Inflatable Boat and Dinghy Care: Cleaning, UV Protection, Leaks and Storage

Zodiac recommends rinsing after every trip in salt water, using mild soap, plenty of fresh water and a brush. On land, open the drain plug and flush out sand and grit with the hose. Sand trapped where the floor meets the tubes acts like sandpaper every time the boat flexes, and sand in a valve keeps it from sealing.

Every few weeks, and before storage, wash the tubes and floor with mild dish soap and a soft brush or sponge, then rinse well. For stubborn grime, use a cleaner sold specifically for inflatable boats. Avoid strong solvents on PVC. SAIL Magazine's repair specialist warns against silicone-based shine products: traces of silicone soak into the fabric and stop patches and fittings from ever sticking there again.

UV is what ages an inflatable most, especially PVC. Feel the tubes: SAIL notes that dry, cracked fabric (called "alligatoring") is a sign you need to step up UV protection. Your options, best first:

• Store it out of the sun, or under a fitted cover, when not in use.
• Apply a UV protectant made for inflatable fabric regularly. SAIL's repair specialist recommends monthly treatment during the season.
• On davits, a cover or chaps (fabric tube covers) helps a lot in sunny climates.

Inflate each chamber to the maker's pressure in the order your manual gives. Use the gauge, not your thumb. On hot days, let some air out before leaving the boat in the sun; SAIL warns that leaving a boat at full pressure in hot sun stresses the seams, especially on glued-seam PVC boats. The opposite is also bad: running with soft tubes strains the transom joints and can tear the transom mounts.

Inflate to the correct pressure in the cool part of the day, note the reading and check again 24 hours later at a similar temperature. A small drop is normal. A chamber that goes noticeably soft, or one chamber that always needs more air than the others, has a leak to find.

Mix water and a squirt of dish soap in a spray bottle. With the boat at full pressure, soak one section at a time and watch for growing bubbles. SAIL points out that leaks rarely sit in the middle of a tube; they hide at seams, around fittings and cones, next to labels and at the valves. Mark each leak with a marker or a piece of tape. Check the floor seams and the bottom too.

Valves are a common cause of slow leaks, and often the easiest fix:

• Spray soapy water on each valve. Bubbles around the center mean the seal isn't seating.
• Make sure every cap is there and the plunger moves freely, as SAIL suggests.
• Flush sand and dried salt out with fresh water. Practical Sailor found that valve internals often stay in good shape even when the outside is sun-faded; a good cleaning is usually all they need.
• If a valve still leaks after cleaning, many valves can be unscrewed from the tube with the right valve wrench and the seal cleaned or replaced. Follow your boat's instructions, since valve types differ.

Work around the whole boat:

• Tops of the tubes, where people sit and gear rubs. Worn fabric dries out and eventually leaks.
• Accessories: handles, oarlocks and rub strakes. SAIL notes that when tubes soften in cool weather, accessories sag and chafe the fabric.
• Transom joints: look for fabric lifting away where the tubes meet the transom.
• Bottom and seams: turn the boat over and check under the transom and along the strips that join the tubes to the hull.
• Wood transom or floorboards: probe for soft, rotten wood.
• Davit and lifting points: Practical Sailor recommends adding wear patches where davits or lifting bridles rub.

Small pinholes and short cuts away from seams are a reasonable DIY job. Use the repair kit made for your fabric and follow its directions exactly. Practical Sailor stresses that PVC and Hypalon need different adhesives, and that ordinary contact cement won't hold. The general process:

• Deflate the chamber and lay the area flat.
• Cut a patch with rounded corners. Practical Sailor's rule: at least 2 inches across over a pinhole, and extending at least 2 inches past a tear in every direction.
• Clean both surfaces with the solvent in the kit (BoatTEST says this matters most if silicone, wax or petroleum products were ever used on the tubes), then roughen lightly if the kit says to.
• Apply the glue in the coats and drying times the kit specifies, then press the patch down firmly from the center out. Hypalon cement grabs hard and won't let you reposition, so line it up carefully.

Practical Sailor recommends letting the glue dry at least 24 hours before inflating, because air pressure on fresh glue slowly lifts the patch. Then pump up to normal pressure and spray the patch with soapy water. No bubbles? Do another overnight hold test before you trust it.

Zodiac's winter routine: clean the boat thoroughly, check that the valves and seals are in good shape as you deflate, and store it somewhere clean and dry with a protective cover. Before you fold it:

• Make sure it's completely dry inside and out, including under the floor and in the folds. Trapped moisture causes mildew.
• For Hypalon/neoprene tubes, Zodiac suggests wiping them with a mix of white vinegar and lukewarm water to help prevent mildew over winter.
• Remove the floorboards if they come out, and pad any hard parts so they don't press into the fabric.
• Fold loosely along the boat's natural lines, then bag it.
• If you have the room, many owners store their dinghy inflated at a reduced pressure, which avoids creases.

Keep it off the floor, away from heaters, sharp edges and direct sun, and somewhere rodents can't chew it. NRS warns that mice and rats like to nest inside stored inflatables and can ruin one in a single winter; a sealed bin, a hanging bag or a shelf away from walls helps, and NRS suggests a coat of UV protectant after the final cleaning. Check stored boats once or twice over the winter. Record the date, any leaks found and patches made in your BoatMend log.