Locating leaks in Walker Bay tubes

[rparkerg]

I have a Walker Bay 8 that has tubes attached to the side, factory tubes. They both leak...starboard tube pressure lasts 3 days before going noticeably limp but the port tube only lasts 45 minutes before going limp. Overnight it is totally and completely deflated. I have tried soap and water and fantastic and slime but cannot find the leak. I can't hear anything either, no pressure leaks. I am thinking about filling the tube with water but before I do I wanted to see if anyone has tried this in the past. Not sure what harm there is but you never know. Hopefully if I fill the tubes I will be able to see the leak(s) once and for all.

 

[Sea Rider]

Welcome to IBoats,

Is the inflated collar a removable or fixed glued one ? How old is that rib, is it PVC or Hypalon assembled with ? How many air compartments does the small rib counts with ?

Happy Boating​

 

[rparkerg]

Thanks,
The 2 collars are fixed glued. There are 4 air chambers, 2 each side, each with its own air valve which can be removed and replaced if needed but they appear to still work fine and show no air bubbles when spraying soap and water when they're inflated.
It is a 10 year old PVC Walker Bay tube which fits onto each side of the boat, a v-shaped tube assembly slides onto aluminum channels on either side of the hill just below the gunwales.

 

[Sea Rider]

So it's possible to remove the complete collar out of the rib, if so inflate all 4 air chambers gradually on a flat ground to 3.0 PSI with a gauge and perform a soappy water test around the collar's sides and around the external air valves and check for mini bubles. If the collar is inflated at a low PSI pressure won't see any bubles nowhere. A PCV rib with + 10 years of extensive use has already had its Waterloo Time. Anyway check where is the collar losing air from, if repairable or not in which case contact Walker Bay and order a new collar set for that nice small rib.

Happy Boating​

 

[Lou C]

Those boats are made of a rigid plastic (like ropolene) and the air tubes were an add on. We have 2 Walker Bay boats a 10’ & an 8’. We thought of getting those air tubes but even when they first came out the reviews weren’t that good lots of leak complaints. So we never wound up buying the tubes but liked the idea of better stability,

 

[rparkerg]

Those boats are made of a rigid plastic (like ropolene) and the air tubes were an add on. We have 2 Walker Bay boats a 10’ & an 8’. We thought of getting those air tubes but even when they first came out the reviews weren’t that good lots of leak complaints. So we never wound up buying the tubes but liked the idea of better stability,

Well, at this point I will keep trying to find the leaks as the stability is far greater with the tubes than without. It just doesn't make any sense that I can't find a leak that severe so am wondering if it might be a seam behind the rubrail or something like that. That's why I was thinking about filling them with water, it is bound to leak out wherever it is and then I'll know. The tubes overall are still in pretty good shape. The only other thing I can think of to do would be to fill them up with expanding foam, like you use on your house for gaps. We'll see I suppose.

 

[Sea Rider]

If the air leak is hard to find, filling the whole collar with expanding foam it's a nice tech alternative, will you need a machine to fill the collar up in order to achieve a perfect round even collar ?

Happy Boating​

 

[rparkerg]

If the air leak is hard to find, filling the whole collar with expanding foam it's a nice tech alternative, will you need a machine to fill the collar up in order to achieve a perfect round even collar ?

Happy Boating​

Most likely as there is no way to jam a stem that far down the tube from the air valve opening. It might be possible to intentionally slit the collar at various points along the collar and use cans but then you'd have to patch those.
I did find that major leak on the port side. It's the seam attaching the end cone to the collar and under a rub rail they installed there, about 3/4's of an inch. I'll try patching it with PVC and 2-part Weavers and see what happens, maybe follow it up with tube sealant.
I'm not giving up yet and will post something along the way showing what eventually happened.

 

[Sea Rider]

This is a 5 year old 420 Mt. PVC Rib, has received too much UV punishment over the years, the fabric is bit hardened and discolored. ​

It's beyond proper repair, has too much seams issues, fix one side to open at any other side. PVC made in China inflatables must be sold at max 3 years of use or pay the consequences like this one for not being sold in a timely manner. The owner will remove all the tubes to make himself a nice personal summer pool.

Happy Boating​

 

[Lou C]

Here's our Walker Bay fleet. They have dock bumpers on them so they don't scratch our boat's Imron paint job! These boats are basically indestructible. We put the DF 2.5 Suzuki on the larger one as a water taxi. Great fun. The 10' on the right is 20 years old the 8' on the left is 14 years old.

 

[Sea Rider]

Here's our Walker Bay fleet. They have dock bumpers on them so they don't scratch our boat's Imron paint job! These boats are basically indestructible.

Congrats, very nice looking and well cared traditional boats. The issue with WB boats with inflatable side collars is that although are fun to mess with doesn't last that loooong !!

Happy Boating​

 

[Lou C]

I wish they did or else I would have put the air tubes on both. The 10' is way more stable than the 8' though...

 

[Lou C]

this is our 'big' boat, 1988 FW 200 Horizon. Imron paint job done 10 years ago....