Repair time! - Page 2

renegade · 14 July 2011, 18:35

screw out the valve and put your finger in the hole fi you feel the fibres ?

after looking around seems you have over inflated the floor to cause the bubble

The West Advisor: Inflatable Boats

Patrik · 14 July 2011, 18:46

yup feel the fibers... Feels like rope almost.

Oh yes it's possible that's what's been done. It occurred with just a little air in it when I first filled it, but it's quite possible someone has over inflated it before. I didn't look much at that part before I bought it sadly.

Any ideas what can be done? Nothing? Throw it away?

Dino89 · 14 July 2011, 18:50

its hard to go above 11psi even with the 2 stage foot pump , and the electrics like bravo stop at 11.5 , so its baffling me why its happenend !
but can imagine it will just getter bigger now its started and you need the pressure to get a good rigid floor which is fundemental to these boats, ron hale marine are authorised bombard repairers they may have an explanation you can send them a photo!

Patrik · 14 July 2011, 18:52

Maybe someone has used a big old compressor for it before? Pushed in 50 psi or something... I'll have a try with them.

renegade · 14 July 2011, 22:37

read some where its either get a new floor or get some marine play cut to size and make to go over the top ? make sure you spend time sanding the edges .... supose there is the option of getting some realy good 2 part glue cut a peice of ply to the same shape as the damaged air deck and stick it to it ?

Max... · 15 July 2011, 06:41

A new air floor will cost a fortune - best solution is to find a wooden floor from the same boat complete with all the stringers or create a new ply floor in one piece, except for the bow section which will need to be able to flex.

Patrik · 15 July 2011, 06:50

Yes I suppose that's right. How will this bubble affect the boat for now, won't it handle?
I so wish I had seen this before I bought it.
There's no way to stop it from keeping unlaminate?
There's not different layers in there that's gluable with some open surgery?
So damn sad since I found that the leak is not that bad AND not difficult to patch.

Patrik · 15 July 2011, 06:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by renegade

read some where its either get a new floor or get some marine play cut to size and make to go over the top ? make sure you spend time sanding the edges .... supose there is the option of getting some realy good 2 part glue cut a peice of ply to the same shape as the damaged air deck and stick it to it ?

Yes I've been thinking of plywood.. No idea how I would make that work or look ok.. Theres no stiff plastic material that could hold the bubble down?
Have you seen anyone mentioning doing something similar?

I wonder if it's gotten loose both up and down or just on one side. I suppose it's the glue or whatever in there that's lost it's struggle, not the actual fibers going bust? Guess that's no help though.

Max... · 15 July 2011, 08:17

To be honest Patrik (as per all the recent 'which boat' topics and eBay links) I would just get a boat that is in perfect condition - there are so many 2.7m to 3.4m Zodiacs/Quicksilver etc SIBs listed every day on eBay that are virtually as new and barely used and sell for £400 - £600 having cost the original owner £1200 - £1400 a few years back. That way you have zero worries or hassle and you are straight out on the water. It can be fun doing up an old boat if you have the skills/time and you get it for peanuts of course but...

Dino89 · 15 July 2011, 08:33

if the floor is fooked the boat is useless and i dont see how you will ever get it ridgid with the bubble think its most likely to get bigger , a new floof is going to be at least a grand so thats not really justifiable, ply floor i think is unrealistic i did wonder though wether it would be possiblie construct as sleeve/ box out of perspex or ply or some other way , that slips over the back to compress the bubble would be a bit of work probably woundnt look to great but my do a job, think it would have to be something along these lines
speak to ron hale marine see if this is known to them , these boats do come with a 5 year manufacturers warranty , i had my 420 back to bombard on 3 occasions under warranty, how old is the boat just check the plate on it should have a date there

Scarlet-Jester · 15 July 2011, 08:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dino89

thought you had to use pvc 2 part glue that link is for hypalon glue!

DOOOH! Is that why all my patches are falling off!!

It was to point out that there is a hypalon equivalent....

Scarlet-Jester · 15 July 2011, 08:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrik

Yes I suppose that's right. How will this bubble affect the boat for now, won't it handle?
I so wish I had seen this before I bought it.
There's no way to stop it from keeping unlaminate?
There's not different layers in there that's gluable with some open surgery?
So damn sad since I found that the leak is not that bad AND not difficult to patch.

When did you buy it Patrick and who did you buy it off? Did the description match what you bought (that does seem like a silly question :P ) You do have rights as a consumer being miss sold things as well! It may be worth calling the citizens advice as well – you have nothing to lose!!

