Industry standard for leakage?

Pack Rat

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
186
Is there such a thing? Seems to me I ran across something a month or so ago that mentioned it. Just took delivery of an upgrade to 14' SIB and very heavy duty compared to the 12.5' SIB I had. Have a 12 day shake down cruise in Lake Superior with it starting this weekend!! Picture of first inflate.

36184614950_72c5f478cb.jpg
 

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
Nice sibs. I see you are in superior, are you just going on day cruises? Or out 12 days straight? I don't know about leakage, but I've seen quite a few that stay up pretty well, you should have a pump along regardless.
 

Pack Rat

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
186
Apostles Islands. I use a base camp mainland marina. All depends on wind and wave height how far out I get on day trips. I can always make Devils Island sea caves 10 miles out but sometimes a three hour trip back idling through the rollers.

35509344182_e7ef98cafd.jpg
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Congrats nice pics. No matter how well you air top an inflatable, will always deflate itself specially boating on cold days, winter time. What was inflated to, will not remain same during the day, worse during afternoons. Inflatables are prone to air, water heat/cold temp fluctuations.

PC, do you inflate that carrier with a pressure gauge, sight or thumb gauge ? as to check how much PSI Sib loses throughout the day. That large Sib needs to be inflated to 3.0 PSI minimum to have good tube & keel rigidity to work nicely along OB nice fuel consumption.

Happy Boating
 
Last edited:

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
Nice pic's, I'm employed at Washburn marina, Not far from the islands myself. I like cruising around out there also.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,306
Once you toss it in Superior, your going to have to pump it up. Water temp is really freekin cold
 

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
Once you toss it in Superior, your going to have to pump it up. Water temp is really freekin cold

Tell that to the teenagers, they are swimming/diving off the breakwall on a daily basis down by us. outside the Marina....I'm to chicken to jump in myself, I stick to the inland lakes for swimming..lol
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,306
I grew up swimming in lake Michigan. Inlet temp for the city water supply varied from 34F in winter to 44F in summer. Superior is a tad colder yet
 

Pack Rat

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
186
Congtas nice pics. No matter how well you air top an inflatable, will always deflate itself specially boating on cold days, winter time. What was inflated to, will not remain same during the day, worse during afternoons. Inflatables are prone to air, water heat/cold temp fluctuations.

PC, do you inflate that carrier with a pressure gauge, sight or thumb gauge ? as to check how much PSI Sib loses throughout the day. That large Sib needs to be inflated to 3.0 PSI minimum to have good tube & keel rigidity to work nicely along OB nice fuel consumption.

Happy Boating


Use a nice hand gauge I invested in. First inflate sat overnight for 12 hours, keel and all main tubes only lost 1/2 pound. Temps dropped from 75F to 59F (Minnesota next to Canada) and had considerable dew on tubes so very pleased with the minimum air loss. Company recommended 3.6 pounds and what surprised me is the five main tubes all began venting the emergency relief valve at 4 pounds. That's great because with the old SIB I never heard it vent and had to check it every few hours in the hot sun. Found it at 5.0 pounds one day, not certain when damage occurs.
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Pressure relief valves usually opens bit later than max PSI specified for tubes. Good to have them specially on a dark color Sib which heats up badly more than any other color in plain summer..

Happy Boating
 

TOHATSU GURU

Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
6,164
The answer to your question is yes. The standard is that anything less than a 20% loss over 24 hours is acceptable. That basically gives the manufacturer and out for a leaky boat. Most service stations eyeball a loss over two or three days of more than .5 PSI as being an issue.
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
The Sib/Rib factory I work with accepts 0.2-0.3PSI pressure loss monitored for 48 Hrs on a tempered control rooms which is different to PSI loss on outside cold temp variations, cold water.

Happy Boating
 

fhhuber

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
1,365
Heating expands the air, increasing pressure and then the relief vents some.

Then when it gets cooler, the tubes will get "soft" as the air contracts.

