Willard Seaforce

boatsrcool · 03 April 2012, 14:10

I recently purchased a 1996 Willard Seaforce 730 24ft. The inflatables hold air but do not look all that great and are in need of TLC. Does anyone know if they would be made of Hypalone or PVC? And if so what would be the best paint to try to protect and restore them? Should I treat them with anything first and should I sand them as well?

ncp · 03 April 2012, 14:54

Based on what I can see of the rubstrake, they are Polyurethane and made by Wing. You can use PVC glue on them if need be (i.e. gluing any rubstrake that's peeling)

Call Wing in Arcata. They sell the paint that they call "Wing Thane" coating on their website. If you sand and prep the tubes well, the paint can look pretty good.

boatsrcool · 03 April 2012, 15:12

I called Wing yesterday and spoke with someone named Brad who said that they were not his. He suggested they were Hypalon. I am new to this and it seems very vague. Willard has been somewhat helpful but they act like a boat they built before 2001 just does not have any specs or exist.

boatsrcool · 03 April 2012, 15:13

Attached pics

boatsrcool · 03 April 2012, 15:18

boat pics

ncp · 03 April 2012, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatsrcool

I called Wing yesterday and spoke with someone named Brad who said that they were not his. He suggested they were Hypalon. I am new to this and it seems very vague. Willard has been somewhat helpful but they act like a boat they built before 2001 just does not have any specs or exist.

Ok, I stand corrected! They're going to be hypalon then. Mine came with a set of very old (~1995) hypalon tubes that actually burst a chamber as I was driving it home from purchase. I changed out for a nice(r) set of Wing tubes. There's a Guy on the East coast selling some and there's JP in LA.

Are the tubes supple to the touch? My hypalon tubes were soft and pliable to the touch while my Wing tubes are much thicker and stiffer.

Brad at Wing was super helpful and if you have very specific questions, Wen (sp?) at Willard knows what you need to know.

boatsrcool · 03 April 2012, 15:36

They hold air quite well and have only one patch. The edges of the seams are fraying and where the rings for the rope attachments are fraying as well. Is there some paint or repair stuff I could use to protect and repair it?

captnjack · 03 April 2012, 18:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatsrcool

They hold air quite well and have only one patch. The edges of the seams are fraying and where the rings for the rope attachments are fraying as well. Is there some paint or repair stuff I could use to protect and repair it?

Can you post some close ups of these areas? Even brand new the edges of hypalon can be slightly fuzzy.

Where are you in WA?

boatsrcool · 04 April 2012, 02:49

Howdy captnjack I am in Spokane! Took the boat out today with the family and had a blast. More photos.

boatsrcool · 04 April 2012, 03:06

Any conclusions on what the tube material is? Any input on how to restore it and protect it? I would like to change the color to light grey.

engarom · 04 April 2012, 04:24

Hi, you tube material is definetly Hypalon. Not sure painting is a good idea considering the size of the job.
Your best bet is to get teh collor tubes you want. You might be able to find some here:

733 Zodiac Hurricane RIB inflatable boat tubes COSCOM | eBay

I know he post on the forum here as well
You might even be able to sell yours to offset the cost a little.
good luck

thornbackflound · 17 April 2012, 20:52

Defo Hypalon ,and i would go with the advice of not painting it,it will look crap,good ole traffic film remover will get her cleaned up,my Hypalon LIFEGUARD came a up very well.