Patrik · 15 July 2011, 09:07

Yes I was thinking in the terms of a sleeve too. In some material that won't budge by the air, but still be just a bit flexible so it doesn't harm the rest of the boat. Some kind of hard plastic like you said. If it would work well I wouldn't be too bothered about the look! And I can't sell the boat without telling about the flaw now either so my money's lost... Might just as well do a try to fix it.

All warranty is gone, it's a 2003.

Patrik · 15 July 2011, 09:12

Just bought it off some dude... I looked at it inflated, saw the patches and knew about a slow leak. That's what I was told about and what was mentioned. I just missed the bump in the back! Didn't really know what to look for either. But then when I inflated it myself I saw the bump coming up right away, as I was watching it inflate more carefully. Too bad for me...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarlet-Jester

When did you buy it Patrick and who did you buy it off? Did the description match what you bought (that does seem like a silly question :P ) You do have rights as a consumer being miss sold things as well! It may be worth calling the citizens advice as well – you have nothing to lose!!

Patrik · 15 July 2011, 09:19

Yes I got too excited for finding a Bombard in sweden for a good price too... And I only thought I needed to find and repair one or several slow leaks, which I'd be happy to do. Of course I got a wake up call when I saw that bubble...
The aerotecs is not available here, not new nor used. I've been looking at ads in UK but almost no one wants to ship them over here.
However, in retrospect I should probably have gone for some other model that is available here. Perhaps the stupid boats on the grocery store would have been better to put my money in.

However, before I throw it out I'd like to try the sleeve thing, anyone knows of a good plastic that wont bend but still be flexible enough to take some hits and to not tear the rest of the boat?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max...

To be honest Patrik (as per all the recent 'which boat' topics and eBay links) I would just get a boat that is in perfect condition - there are so many 2.7m to 3.4m Zodiacs/Quicksilver etc SIBs listed every day on eBay that are virtually as new and barely used and sell for £400 - £600 having cost the original owner £1200 - £1400 a few years back. That way you have zero worries or hassle and you are straight out on the water. It can be fun doing up an old boat if you have the skills/time and you get it for peanuts of course but...

Fenlander · 15 July 2011, 09:34

Sorry to hear of your problems Patrik but I think your idea will not work. Your floor is kept in shape normally by thousands of cross threads in tension enabling it to be pumped up to pressure without the two sides moving apart which would lose the pressure.

Almost any material apart from thick steel will flex when you inflate with that big blister you have such that you will never get this floor to pressure for the boat to run right.

Also it really isn't possible with any air floor boat to get the best out of them unless you have a pressure gauge to make sure you inflate to the max.

I'd just sell it for what you can and start again with a tidy example of another model as Max says.

renegade · 15 July 2011, 09:44

or how about stiching throu some strong sea line and a large needle maybe frome side to side at the centre of the bubble apply a patch over the stitch after may compress it ?
as it is already damaged floor supose anything is worth a try ?

Dino89 · 15 July 2011, 09:49

the guy does have a point about the description my boat was sold as having 2 repairs only i did ask him if there was anything else i should know about ,he replied no.
when i got home i blew it up and the floor was leaking the boat had a total of 5 patches
so i contacted him and he said could it of happenend on the way home!!
my final email told him quite cleary that it wasnt as described and that i would return it for a full refund or he could pay a partial refund of £300 to reflect the boats very poor condition this was non negotiable and if i dint receive either with in 14 days i would see him in the small claims court.. he paid the 300 by credit transfer
so iwould get the original add and any claims made then confront him !if its possible do everthing in writing you need to let him no asap as well !
this is boat i am going to attempt to repair in my post

another thing the uk your house insurance usually has a legal cover built in for taking these claims to court i have used it succesfully in the past when buying electric scooter which wasnt as described !so it doesnt cost me a penny!

Patrik · 15 July 2011, 09:49

Yes the big problem with the sleeve idea is that it hasn't got anything on the middle of the floor that keeps it together, and then of course it wont keep unbent...
So that stitching idea might be something, but then of course the boat will really be totally useless even as a dingy with oars if I fail

C-NUMB · 15 July 2011, 10:04

Considering you got a engine and the cadet, You did not pay much for the Bombard.
One possibility is to Buy a spair floor, they might be availabe from a bombard retailer. Expensive but might worth it. Another option would be to do a air keel/ plywood flor mod. Not easy but maybe possible. Maybe the air keel can be replaced with a wooden version(C 5 commando type). Or sell the hull for cheap and start all ower again.

By the way, the transom on Your Bombard has a cut, so it is already made for a short rig i guess.

Good luck.