Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

[bigkahuna427]

I have an old Zodiac black and orange in color 6 or 7 foot roll up with no inflatable keel. I am not going to ask if it is worth fixing as I have already been told by an inflatable repair shop it is not. I know the repair is difficult and have read all directions regarding MEK and low humidity and following directions to the letter. It is a dinghy that has had little use over the years and is always stored indoors when not in use so it looks really good. My choice attempt a repair or list it on CL for $25?????

I have read some of the older ones were Hypalon and how would I tell the difference?

The transom is loose from the tube near the bottom and that is a glue failure but the seam looks like a fabric failure. Torn and still adhered. This happened because I blew the boat up and stupidly left it out in the sun in my back yard.

This is a 6" blowout on a seam that is on the bottom of the tube to the rear of the transom my guess is this probably couldn't be worse, your thoughts?

What is the process for inside repairs?

Can anyone direct me to more info here or anywhere else?

I know this is my first post but anyone who can help is greatly appreciated. I am usually a contributer of what I learn on forums.

 

[bigkahuna427]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

Sorry no photos have yet to figure out how to upload...

 

[bigkahuna427]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

 

[bigkahuna427]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

FYI I sold this boat to a guy who repairs inflatables and he cut it up for patches. He did call after he pulled it apart and told me to put my mind at ease. The boat was not repairable from an economic sense. The floor was very easy to pull of the tubes and in places he was able to find the seams ready to fail.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

That sib was repairable, inside hole fabric seems in good condition, a pity that excesive hand labor cost killed the sib

Happy Boating

 

[bigkahuna427]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

So for you guys with experience.... If I am shopping for a used inflatable what should I look for. I have heard some of the PVC boats have a life of as little as 5-6 years and others 10 or 12. Yet I am seeing boats in the local CL that are 20 years old. Any brands to look for?

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

Hypalon...Brand does not matter. PVC is like buying milk with one day left on the expiration date.(Unless the PVC boat is new, in which case you will get anywhere from 3 to 8 years depending on brand)

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

Hypalon...Brand does not matter.

Do to worldwide demand and better prices, hypalon fabrics do matter, to make sibs/ribs cheaper Chinese hypalons are being used, are thin and deforms faster with sun, age, than reputable hypalon fabrics, stay away from them.

Happy Boating

 

[bigkahuna427]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

Was my old Zodiac Hypalon? What brands are good?

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

Any brand that uses al least 1.0 mm Dupont Hypalon fabric are the best, will have to inquire tech specs though, your Zodiac sib is PVC French fabric. Recreational hypalon sibs are usually made with 08-09 mm fabrics to make tag price more atractive to buyers. Good ones : Achilles, Gommonautica, Apex, Novurania, ABS, Nautica, Caribe, Mercury to name some that uses hypalon fabrics.

Happy Boating

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

Your kind of wrong and kind of right. Hypalon, was manufactured to DuPont specs so, other than fabric density, it was supposed to be the same from manufacturer to manufacturer. The problem with some manufacturers, was that they would sell grade two(blemished) and grade three(minor flaws) material to some boat manufacturers at a reduced price. Those boat manufacturers, two of which are in your post below, would then foist their products on an unsuspecting public....Usually when the company was tight on cash

Today, Hypalon, as a product name, is no longer available for new production. DuPont decide not to renew their licensing agreements nor are they producing it themselves. So, Hypalon today is produced by a variety of different manufacturer's (WITH NO ENFORCABLE STANDARD) under the name CSM. With a variety of manufacturers and no enforceable standard, where it comes from is certainly going to be an issue for anyone purchasing a new boat. Yet another reason to shy away from a inflatable boat with no history or one from a single distributor/dealer.

Technically Hypalon can no longer be used as a legal name for the new material (CSM). I'm sure everyone will continue to use it until the name Hypalon disappears from our memory.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Old Zodiac Black and Orange Seam Repair??

It's widely known that Dupont was the original Hypalon (TM) fabric manufacturer, but hypalon is just the outside coating, not the full fabric itself seen on sibs/ribs as people imagine, you could buy a hypalon roll and combine midde fabric with polyester or nylon core with an internal fabric that is usually neoprene and make your own final fabric, will need to have the calendar facilities to do so. Don't know the hypalon coating wether is first, second, third grade that the mentioned manufactures uses. But if any of them employs to your understanding not first hand hypalon coating let the audience know so to stay away from them.

Happy Boating