New from the North Shore of Boston

Mdfdc · 06 March 2022, 16:41

Hello All! I am new to Ribs having recently purchased a 2009 Novurania 550 DL. I was lucky enough to get a mooring locally and am looking forward to cruising in the coming months. The boat is in great shape, but the tubes appear to have some mildew or possibly changes secondary to UV exposure. Does anyone have suggestions as to the best products to clean the tubes and try to remove the mildew? I tried to add some images, but the files are too large.

Thanks in advance!

Robmac · 08 March 2022, 18:53

Welcome from another novice.

Sorry I can't help with the mildew problem but I'm sure somebody will.

babbot1 · 10 March 2022, 13:21

Start with the least harsh and work up.
Soap and water with a brush.
Inflatable boat cleaner. I haven't found one better than the other on this one.
If that doesn't work use something harsher like simple green.
For really tough spots you can use a magic eraser but don't go to hard with it because its basically sandpaper.
Once cleaned up use Aerospace 303 as a UV protector. Apply once a month. Make sure you get the vinyl stuff not the fabric stuff.

Mdfdc · 10 March 2022, 14:58

Thanks! I was able to get the tubes looking a lot better basically doing the soap and water and using the magic erasers. I've attached a couple of images of the boat, I'm not sure the size of the images allows great resolution. If you look at the one of just the pontoon, I think it illustrates the issue the best.

babbot1 · 10 March 2022, 15:10

oh yes, white hypalon. that's what I have and have the same issue in the spring. It usually comes off fairly easy. The sun will bleach the spots I can't remove so don't worry getting 100% cleaned up.
I got my replacement tubes cheap because they were white. LOL

Don't forget the 303. Very important, it will replace the oils you removed from washing and cheap insurance for uv protection. It's just spray on and wipe off, very easy.

btw, nice boat! Good luck with her.

Mdfdc · 10 March 2022, 15:40

The tubes are in very good shape other than the spots. I hope that they fade in the sun. I will order the formula 303 so that when I pull the boat out of storage (hopefully soon), I'll be ready to go. I am having the cushion on the top of the bench seat replaced and the one in front of the console too. The windshield was very scratched up and I have a replacement sitting in my basement ready to go on. What did re-tubing run you (if you don't mind me asking). Ribcraft America is right here in Marblehead. I believe they will work on boats other than just theirs....something to think about down the road.

babbot1 · 10 March 2022, 15:55

I got lucky. I found a repair shop that actually made up a set for someone and miscommunicated the color. Customer wanted grey and he made white. So they were never used. He charge me about 1/2 what it would cost which was 4k and this was 4 years ago. He said it was mostly labor costs. Mine is an AB 13'. Awesome job, custom work with extra layers in wear places.
Below is right after replacement(I think I attached image). Windshield has since been replaced. :-)

Mdfdc · 10 March 2022, 16:03

Wow! She looks great. I guess it's all about being in the right place at the right time...That's the great thing about a RIB - as long as you keep the fiberglass or the aluminum hull in good shape, retubing gives the boat a serious rejuvenation.

babbot1 · 10 March 2022, 16:10

Thanks. My luck isn't usually this good. The boating gods were with me that day. LOL

Yes, inflatables have their advantages.. You will be amazed how well it handles if you come from a solid boat similar sized. Yours is quite a bit bigger and with what looks like a 90hp it should FLY! The deep V cuts through the chop very well then the tubes keep it very stable at rest. It's really the best of both worlds.

Mdfdc · 10 March 2022, 16:25

We got pretty lucky with this boat. The owner was the brother of a good friend of ours. Our friend mentioned that he might be thinking of selling it at the end of the boating season. Knowing how well our friend kept his boat and knowing that he and his brother were both "motorheads", I knew the mechanics of the boat would be in tip top shape. When the end of the season came, we were given right of first refusal....took it for a shakedown cruise up in Biddeford ME, and was sold right away. She tops out at 44-45 mph.

babbot1 · 10 March 2022, 16:40

That's great! Well maintained boats are hard to find for some reason. I guess the people who maintain them keep them.

btw, defender.com is in CT if you need anything inflatable or even boat related. Maybe not super close to you but still not too far off. I am in CT so I use them all the time.

Mdfdc · 10 March 2022, 17:09

CherMac · 30 March 2022, 11:13

Great looking boats that both of you have. I have an AB ALX 15, although I'm looking to change as I've had the AB 14 years and want something fancier and a bit bigger.

Mdfdc · 30 March 2022, 12:02

I like the layout of the AB. It's similar to my Novurania. Have you seen the new Walker Bay Revo 21? That's my someday boat. I can't believe how much functionality and comfort that they fit into that boat.

CherMac · 31 March 2022, 02:22

The Walker Bays are beautiful! A friend has the Generation 525 DLX that he got new last year. It was quite a step up from his third-hand Zodiac--as was the price.

I'm not quite ready to move up to something as wide and long. I would like to get a Zar Formenti, which would be a step up luxury-wise compared to my 14-year-old, fairly basic AB. With the AB, I don't stress over sand/water/wet people getting into the boat. I hope the fancier features of a new boat don't suck the joy out of boating.