Removal of bits - inflatable dinghy

[The big T 39]

Have inherited an inflatable dinghy (Aquapro) which has two lifting hinges glued to one side. The original owner wants these for his new dinghy. I know handles rowlocks etc fall off with time but how can I remove these without destroying dinghy.

 

 

[drbob 0]

leave them attached, simply buy new ones and give the original owner those?

[Island Time 1,184]

Depending on the condition of the glue, sometimes you can peel them off - lift a corner, and pull back as close to 180 deg as you can. Can take quite a bit of force - or not, depending on the condition and type of adhesive.

[Vorpal Blade 89]

Do what IT said but hit the area with a hot air gun first, a lot of inflatable dinghy glues can be softened and reactivated using temperature. The trick is not to use too much heat as it will distort and/or melt a hole the original skin of the dinghy.

[madyottie 82]

On a similar topic, I have a very slow leak in my dinghy. It's a southern pacific or something similar.

 

I'm pretty sure it's leaking around an old repair which is peeling slightly. It looks like the previous owner used F2 or similar adhesive.

 

Will heat work in the same way on something like that?

 

Or, what's the best place to get some cloth and adhesive for a new repair?

[Island Time 1,184]

Any of the Inflatable boat manufacturer/repair or liferaft service places will sell you a bit of glue and patch material. If your patch is with f2 it won't last, and you have to get it off and down to a clean surface for the new patch to stick properly. Same source can probably give you some solvent to clean the area 1st.