Inflatable Hypalon - For Beach Landings

[socasailor]

I have a newish Hypalon 9ft inflatable dinghy. The bottom is double reinforced hypalon. It also has foldable fiberglass floor.

-My question is- How durable will this be for repeated beach landings. Not the occasional, but lets say at least 2-3/wk etc. I like the idea of it's weight and that I already own it. I just don't want to ruin it by repeated beach draggings.

--Is there a way to put a modified glass strip, epoxy etc partially on the bottom to make it last longer?

--I really like the smaller size, that I can pull it up on my boat. I also have a 12ft RIB (late 90's), but it's heavy and I can't easily put it on my boat. I'd rather use the inflatable and modify it if needed.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, socasailor.

Hundreds of unmodified hypalon dinks, live that life week in week out.

[boatman61]

And if your that worried about beaching... carry an anchor and peg....

[s/v Moondancer]

The shells and coral will destroy your dinghy in a week...my first dinghy was punctured off the 'Rusty Pelican' the first night I owned it.

Views & Beyond

Lift it or get wheels!!

The martinis were good but proved a little expensive.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Not entirely sure what you have. But if it is an Avon, then dragging accross the beach will shorten it's life. not simply from wearing through the hypalon but breaking the seal on the seams. Of course depending where you are the sun might shorten the life of the top half so the bottom wearing out at the same time not really a problem

But 9 foot goes on a shoulder nicely - wind permitting

[Butler]

You might consider finding a used Walker Bay 8 then upgrading with a rid kit from them. I dunno if they are making them in Hypalon anymore...I got one late last year. We got a good price on it but the retailer had a hard time finding one. They told me I got the last Hypalon model(???)

Our set up cost a total of 1400 usd and while I'm a bit concerned with the durability of the attachment of the inflatable tube to the Walker Bay... so far so good. A total of three weeks daily dragging it up the beach and all is well. Can do anything to those WBs... well, maybe not light it on fire but...

[foamcore]

Butler is right. Get a Walker Bay and be happy and secure that you aren't going to tear the bottom out of it.

[osirissail]

Of course a RIB dinghy solves the problem of beaching and an aluminum one is even better. But for a pure inflatable - boatman61 has the best answer. Use an anchor to hold the dinghy off the beach and a long bow painter with another dinghy anchor to lock it to the beach. If you keep it in the water rather than up on the beach damage to the bottom is less likely to occur.
- - However, this can get difficult on rocky areas or shoal reef areas. Carrying supplies out through the surf and rocky bottom on your shoulders to the dinghy really inspires you to get a RIB next time.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Of course a RIB dinghy solves the problem of beaching and an aluminum one is even better. But for a pure inflatable - boatman61 has the best answer. Use an anchor to hold the dinghy off the beach and a long bow painter with another dinghy anchor to lock it to the beach. If you keep it in the water rather than up on the beach damage to the bottom is less likely to occur.

Also you won't come back and find your dinghy half full of sand and a coupla 4yr olds happily building sand castles in it...

[foamcore]

Ya, I guess, if you want to have two anchors and rode, a cover for the sun, a patch kit, whew, starting to look like a project boat to me. All I want is a tender.

[Jacko]

Why not do what we do in Ozzie and put some wheels on it ????? they just bolt onto the transom and are spring loaded and you just clip them down when you get close to the beach. That alows you to get up on the plane motoring. Cheers Jacko

[bill good]

Check Boat Wheels, Inflatable Boat, Inflatable Boat Wheels, Beach Wheels, launching Wheels, Boat Launching Wheels, Dinghy Wheels, Transom Wheels - BEACHMASTER Boat Wheels, Dinghy Wheels Being fitted to my inflatable & very well made.

[Butler]

hmmm... RIB or RID?
Got corrected by this snotty nosed retailer in a poloshirt and earpeice that Rigid Inflatable Boat was old-school.
Thought I was being fashionable once again with Rigid Inflatable Dingy...

When I was a Coastie we learned that there were ships and boats and that a boat was anything small enough to be hoisted up onto a ship... it seems we also have the dingy which is anything small enough to be dragged behind a boat.

[Panaseaya]

Assuming you have a hard transom - Happy's wheel-aways. Available at the supplier that features a cardinal point of the compass in it's name. With low tryre pressure, they woerk well on sand.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Ok, I seem to have misunderstood the original scenario

Usual practice when arriving by inflatable on a beach is to stop short before grounding (or just when bumped the shore) and then get out of the dink. Main reason is that never be sure what is underneath (it being underwater ). Once people are out of the dink it can be easily floated onto shore, at least enough so it won't float off whilst you unload it. and then can be picked up and carried above the tideline (2 is easier - but a 9 footer is doable for one).....that's where oars win over an outboard saves a trip up and down the beach.

Downside is that you either need Wellington boots - or have shoes and socks off. Wearing crocs and shorts would be ideal, but that one for the sunnier climes Upside is that you would be unlucky to rip the dink on an underwater object (stones / shells / glass / rusty whatevers) - as well as cutting down on abrasion / damaging the seams......and on the TLC front, washing down with a hose works well - not simply about removing salt but removing sand and stones (and small critters ) from nooks and crannies. It's one of those prevention things.

Oh, and don't stand inside a soft bottomed dink when on the beach / ashore - just in case it is sitting on top of something sharper than it looked.

Can of course fit wheels to an inflatable - have seen all kinds of contraptions attached to the outboard brackets of Avons. but (like any dinghy wheels) won't be doing any long or fast or fully laden journeys

Waiting for the tide to come in is a good "trick"