Can these tubes be repaired?

[Steve1098]

These photos are of a RIB I'm interested in buying. When I first saw this wear on the tubes, I turned and ran, as to a newbie it looked pretty terminal.


Someone who knows a lot more about RIBs than I has suggested that they're very repairable, but I don't want to bombard them with ever more detailed questions.



I'm a keen DIYer, I've rebuilt classic cars etc. and can happily let in some fresh steel into an old chassis leg. But I've never done anything with GRP or material like Hypalon or PU before.


These tubes are on an old 6.5m Humber, so they'll be Hypalon?


Keen to hear what the collective on here would do, and how serviceable the repairs might be. I definitely won't be buying if the only option is a retube, but if it's DIY repairable to a good standard then it could be a good value boat.

[Johnnynewell]

Looks like they should be relatively easy to repair.

Is this the boat?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F293176231363

[Steve1098]

That's the one! I viewed it in June but it still hasn't sold.

What would be involved in that repair?

You're a Dromore man? I'm from Banbridge originally 😁

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by Steve1098

That's the one! I viewed it in June but it still hasn't sold.

What would be involved in that repair?

Tubes look old, but not passed the point of no return. The pictures you've put up, have you gone around the boat and checked rubbing strake, handles, seams?

With these sort of repairs, certainly on the pictures you've posted, then overlapping hypalon strips would work. Especially at the cone ends. Use fabric template, then cut hypalon. Sand area, clean area and patch with MEK (P510 solvent), mask, and use 2-part hypalon glue. Not sure if it would be worth trying to get the rubbing strake lifted so you could wrap the strip around the cone, end to end, then glue the rubbing strake down over the top to hide the two edges, that would give you the stronger repair. You can use a heat gun to soften glue then a spatula to prize apart. Ensure patch is pressed in, expelling any air using roller working from the centre out.

The transom patch looks like it's been repaired before. Ambient temperatures are important for gluing so choose a decent day, plenty ventilation, out of direct sunlight. Polymarine sell hypalon, glue, etc. Worksheet here: http://www.polymarine.com/pdfs/Polym...-Use-Guide.pdf

Before ploughing any money into this boat, check the transom is structurally intact, floor is solid. A compression test on the engine would be worthwhile too and takes minutes.

[Steve1098]

Thanks for that info. When I looked at it in June I gave up when I saw the bits pictured, so I didn't look closely at the rest of the tubes.


I don't have time for the next month, but if it's still for sale then, I'll go back with compression tester, a battery, and give everything a much more thorough look over.


I couldn't see any damage to the GRP on the transom - I know moisture can get in through bolt holes etc. but if there's no swelling or cracks in the GRP is it fairly safe to assume it's ok?


I'm a serial tinkerer, and admittedly a small part of liking the size of this boat is that it has the space for a possible home brew inboard swap at a later date. I often have an old Volvo D5 engine around, and so there's a chance I could aim to have something similar to a Penta D3-160 to go into it, which would obviously involve transom mods anyway. That's all only a maybe mind, I have plenty of projects at the moment!


For now, if buying in the next couple of months, I want something I can freshen up over winter and use in the spring. Going by comments so far, this (if the engine is ok) is potentially a better candidate for that than I thought!

[Tim M]

Defo looks easily repairable

[Phil M]

To check the transom, see if you can pull a lower engine bolt and poke about with a fine nail/narrow phillips screwdriver or similar pointy thing. it can be difficult to tell from the outside if there is water ingress. Look into the hole too. Despite great care, my last transom got soggy through the lower bolts and you couldn't tell without removing the engine bolts/engine.

If its in good condition, its a good hull design so worth a little work.

Phil M

[keef1234]

Boats sold on route to Donegal

[Steve1098]

Glad its found a new home! It would have been a month before I could consider taking it on.

I could tow it to NI next time I'm home, probably October time if it helps the buyer...