Fibreglass Hull repair:

Periodically you must inspect every square centimetre (inch) of the rigid hull of your inflatable. The best way to do it is by rubbing your hand over the surface Generally, you will feel the scratches and chips before seeing them, more so when they do not extend right through the gel coat to the laminate underneath. Mark these areas with a waterproof felt pen for further inspection.

When you see the same colour right through the scratch or chip, the gel coat has been damaged. In this case, simply lightly grind out the cavity with an emery disc in an electric drill or with emery paper used by hand, and fill up the hole with gel coat (  manufactured by Cook, reference # 944-W-0005).

To complete the job, you then grind the gel coat filling flush with the surrounding surfaces using a very fine emery disc and polish the whole area with an abrasive cleaner so that it blends in. Small chips and scratches of this type can be left in most cases without fear of the damage worsening because the gel coat still provides a seal against water entering the laminate. The touching up treatment suggested is only necessary if you are greatly concerned about the cosmetic appearance of your boat.

More serious are chips and scratches which extend into the laminate. These can usually be identified as a white surface under the gel coat with a fibrous texture. If the damage is minor with only the gel coat having been removed, then follow the same procedure as described above, but make sure that you grind back the gel coat to a point where there is positive adhesion between the gel coat and the laminate underneath.

For major fibreglass damages, please take your inflatable to an authorised service centre.

Aluminium Hull repair:

 Due to the strength and durability of aluminium hulls, they tend to suffer a lot less. In case of dents, perforations, ruptures or fractures, please take your inflatable to an authorized service centre specialized in aluminium welding. If the aluminium hull has not received the proper care specified in the Maintenance chapter, it could be a victim of corrosion. Depending on the amount of corrosion, it could be repaired at the above mentioned centre.