Emergency: Inflatable Boat Questions Answered

Are you looking for a boat you can use for fishing, coastal cruising, or even a marine rescue operation boat and small life rafts? The inflated boat is the perfect choice for any of the above. Depending on future use, they come in different sizes and shapes, and we will be glad to help you pick a type.

What To Do If Your Inflatable Boat Gets Punctured on Water

Routine maintenance is essential if you want to keep the inflatable boat in good condition for longer. But accidents are still likely to happen even with excellent support and checks.

Before you go boating, you should check your boat to ensure no leakages or punctures may cause air to escape from the chambers. Minor leakages can be quickly fixed, while more significant problems will require a qualified boat specialist.

If you are in the water and there is a sudden leak happening, don’t panic! Our boats have several other air chambers that will help keep the boat afloat. It is, however, recommended to check the extent of the damage and act accordingly.

Emergency Repair

Always keep duct tape and a bottle of acetone on your boat at all times. These will come in handy in case you want to do an emergency repair. Leaks from an inflatable boat can be from anywhere, some places are accessible, and others are even hard to spot. If the puncture is in a convenient location, this repair hack comes in handy.

To repair the leak, wipe down the leaking area with acetone and then apply the duct tape. After making sure the seal is tight, pump in air to re-insulate the boat.

After this repair, make sure you get back to the shore as you can to do more checks on the boat, monitor the extent of the leakage and see if the boat is safe to get back into the water.

What if the Leak is not Accessible, and I Can’t Spot It?

In such a case, the first step to stop the leak is to find it. This can be very scary while in the water. You can still try to find the leak spot while bringing the boat ashore, depending on the deflation rate.

Identify the Damage

By now, it is clear that air must be escaping somewhere for the air chambers to become soft and the size of the boat to reduce. The best way to find the leaking area is to use water mixed with detergent. Start by checking the valves. Most issues with punctures on the boat are usually caused by loosely fit pipes.

Finding Leakages Using Detergent Water

Spray around the valves. If you see bubbles forming, check the valve fitting and make sure they are screwed in tight. After fixing the pipes and ensuring they fit well, and no air is escaping from them, check the other areas.

Repairing leakages on the Boat

Scrub the detergent water over the inflatable boat’s surface. Watch tiny bubbles forming as you spread the detergent water on the boat. If you find one leak, never assume it’s the only one. The quickest way to repair the leak is using the emergency repair, but keep in mind – it’s just a temporary fix.

Using patches is the advised solution for more severe punctures and long-lasting repairs. This is better done on dry land. After patching, wait approximately 30 minutes for the fix to cure before inflating the boat again.

Different types of glue work differently on different materials. Ensure the glue you use for your patch does not damage the boat’s material. Use the same patch the boat is made from for maximum effect.

Read more: Inflatable Boats User Manual.

Underwater Line Leakage

In instances where the leakage is happening under the waterline, there is nothing much that can be done to patch or repair the leakage. In such a case, you will need to keep pumping air into the boat to balance the air leak and get to the shores as fast as possible. The detergent method best identifies leaks under the main surface in the dry land. Sometimes, you just need to pump air into the boat and listen keenly for leaking air. This is best done with a fully pumped boat and in a silent room.

What to Carry on Board When Using the Inflated Boat

You can never predict a puncture, so it is best to be prepared when sailing with your inflated boat. Ensure you have these things on board, as they will be vital in case the boat gets a puncture on the water.

For more information on boating safety and compliance with regulations in Canada, visit the Office of Boating Safety. For residents of The United States, head to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division website.

Inflated Boat Punctures: Biggest Safety Benefit

Our Navigator boats consist of numerous air chambers, so if one chamber fails, the others still work to keep the boat afloat. So when one chamber gets deflated, the boat can stay stable with the help of the other chambers, This helps give you more time to fix the leaking chamber and also get to the shore to diagnose more of what could be the cause of the leak and subsequent repairs.

Always be on the lookout while on the water for anything changing with your inflated boat. Could be the speed, the air chambers getting softer, or the boat getting less stable. You can use these indications to know if something is happening to the boat and be able to respond in the early stages. I hope this article has answered the question of what to do if your inflatable boat gets punctured on water.

Using Inflatable Boats and RIBs as Emergency Rafts

The emergency inflatable boat is a throw-over type of life raft. It has the advantages of being small in size, lightweight, easy to store, a simple landing device, and simple and quick operation.  It is suitable for fishing vessels operating in the domestic zone and can be used as a life raft to escape from dangerous areas in an emergency.

It is an ideal life-saving equipment, especially for owners of bigger sailing boats. We at Navigator Boat provide excellent quality emergency inflatable life rafts for sale, best price guaranteed.

We also recommend taking a look at rigid inflatable boats or RIB boats. Because of their capacity, weight and safety, RIBs can be used for a multitude of needs, including rescue operations.

RIB boats can be deployed rapidly due to their small size, making them ideal for immediate rescue operations. In case of emergency, an inflatable boat such as RIB speeds towards the offshore search area. When it comes to marine rescue operations, you need a boat that you can rely on while enjoying its efficiency and safety.

To find out more about Navigator Boat life rafts options, don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us online.