October 04, 2007
Prepping The Tube For Winter
It's that time of year again in the Northeast when the boat ramps and boat yards are swarming with activity in the race to beat the first snow fall. As owners haul their RIBs we're asked all the time what they should do with their tubes for the winter. Put very simply, do nothing . You actually want to do just what you've done all summer – Keep Them Fully Inflated. The common misconception is that you should deflate the tube for the winter, but that's probably one of the worse things you can do as a deflated tube puts strain on attachment patches and rubstrake which can cause them to peel off over time.
For RIBs that do not have pressure relief valves (all RIBCRAFT RIBs built in the United States come standard with Pressure Relief Valves) we recommend that you leave the tube 80% inflated. This will allow for expansion on warm days in the fall and spring.
Other than "topping" off the tubes with air, all you need to do is simply give the tube a good washing with soap and water. It's also good practice to spray the pressure relief valves with fresh water to remove any salt build up that may have occurred over the summer.
Posted by ribcraftusa at October 4, 2007 09:19 AM
Comments
What do you suggest if soap and water don't do the trick on the tube? My dark blue tubes have a chaulky look to them, and I've heard there is a way to make them look new again?
Posted by: tibs at October 17, 2007 08:43 AM
Tibs,
Great question. Though blue tubes look great, they do require more care and are subject to oxidation as you described. The good news, is there is an easy fix. About a year ago, I posted instructions on how to clean the tubes when this happened. In short, I recommend using a product by Aurora Marine, Speed Clean, which is quite simple to use. This will return the tubes to a "like-new" luster. Then, once the tubes are cleaned, apply another product by Aurora called PolyGuard. This is a protectant and will prefent oxidation if applied once or twice a season.
Check out my posting from October 23rd, 2006: http://www.ribcraftusa.com/blog/2006/10/
Posted by: Fred at October 19, 2007 10:13 AM
Any suggestions on how to 'easily' get tubes back onto rib after removing for cleaning?? I have a 15' RIB and removed the tubes for a complete cleaning of tubes and fiberglass; find getting them back on difficult. Working with tubes ~50% inflated, keeping some water running in the slot helps, and working with three people, but it is tough. The farther we get it back on, the more resistance and so the harder it is..........any tricks?
Posted by: kathy at October 21, 2007 01:48 PM
Try using dishwashing liquid (Joy or some other brand) mixed with the water. It acts like a good lubricant and eventually dries.
Posted by: Brendan at October 22, 2007 09:05 AM
What works best believe it or not is soft soap. The type you use in your bathroom. Soft soap has a good slip coefficient and has a very long open time (doesn’t dry fast). Best of all it smells good...
Posted by: Fred at October 22, 2007 05:22 PM
