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After you have cleaned the boat including the fibreglass hull, and it has dried
completely, deflate it slightly, (the drain and condensation valves must remain
unplugged), cover the boat with a canvas and store it on top of chocks, boat
cradle or trailer under a roof/shade.
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.
To complete the job, you then grind the gel coat filling flush with the surroun-
ding 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 authorized
service centre.
Aluminum Hull Repair
Due to the strength and durability of aluminum 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.
Notice
Warning
Storage
The hand pump can also deflate the boat by changing the conection
from the inflation position to the deflation one.
When storing your inflatables, ensure protection against rodents and
other vermin as they will feed on the fabric of the boat.
Repair of the Hull
Summary of Contents for Nautilus 13 DLX
Page 1: ...Owner s Manual...
