Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Messages
17
I was wondering if I could glue pvc vinyl (40 mil shower pan underlayment) on my Sevylor Super Caravelle xr 86 gtx raft. Those rafts are advertised as heavy duty but I bet that stuff will pop quick on a rock in the river. I thought of glueing (somehow) stips about 1 foot wide around the boat and maybe underneath the full length of the boat. I can't find anyone that sells the boat boot for that model so this was my alternate idea.............Anybody got a glue.... I mean clue? Or any other ideas I could use to strengthen the raft?

Thanks,
Screaming Voodoo

 

bayman

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 2, 2000
Messages
669
Re: Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

Find out what material your raft is made of, that's the first step I think. You need to know if the glue is going to be compatible or not.
 

nobrainsd

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
230
Re: Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

Gluing large patches and reinforcements on a raft isn't exactly an outlandish idea. River rafts of professional quality often will get a layer applied on the lower tube after they have taken a lot of abuse over time. I rode in an old boat on the lower Kern a little while ago that had layers applied on the bottom and top of the tubes due to wear. Cruised class 4 rapids nicely. However, these are boats made with pvc fabric. The Sevylor is made of virgin vinyl. Two entirely different things. With the Sevylor the river better be a mellow float. Certainly nothing you aren't willing to swim.

I'm not cracking on anyone elses craziness! I have done plenty of foolish things. But I hit the Kern every year. There is a sign at the beginning of the lower canyon with the number of drownings on the river since something like 1978. We were lounging at a campsite near a slow section of the river above a major rapid. The count at that time was something like 168. Some individuals came down to the river and started inflating their Sevylor raft. We did manage to convince them to wear lifejackets. My buddy turned to me and said, while gesturing to the pair with their boat, "meet 169 and 170." The boaters launched, skirted the big eddie around the bend and got pimped in the first set of little waves and bumps. The raft flitted away in the wind toward the rapids, the two dudes clung to a rock and we got out some lines and hauled them in to shore. Yeah, we still bust out on each other occasionally with "hey, 169." Be cool.
 

bayman

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 2, 2000
Messages
669
Re: Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

You are right nobrainsd, rivers need to be given a lot more respect than most people give them. Rivers often look like they are just slow and gentle but they can and do roll boulders around, crush canoes, and more. Since water is around 22 times as dense as air a 5 mph river can have the same force as a 110 mph wind. When a house gets caught in an overflowing river, it sure doesn't last long. A little bit of training can go a long ways in staying alive. I learned this quickly after nearly drowning at age 10 in a river. Kayakers have heard of underwater strainers (often made of tree roots and debris) but most people haven't...let's just say that you don't want to get caught in one!
 

SnappingTurtle

Lieutenant
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
1,251
Re: Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

In German your boat is under the official category “badeboot”, or directly translated, this means “bath boat”. It is not considered a real boat, and would never pass any test safety here, for use in any water other than a small calm swim lakes with life gaurds. You can not register it for use as a real boat.

I am not trying to make you feel bad about your boat, I too have had these types in the past, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, so long you use it for what they are made for. It is a boat for calm waters, close to shore, in sandy environments, with no underwater hazards.

It is a vinyl boat. The same thing my shower curtain is made of. You could, and I probably would glue some extra layers at critical points to the boat to improve it's strength, but it will never be a boat I would put my life on the line in. It is a play boat, use it as such, and it is a lot of fun.

When you consider that two good life vest for running white water, cost more than your boat, you get a good idea of why you should invest a little more, if this is what you expect out of your boat.

I am not being mean, I am just concerned you might be convinced you can somehow make this boat be something it will never be.

It would be totally irresponsible for us to suggest you can turn this type of boat into a river runner.

All this said, I was wild and foolish when I was young. A few too many sightings of drowned tourist when I lived, and ran rivers in Colorado, cleared this up fast.
 
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Messages
17
Re: Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

Thanks.....I have a Saturn SD 365 pvc boat that I use on the lake and I got the sevylor vinyl basically free. The river that I am going to use it on we usually tube but the water level is down and there are quite a few rocks in some spots. I doubt there is even a class 1 rapid where I am going. I would just like to carry a little gear with me on the tube trip .....cooler packed full of beer, tent, etc.... and I know the plain sevylor will probably pop on the 1st rock. I may try to make my own boot and glue the pvc strips into the boot.
 

SnappingTurtle

Lieutenant
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
1,251
Re: Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

Thanks.....I have a Saturn SD 365 pvc boat that I use on the lake and I got the sevylor vinyl basically free. The river that I am going to use it on we usually tube but the water level is down and there are quite a few rocks in some spots. I doubt there is even a class 1 rapid where I am going. I would just like to carry a little gear with me on the tube trip .....cooler packed full of beer, tent, etc.... and I know the plain sevylor will probably pop on the 1st rock. I may try to make my own boot and glue the pvc strips into the boot.

We used to float the Red River in north Texas, south Oklahoma when I was young, it was petty tame as long as the Lake Texoma flood gates were closed, with old truck innertubes. One each, for me, a big cooler, and camping gear, all tied together with ropes.

We also use to "sea salvage" the big Styrofoam blocks that would tear loose from the docks in storms on the lake, and made quite a few “Huckleberry Finn” style river rafts out of them for some of these trips.

These were all much safer than with my little vinyl boot.

If you are just looking for a place to pack some gear, go ahead and beef it up some.

Have fun, be safe, and post pictures, we love pictures!
 

privatebeachguy

Recruit
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
3
Re: Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

Find out what material your raft is made of, that's the first step I think. You need to know if the glue is going to be compatible or not.

According to the Sevylor website, the Super Caravelle models: 4 person and 6 person only, are made with 29 gauge PVC material.
 

mrdrh99

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Messages
756
Re: Reinforcing My Sevylor Raft

the super caravelle was one of the boats I was considering, you plan on doing any other mods to it?
 
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