places have patch kits with larger patches. Use two part adhesive. Good prep is key. There are some good YouTube videos on this.

 

[Ralf H]

Hi Martin610,

As others already mentioned, patching may resolve the chafe on your dinghy. You have to be the ultimate judge though, by inspecting the damaged area properly and making sure the material is still serviceable enough to be patched. Unless it got badly damaged and the chafe removed a lot of surface material, it may be fine. But it is still important to check. I've never had this happen on any of our dinghies, so cannot vouch for how thick that surface layer is and how much it affects the layers underneath. Just use your best judgment and perhaps just test the patch afterward by inflating the dinghy and seeing if you lose any air, and by checking to make sure the bond between the two materials is good.

Cheers!

Ralf

 

[Martin610]

Ralf,

I was not the OP, fishingdad was.

However, I'm surprised you're saying it has never happened to any of your dingys. I think its pretty common. In my case I had some chafing where I hit a rock just under the water. My chafed area was small, but no big deal to patch it, even with a larger area of damage.

-martin