Inflatable boats?

[sailorman-1@live.com]

Hey, I just got new yacht and looking for good dinghies for that. Did anyone
hear anything about Saturn inflatable boats. They seem to have good price,
but I am not sure if quality also is Ok. I know Zodiacs are good quality.
Can anyone help me with that?...

 

[Martinique]

Re: Inflatable boats?

a 9' Baltik inflatable boat with an inflatable floor only cost my $500 on ebay. . Very strong and lightweight. Real easy to put up in a Dinghy sling on my buddies sailboat.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Inflatable boats?

PVC fabric boats are not designed for a long service life, so 5 to 7 years is all you can count on. You should also think about the warranty on a Saturn. are there any warranty service stations in driving distance?

 

[jspringator]

Re: Inflatable boats?

I'm very close to pre-ordering a Saturn 12' air floor boat that can take up to a 30HP motor. They are currently sold out. I will use it to supplement my porta-bote for camping. Everything I read about Saturn has been very complementery, although I doubt it will last any longer than 10 years. In my case, it may last longer because it will only be used twice a year. I communicated with a guy who was selling one (used) on e-bay, AFTER he sold it and he loved his Saturn.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Inflatable boats?

There's no doubt hypalon is the superior material, but with proper care the PVC coated fabric boats last longer than 5 to 7 years. The key is protecting them from the sun. If the boat will spend most of it's life rolled up inside, a PVC boat will last a long time. If you plan to leave it inflated on your yacht, then 5 years is about right. Keeping a coat of UV protectant on the boat will help if you must leave it outside, and a cover too of course.

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Inflatable boats?

Bite the bullet and buy an Avon. If you don't have it in 30 years then someone stole it.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Inflatable boats?

There are always exception to all rules, so there are always exceptions to the generality that PVC fabric boats will only last X amount of time. However, PVC fabric glue loses it's ability to bond after UV exposure. I have seen a Zodiac exposed once, and then stored in a cooled basement…Then blow every seam when inflated 4 years later. I have also seen a Zodiac PVC boat last 11 years in Alaska before de-bonding. But, normal service life is 5-7 years. Sometime ago Zodiac went to thermo-bonding the seams instead of gluing. Once the worked the bugs were worked out of that process they began to last a little longer. The Korean and Chinese boats that are appearing everywhere now are hand glued. The Chinese boats have very poor quality control and tend to have problems with all of their glued areas. The Korean boats are actually about as good as you can get in a PVC hand glued and almost always last 5 years. People up north tend to have very little exposure to the level of UV that most of us get and so their boats will often exceed the curve to some degree.

There are some tips on how to keep your PVC boat in service.

1) Keep it clean.

2) Store it in a cool area.

3) Only wash it with mild cleaners.

4) Do not use any kind of protector on the material (It does protect the material, but it also permeates the fabric preventing a good repair for future damage).

 

[br0nc0xrapt0r]

Re: Inflatable boats?

not to thread jack here but in California when is it necessary to have a rubber tender/dinghy registered?

thanks

 

[jspringator]

Re: Inflatable boats?

The general rule most places is that anything with a motor must be registered. I have had a motorized porta-bote, and now my Saturn, since 2004, and I didn't register either of them. I only use them in obviously tourist areas, (not in my home state) and the Florida water patrol, and even the Coast Guard, have passed me several times and only waved. If stopped, my position is that it (my boat) is usually a non-motorized boat that I just stuck this old outboard on to see what it would do! Some guy over at rv.net was actually stopped and issued a citation in Pennsylvania in a "water block". Note to self; don't portabote in Pennsylvania.