BLUEMOMENT

On one of those hot, sunny days this summer - yes, there really were some for those of us lucky enough to be unemployed - I plopped my very inflated (remember it was hot and sunny) Avon Redcrest into the water and set off to my boat. The whole dinghy was dry as a bone but as I rowed small beads of water began forming on the floor from what appeared later to be slight abrasions on the outer skin and explained the always damp floor that the flubber suffers from. It is more osmosis than holes - just sitting the dinghy on the water without any load doesn't cause the problem, it needs my size 11's and 14 stone.

Has anybody had success in sealing these type of holes? Thoughts I have had is to apply patches - probably the best solution but unsightly, or to paint the bottom with Hypalon paint - improves look but will it seal?

Afterthought - if I do seal it then further prevention probably means never touching the shore or slipway again and having to wear boots - but if I have to wear boots I don't need to worry about the leaks!

I had limited success with the same problem on an old Redcrest that came with our last boat. (It was not actually on the inventory but it was dumped under the boat by the previous owner one night.) It was one of the really old black ones and I used one of those recoating paint kits: two cans of paint and one of thinner/cleaner. It got the recommended three coats but the coating started to peel off after a year and was thinner than Izal toilet paper! It would not take any abrasion at all.

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Ken