Help! Dinghy came apart

Strecker25

Strecker25

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Nov 20, 2014
4,921
Rochester, NY
Boat Info
2002 410DA
Engines
Caterpillar 350HP 3126
So I put the dink on the platform last night, to come to the boat today and find the bottom glue has completely let go and pulled back from the tubes. It's a 99, so the cement was probably tired and the hot sun (85+) on the black bottom seemed to soften it. Can I just get away with re gluing it? West marine has the repair stuff. Should I pull it back to the transom and recglue the whole thing?

 
Gofirstclass said:
Why not call West Marine and ask them? They know a lot more about it than I do.
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Agreed, going in there tomorrow. Our local WM is pretty good, so I'll see what they have for glue. I tried a small section using the repair glue that came with the boat and it seems to make a very strong bond almost immediately, so I'm hoping I can get it back together a few inches at a time.
 
You can get 10 tubes on eBay for what west charges for one. Same stuff. You will need a lot.
 
The repair glue isn't strong enough for that length of seam, it won't hold long term.

Clean well with MEK and use a quality 2-part PVC glue like Stabond.

Do not use a 1-part glue, if you do more than row the thing...it will fail at the worst possible time and potentially cause injury.
 
Strecker25 said:
So I put the dink on the platform last night, to come to the boat today and find the bottom glue has completely let go and pulled back from the tubes. It's a 99, so the cement was probably tired and the hot sun (85+) on the black bottom seemed to soften it. Can I just get away with re gluing it? West marine has the repair stuff. Should I pull it back to the transom and recglue the whole thing?

Click to expand...

I had an old dinghy come apart in nearly the same way. I tried gluing it multiple times and it never lasted for more than a trip or two in the water. The irritation and anxiety of whether or not it would hold cost me way more than a new dinghy. Throw it away!
 
Ugh, well that sucks since I've had the boat for like 2 weeks. Thanks guys
 
I can't bear to just dump it, so for $40 I'm going to try the stabond. If that doesn't work I guess it's trash. Good thing the outboard was free.
 
Strecker25 said:
I can't bear to just dump it, so for $40 I'm going to try the stabond. If that doesn't work I guess it's trash. Good thing the outboard was free.
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I went through this as well once. After gluing everything together with very expensive two part glue I had a good assurance that it would last. A week later I got to thinking out what I would do if the glue failed at the worst moment and dumped my family in the water as we were crossing an inlet.

The next morning I went out and bought a new dinghy.

Piece of mind goes a long way. Is the savings worth somebody's life?
 
There are places that professionally repair those,not cheap but it can be done.Google search it.Oh and it aint cheap.I bought a leaker once for $100 and it cost me $400 to have it repaired.I used it twice and decided to get a jet ski.
 
If you're going to try to reglue it, definitely use a quality 2 part glue as they are much stronger than a 1 part glue. Also follow the prep instructions carefully. Use the right cleaner to get the best bond. And generally the glues call for the repair work to be done away from water in a low humidity space, and then let the repair set for 48 hours after.

I'd also try to remove the entire bottom and reuse it. If part of the glue failed, it's pretty likely that the remainder of the glue on that part won't be far behind.
 
Thanks guys. To the comments about safety, if it was anyone but me in the boat and/or I was using it for anything other than going dock to dock in our protected little marina in 2-4' of water the thing would be replaced. The reality is it is just a toy for when I'm at the dock and given I bought it 4 weeks ago there is a bit of frustration to at least get a summer out of it.

I did order the 2 part stabond after talking to some repair professionals. I have cleaned it with 100 grit sandpaper, followed by MEK to remove any glue and soften the material in prep for gluing. Hopefully the stabond works for a while and over the winter I can grab a quality boat.
 
Strecker25 said:
Thanks guys. To the comments about safety, if it was anyone but me in the boat and/or I was using it for anything other than going dock to dock in our protected little marina in 2-4' of water the thing would be replaced. The reality is it is just a toy for when I'm at the dock and given I bought it 4 weeks ago there is a bit of frustration to at least get a summer out of it.

I did order the 2 part stabond after talking to some repair professionals. I have cleaned it with 100 grit sandpaper, followed by MEK to remove any glue and soften the material in prep for gluing. Hopefully the stabond works for a while and over the winter I can grab a quality boat.
Click to expand...

Stabond is a pretty damn good product. My biggest concern would be the rest of the glue on the boat. Removing the whole floor would probably be a wise idea.
 
Jmwarren said:
Stabond is a pretty damn good product. My biggest concern would be the rest of the glue on the boat. Removing the whole floor would probably be a wise idea.
Click to expand...

Definitely, that's the plan. Pull it all back, sand, MEK, stabond. I'll bite the bullet and find a new dink if I have to but I have to at least try for my own satisfaction
 
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