Thank you for the useful tips! I owned a Caribe 20 for a year now and struggle to remove the chalk that the tubes produce. I have been able to remove it scrubbing it but in about a week or two is back again. Now I am applying more force and a stronger scrubbing sponge but I am afraid that I am damaging the surface.. this happen in the areas that are not inflatable like the rubber liners ...
You are not likely to damage the surface if scrubbing by hand. Old tubes will begin to degrade over time. Try putting the hypalon 303 conditioner/protectant on it heavily. Do it several times over a few days. you will have to do it after each time it gets wet or in the water too.
That size boat needs a hard floor (aluminum panels). Make sure you don't get one with an air floor. Also, as long as it is Hypalon. It will last much longer than a PVC. Too much of an investment to get anything that size if it is not Hypalon.
I have an interesting question, I picked up a 41 year old achilles ST-5 Hypalon dinghy. It looks like it was never or barely used. It holds air pretty darn well surprisingly. I have scrubbed it down twice now. Once with dawn dish soap and a small amount of bleach, and once with 30% vinegar and some dish soap. The question I have is that is has a strong permeating smell that will rub off if you touch the tubes or any part of the boat. The vinegar seems to have helped the most. Are you aware of old Hypalon smelling very strongly or anyway of removing the smell? I would hate to get rid of a nice boat because of a smell. Thanks!
I would make a wet paste solution of bathroom cleanser (comet/ajax...), dawn, and water. Use Green scrub pad. Get boat wet and wash a 4 foot section at a time and rinse before it dries. You can let it set for a few minutes. Do it in the cool of the morning and not in direct sunlight.
Hey, I just found your channel, very cool and great information. Question for you, I am going to buy an inflatable this month with an Aluminum floor and transom. Is it best to store the boat deflated in the bag over the Winter months " I live in the Northeast" or keep it inflated. I am also concerned with mice getting in to the garage and eating the PVC Any recommendations? Thanks so much
I do not recommend deflation and folding SIBS or RIBS. This puts undue and potentially damaging stress on glue joins, especially around the transom. I have seen many SIBs destroyed by deflating and folding than by any other reason. Worst case scenario, cover it with a good canvass cover AND put it under a portable garage or carport style cover to keep the sun and whether off of it. Keep it inflated with at leas 2-2.5psi so that it maintains shape through out the day. Mice won't eat the PVC when it is inflated. But throw some poison and traps in the boat for extra protection.
Make a wet sludgy paste of bathroom cleanser (comet/ajax...) and dawn dish soap. Use Green scrubbing pad and prewet a 4 foot section. Then apply the paste liberally and scrub into the tubes until the algae disappears. Let stand a minute or too, but don't let it dry. Then rinse with additional circular scrubbing pattern to remove all the cleanser. Apply 303 protectant after it is fully dry.