Because of this cycle, the boat will lose air. The worst loss will occur when it heats and the air goes out the relief (which is preventing the thing from popping like an over-filled balloon).

Even a sealed aluminum soda can has a leak rate. Over time the can will eventually (years) have no carbonation left in the soda.

Because ANY pressurized container will leak, we have inspection requirements for any pressurized fire extinguisher. It may take 20 years or more for a CO2 extinguisher to leak out to not having any pressure, but it will happen.

Your inflatable boat has a lot more opportunities for leakage than the soda can or CO2 extinguisher. Its going to self deflate almost completely over several months to a couple of years if you don't add air.
 

Pack Rat

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
186
Looks like I lucked out with a good tight one. Put 12 days in Lake Superior and 175 miles on it running around the Apostle Islands. Checked air every 24 hours before departure. Some days zero loss and other days after big storms and cold fronts I saw up to .8 pounds at worst. I'm satisfied.
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Personally don't like tubes with built in pressure relief valves, as you won't know which number valve has been installed at factory, happens that all valves opens at different pressures.

The issue with them is that if you plan a whole sibbing day once tubes has released over inflation pressure during a hot morning when still boating during afternoon tubes will be soft and Sib won't perform as neat as when fully morning inflated, need to carry a foot or hand pump to top max air in if performance is an issue.

On a deeep keel Rib as water doesn't float tubes 2.0 PSI inflation is more than enough to achieve firm tubes, that way when ribbing on a warm day you still have 1.0-1.5 PSI over inflation to play safely as 3.5PSI is what most inflatable manufacturers recommends to inflate their boats to. During afternoon will need to re inflate tubes back to 2.0 PSI if wanting butts to rest firm on tubes and not rocking on marshmellow ones LOL!!

Happy Boating
 

Pack Rat

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
186
I might have to get a different gauge. The valves are touchy on this SIB and I have accidentally put the valve(s) in full release many times already. My fingers are too fat to get in there easily to clockwise twist close. Had both rear chambers deflate down to 1.0 pound one morning before I could stop air loss and I was surprised to find it hardly affected buoyancy at all. I carry a special tool now to quickly put the valve in close. Must require a slight clockwise twist before I pull gauge off? I'm still experimenting. Pic of the "Black Rat" in close to the Devils Island sea caves. I have a video of it in three footers but can't seem to upload? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFZqU8dJdZY

36913522501_845c0670b3.jpg
 

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
Looks like you had a good time, I suppose you missed the storm, a good handful of boats got blown up on shore by the islands from a storm over the weekend up here. luckily nobody was hurt in the mess.
 

Pack Rat

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
186
Looks like you had a good time, I suppose you missed the storm, a good handful of boats got blown up on shore by the islands from a storm over the weekend up here. luckily nobody was hurt in the mess.

Yes missed it. I see Black Warrior Marine posted a pic on Internet of them pulling an expensive Zodiac RIB off beach. You don't work for them do you? Pop up storm hit me once up there. Barely made it to a dock. There was no warning from any marine channel I listened to.

zodiac beached.jpg
 

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
Nope, don't work for them. I work at the Washburn Marina. That was a freak storm that hit.
 

valvebounce

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 18, 2014
Messages
102
Glad I looked on here,I'm in the UK(Manchester)
Apart from my 14ft f/glass boat I have a 10ft inflatable with a stainless steel tubed transom extension.It has not had much use,and I keep it covered outside.
I realised temp. change causes it to deflate,but I didn't realise it would go flat as a pancake over time.
I took it on the water on a warm day,and before too long I noticed the outboard pushing it's way under the boat.On checking the pressure it had dropped quite a bit.
I have fitted a ply floor in it for more rigidity,and now I always take along a hand pump.
I have been over it looking for leaks in the past(washing up liquid)
After reading this post I now know there isn't a leak,it's just temperature fluctuation.
 
Top