very slow deflation,

simonk · 31 October 2010, 21:30

hi, my ribtec is about 10yrs old, its generally very good however the tubes are deflating very slowly, takes a week to go soft (not deflated) it has had one repair near the nose on the bow where it has either hit something or rubbed the winch handle. there are a couple small areas of 'light' wear where you can see a little thread through the outer blue colouring of the hypalon. i'm pretty capable so was thinking of trying a repair myself, however with the time and cost of DIY materials is it worth it???
what sort of prices do rib repair shops charge?
just how easy / difficult is it to DIY repair?
can i get away with just overlaying a couple of large patches over the worn areas to match the other 'heavey wear' area patches?
how easy is it to take off the old patch and re-do it? i think this may be the cause of the slow leak ?
shall i leave it till it gets worse?
shall i bother with the headache?!?! or give it to someone else and go for a pint!?
all advice welcomed, this is my 3rd rib, only had one small patch to do on an inflatable keel on a quicksilver 430 before, that was a piece of cake as you could flip the whole thing over

many thanks,

willk · 31 October 2010, 21:43

Before you make any decisions, you need to work out where the leak/s are. Have you "soaped" the rib to check for leaks?

If not, pump it up to working pressure and paint the tubes thoroughly with a 50/50 solution of washing up liquid/water and look carefully for bubbles.

Once you find them, the "fix" will be easier to decide on.

Mollers · 31 October 2010, 22:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

If not, pump it up to working pressure and paint the tubes thoroughly with a 50/50 solution of washing up liquid/water and look carefully for bubbles.

Apply the solution with a lapdancer if poss.

willk · 31 October 2010, 22:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Apply the solution with a lapdancer if poss.

I thought that we were looking for soft tubes?

Mollers · 31 October 2010, 22:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

I thought that we were looking for soft tubes?

Getting the boat into the club is the tricky bit.

Starovich · 01 November 2010, 09:23

Handy thing is though , most ribs come with some sort of pole for them to use

9D280 · 01 November 2010, 11:22

Jumping back to the thread momentarily.......

I have a similar problem on mine. If you are right through to the weave, there may be some porosity there, so rather than turning the whole area into a skating rink, I would suggest looking there and at all seams & joints etc first. Having said that you may have a hole you don't know about.

There's also an argument for going slightly above working pressure, as absolute pressures can get a bit higher than working if the baot is stored ashore. I found a hole in mine that only started leaking in the sun....

Rogue Wave · 01 November 2010, 12:02

If the fault doesn't appear quickly also check the valves and pay special attention to the joins between the toobs and the hull.

If your competent then you can fix it fairly easily but your also close to a couple of good repairersls. Materials shouln't cost you more than thirty english pounds

simonk · 01 November 2010, 17:49

thanks all for the advice, i phoned paul tilley of TIDEL today as he was reccomended to me by a 'boaty' bloke i know. what a great bloke, freely gave advice and obviously knows his stuff inside out.
yep, start with soapy water, around the old patch, the valves and seams etc. get a lapdancer or two to help iff poss !

then take it from there, it could also be behind the rubbing strake which i hadnt thought of.
Once i find it if it needs 'proper' attention its going to TIDEL, close enough to me to make it the easy option.
thanks again, i'll post a follow up once i fix it!
cheers

simonk · 05 November 2010, 22:12

Well, found the leak, it's coming out of the old patch. The previous owner hadn't done a very good job and it's failed. Looks an easy fix so definitely worth doing although not by me !! I want it doing properly and I don't have the time or garage space so I am taking it ti Tidel soon. Sweet!

simonk · 11 December 2010, 19:54

Well I thought i'd finish the thread, I took the boat to Paul at TIDEL - what an easy bloke to deal with, helpfull and honest, I left the boat with him for a week and hey presto job done.
The repair required was a very simple / minor one but he sugested putting additional rubbing strake and noseing on to A, completely cover the repair for 'loooks' and B, to protect the area from any further damage.
I am very happy with the result, the new strake and nose has enhanced the whole look of the boat, I dont like reccomending people because it comes back to bite you! but I would reccomend TIDEL, great job at a fair price, done in good time, cant ask any more than that.
Just waiting for a nice day to go and blast it around the bay now

merry christmas to you all !

BogMonster · 11 December 2010, 20:24

+1 for Paul Tilley - sorted me out with a problem with my last boat

He failed to mention the lapdancer option for my repair though