[Reckless32]

I recently bought this older but really in great shape Avon 10.5' inflatable with the hardwood flooring. It's good for up to a 10hp motor I think, but came with a Nissan 2-stroke 5hp that runs great (though very slow).

Anyway the boat came with a known little leak on the port side basically right at the rigid rub rail looking stip down the side. Looks like it might have gotten gouged a little from a barnacle on a piling. The problem with patching it is that rub rail gets in the way of completely being able to slap a patch on it. Tried it once and it held for a few days beofre it started to leak again.

Is it okay to strip or cut away a portion of that strip to facilitate the patch, or no I'll make matters worse?

Also one of the inflator nozzles on the main port side tube is missing the rubber flapper portion that prevents air from escaping once you remove the foot pump. I have looked thru many websites including Avon and cannot find a replacement valve along the lines of simply screw out, screw in (if there is such a thing).

Where can I find (websites?) inflator valve replacement parts for this thing?

[Nos4r2]

It depends what valves you have in there-there's several types used on Avons.Try searching for:-
Avon A4
Avon A7
Avon C7
or if you're going to replace the whole valve,change the 'Avon' to 'Leafield' though you may have to import them from the UK.

It's fine to remove a portion of rubbing strake if you can do it without damaging the tube.However, you'll need to put sealant (sikaflex 291 or equivalent) along the leading edge of the removed portion to prevent lifting if your strake is in contact with the water at planing speeds.