repair or trash?

DoGoodDrugs · 23 March 2008, 22:40

Hello Everyone, I'm new to this forum and was hoping someone could help me with my problem. Maybe 5-7 years ago a guy gave me a Sea Eagle GT 25. This is an inflatable boat, wooden keel, transom, and floors. I believe it has PVC tubes and bottom. When i got the boat the bottom was separating from the tubes and probably a small leak or two somewhere. I put the boat in a barn where it has been sitting since then. I just lost my little jon boat and thought maybe this was worth repairing. I went and took a look at it today and along with the floor coming apart from the tubes some other handles, rings, etc. were coming unglued. I saw what appeared to be a seam on the bottom of one of the tubes, the seam was about an inch wide, and looked like it was peeling apart maybe an 1/8th to 1/4 inch.

So is this boat worth repair? i can tell it would be a lot of work but in the end if i do the repair right would it have some years left in it? I've done a little research on how to repair it. Seems like i just remove the old glue (it looks like the floor maybe have been re-glued in there with the wrong kind of glue) and re-glue the parts in with correct kind of glue.

Nos4r2 · 23 March 2008, 22:58

If the tubes still hold air it's worth a go.

jyasaki · 24 March 2008, 15:18

If you are going to repair, the most important part of the gluing operation is surface preparation. Get everything loose off, roughen the surface, clean with solvent, then start gluing.

PVC can be a chore, I think, because the material tends to change over time as the plasticizers migrate out (which is also why it becomes brittle.)

Still, you've already got the boat, so the worst that'll happen is you'll be out the cost of adhesives and whatever number of hours you put into it. I'd give it a try.

Some good info on here:

http://www.nrsweb.com/repair/inflatable.asp?tn=50

http://www.allinflatables.com/support/pvc.html

http://www.jpwinc.com/repglue.html

Luck;

jky