Plan ahead for an enjoyable trip. Bring proper
and comfortable personal flotation devices,
avoid going too far down wind and familiarize
yourself with Sea Eagle’s “Boating Safety Ba-
sics.”
Boating Safety Basics are printed on the side
of each Sea Eagle boat.
Deflation & Storage
To deflate your SailCat remove the valve cap
and push the stem down and clockwise to lock
into the open position.
Roll the pontoons from back to front to push
air to exit through the valves (so long as the
stem is still locked in the down position).The
pontoons can be stored in the boat bag.
The aluminum components and batten will fit
into the sail rig bag. The mast step, seats and
rudlock, pump, etc., will fit into the carry bag.
Short-Term Storage
If you’re storing your SailCat inflated you can
roll up the sail on the mast to keep the sail
from blowing around. Disconnect the end of
sail from the boom and the main sheet. Fold
the boom against the mast and wrap the sail
around the mast so the strap is on the outside
(as shown).
Once the sail is rolled up, insert the white
strap through the center of the buckle and
back down through the slot in the front edge of
the buckle. Pull tight.
If you are keeping your boat inflated for a pe-
riod of time, check the pontoons and add air if
necessary before venturing out.
Troubleshooting
If your boat loses air it does not necessarily mean that it is leaking. A boat
that is inflated late in the day in 90-degree air may cool 20-degrees
overnight. The cooler air exerts less pressure on the hull and the boat ap-
pears soft the next morning. If there has been no variation in temperature
then it is time to start looking for a leak.
Inspect
Before anything get a good look at your boat
from just a few feet away. Flip it over and
closely check over the outside. Large leaks
may be clearly visible.
Listen
If you have a rough idea where your leak is,
you may be able to hear air escaping and pin-
point the source.
You may even feel a jet of air on your skin.
More than one leak has been found by walking
around a boat in shorts!
Soapy Water Test
Fill a bucket with water and add 2-3 table-
spoons of dishwashing liquid to the water. Use
a hand towel or car wash sponge to spread
the soapy water over the boat. Keep an open
mind, check all areas, not just seams or
valves. Look for foaming or bubble streams,
but air rushing out may not produce bubbles,
so listen for whistling or sputtering. Work in the
shade and apply a lot of water.
Valve Check
Make sure that both the inner valve base and
the outer body are firmly screwed together. If
threads are crossed item a slow leak could re-
sult. To avoid this, first turn the body back 1/4
turn. And check the inside of the valve for
grains that may be blocking the airways or
preventing the valve from working properly.
Skeg Straightening
If a skeg is bent (sometimes after being in
storage), there is an easy solution to straight-
ening it out.
Using a hair dryer, warm up the skeg until the
it becomes soft. This may 2-3 minutes on high
setting. Once the skeg is soft you can
straighten it out by hand.
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