Barnacles and inflatable dinghy

[jmauld]

How do you keep barnacles off an inflatable while at the home dock? We use the dinghy often and just leave it tied to the boat.

 

[NotHerDecision]

Inflatable bottom paint.

 

[jmauld]

Do you have some that you’ve had good luck with?

 

[NotHerDecision]

I don’t use it. My neighbor does and I’m happy to ask him. I think it’s just west marine inflatable bottom paint. We are also in brackish water so you’re definitely better getting a suggestion from a local person or yard.

 

[Pirate Lady]

How do you keep barnacles off an inflatable while at the home dock? We use the dinghy often and just leave it tied to the boat.

 

[b_arrington]

Do you have some that you’ve had good luck with?

There's only a few options for painting inflatable dinghies. Last year I used Flexdel flexible bottom paint for inflatable boats. Worked nicely, and I liked it because it was grey and blended in with the tubes. However, it seems like it may be discontinued.

This year I used Pettit antifouling paint for inflatable boats on my RIB. Its been in the water all season with no growth, so I'll count that as a success. It's water based, making clean up easy. It only comes in black.

 

[Havana Shamrock]

I personally hate painted dinghy’s you usually have to paint 1/2 way up the rear of the tubes as they sit in the water. I think it looks like something that belongs on a broken down sail boat.
Sorry had to vent

 

[firecadet613]

Can you get it up and out of the water? There are a few inflatables on my dock that stay in the water full time and look like sh*t. I pull mine up on the davits when we leave for the week and another guy built a hoist out of PVC & some rope...

 

[Pirate Lady]

Regarding my lift, they have a few at my marina and last year i grabbed one. You can see the the jetski in front of mine. ‘$150 a year well spent. Stays on it year round so when main boat is blocked i can still go out for a ride.
Don’t know the cost but its hand crank no electric and cant cost that much. Few hundred maybe. Bolts to bulk head. Look into it, ask marina if you can install. I cant imagine they would say no being as when you leave the marina they get a lift for free.

 

[ocgrant]

Regarding my lift, they have a few at my marina and last year i grabbed one. You can see the the jetski in front of mine. ‘$150 a year well spent. Stays on it year round so when main boat is blocked i can still go out for a ride.
Don’t know the cost but its hand crank no electric and cant cost that much. Few hundred maybe. Bolts to bulk head. Look into it, ask marina if you can install. I cant imagine they would say no being as when you leave the marina they get a lift for free.

I could use a couple of those if you come across the brand please share.

 

[techmitch]

I could use a couple of those if you come across the brand please share.

Here's one. https://americanmuscledocks.com/products/mr-lifter-jet-ski-lift-1?variant=38570059530

 

[Pirate Lady]

Wow mitch, thats way more than i would have expected.

 

[b_arrington]

I personally hate painted dinghy’s you usually have to paint 1/2 way up the rear of the tubes as they sit in the water. I think it looks like something that belongs on a broken down sail boat.
Sorry had to vent

I personally hate painted dinghy’s you usually have to paint 1/2 way up the rear of the tubes as they sit in the water. I think it looks like something that belongs on a broken down sail boat.
Sorry had to vent

If your dingy lives on a lift or davit you can get away with no paint. When my AJ was on a mooring I kept it on a Weaver davit and unpainted. Looked clean with the white bottom.

But when I moved into a slip the dingy moved to a dock. The growth started right away and required that I periodically beach it and scrape off the barnacles and weed. If I didn't it wouldn't perform well. I liked the gray paint better since it blended, but the black isn't terrible. You're right, the water line comes half way up the tubes at the stern, but a decent paint job makes it look OK when sitting in the water since it's mostly hidden anyway.

No one likes using bottom paint, but its a necessary evil if you can't dry store the dinghy on a lift or davit.

 

[Njlarry]

All pettit water based bottom paints such as hydrocoat and hrt can be used on inflatables. Look for a neighbor with some left over in the spring.

 

[b_arrington]

All pettit water based bottom paints such as hydrocoat and hrt can be used on inflatables. Look for a neighbor with some left over in the spring.

I think some are more flexible than others. The Pettit inflatable paint is intended to crack less on the constantly flexing tubes, and survive the tubes being fully deflated and rolled up.

 

[Havana Shamrock]

If your dingy lives on a lift or davit you can get away with no paint. When my AJ was on a mooring I kept it on a Weaver davit and unpainted. Looked clean with the white bottom.

But when I moved into a slip the dingy moved to a dock. The growth started right away and required that I periodically beach it and scrape off the barnacles and weed. If I didn't it wouldn't perform well. I liked the gray paint better since it blended, but the black isn't terrible. You're right, the water line comes half way up the tubes at the stern, but a decent paint job makes it look OK when sitting in the water since it's mostly hidden anyway.

No one likes using bottom paint, but its a necessary evil if you can't dry store the dinghy on a lift or davit.

A

greed in some cases there’s just no way around it I’d try for the lightest color my buddy painted his brand new AB RIB with blue and I didn’t like the look
Here’s our s from a week in the FLA water behind the boat. PITA