Assembly floater This is the first and most important step in your safety on the water, and many beginners make the mistake of trying to pump cylinders right away to working pressure, which leads to skewed design and installation difficulties. hard-paiolaThe right sequence of actions saves time and extends the service life polyvinyl chloride.
Unlike inflatable floor models, it requires precise positioning of each element. A hard bottom is the skeleton of the vessel, and if you put it curved, the boat will not keep its course well and wear out faster in the folds. Visual control and adherence to technology is key to success.
In this article, we will discuss all the nuances that are usually shown in high-quality video reviews, but in a text format, you will learn why you should not rush to the pump and how to check the tightness of the seams on the shore. It is critical to let sun-heated PVC lie down for 15-20 minutes before assembly so that the material becomes elastic and does not crack when bending.
Preparation of the place and the primary layout
The choice of site for assembly is often ignored, and in vain. Sharp stones, branches or hot asphalt can damage. bottom Ideally, a flat grassy area or a special protective mat, if you're assembling a boat on the sand, make sure there's no abrasive particles left in the fabric.
Spread the cylinders so that the valves are pointed upwards and are in an accessible place. cross-board You have to lie loose, you don't pull the cloth. You have to stretch all the folds with your hands, but you don't pull the material with force. Cold PVC is fragile, so you have to do all the manipulations carefully.
⚠️ Warning: Never assemble a boat on hot asphalt or concrete in the heat. Surface temperatures can exceed 60C, which will lead to thermal expansion of air inside the valves and the risk of rupturing the seams during subsequent pumping.
Check the equipment before you start. slut (hard floor elements) in place, intact and not chipped, and even missing one bar can disrupt the geometry of the bottom, and check for belts and condition. rentan on bottom stringers.
Sequence of installation of elements of hard floor
The flooring process is a kind of puzzle, where each element has its place. First, side stringers are installed (if the design provides for their separate installation), then central ones. slutIt's important to put them under special tongues or pockets on the inside of the cylinders. Don't try to force the bar; if it doesn't go, then the cylinders are not inflated enough or they're crooked.
The central part of the floor is going from nose to transom or from transom to nose, depending on the model. Most often, it is recommended to move from the transom to avoid trampling on the already laid elements. Each sheet of plywood or aluminum should fit tightly to the neighbor, forming a monolithic surface.
- 🛶 Start by laying the nose of the floor, fixing it in special pockets of the balloon.
- 🛶 Consistently lay the central sleigh, watching for the matching of docking profiles.
- 🛶 Complete the assembly with a transom sleigh installation that will keep rear-board.
- 🛶 Check that the edges of the floor are not cluttered and lie strictly in the plane.
After all the floor elements are laid, you need to slightly pump the cylinders so that they "grab" the structure, the pressure should be minimal, about 0.1-0.15 atmospheres, this is necessary to fix the geometry before the final stretch, if you miss this step, with a strong pumping, the floor can "go in a wave."
☑️ Assembly of the boat floor
Technology of proper pumping of cylinders
Pumping is the most critical thing. Using an electric pump is convenient, but dangerous without pressure control. Manometer It is mandatory, because it is difficult to determine the right pressure in a hard boat due to the presence of sleighs, a pumped balloon on a sunny day can burst, and a poorly pumped one will lead to a rapid loss of shape.
First, pump the cylinders to 50-60% of the working pressure. Let them lie down for 10-15 minutes. During this time, the material will stretch and the pressure will fall. Only then bring the indicator to the normal indicated in the passport (usually 0.25 atm for the board and 0.2 atm for the keel).
Recommended pressure:Board: 0.25 - 0.28 atm
Keel: 0.20 - 0.22 atm
Bottom (BND): 0.25 atm
Note the keelballon. It has to be pumped according to the instructions. A too soft keel will keep the boat from heading, too hard will create excessive tension in the nose. In some models with a hard bottom, the keel is missing, and its role is performed by the V-shaped profile of the sleigh themselves.
⚠️ Warning: Do not leave a fully pumped boat in direct sunlight unattended. Heating the air inside the cylinders increases pressure, which can lead to warping of the seams or emergency valves.
Check the leakproofness of all compounds, by hearing or using soap solution (in the spray gun), make sure that the valve Soap foam will show bubbles at the leak site, which is especially true for older boats or after long storage.
Installation of seats and attachments
When the main frame is ready, you can start the installation jar They're attached to special lyctroses or pockets on the sides, and it's important to set them symmetrically relative to the diametrical plane, and the skewed seat is not only uncomfortable, it's also disruptive, which is critical to the stability of the vessel.
If your model is designed to install pulp Or control consoles, fasten them now, make sure that the transom board is securely fixed and has no backlash, all straps and slings must be pulled, but not pulled to the state of the string, so as not to deform the PVC fabric.
How to properly store banks in the collected form?
If you use a boat a lot, you can just fold them along the side of the boat, strap them up, but for long periods of sun exposure, you better remove them so that they don't heat the cylinders at the points of contact.
Check the work. fight And mounts for oars, which should rotate freely, but not hang around, and grease the rubbing metal parts with silicone grease if they start to creak, and this will prevent corrosion and make rowing easier.
Typical Assembly Errors and Their Consequences
One of the most common mistakes is to try to shove a hard bottom into a fully pumped cylinder, which causes sharp edges of plywood or aluminum to scratch the inner surface of PVC, and sometimes cut through it, always first by lightly pumping, putting the floor in, then final pumping.
The second mistake is ignoring temperature expansion, so if you put a boat together in cool weather in the morning and leave it in the sun, it's going to look like a drum by lunch, and the pressure inside can go up by 30 to 40 percent, and you can always leave a small supply or you can blow the air out when you get hot.
| Mistake. | Consequence | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Pumping before flooring | Impossible to insert sleighs, risk of cuts | Get the air down, put the floor in, pump it again. |
| Ignoring heating | Bloating of cylinders, deformation of seams | Putting pressure on, covering with a tent |
| Can crooking | Disturbance of centering, boat roll | Move the banks symmetrically along the sides |
| Using a dirty pump | Sand falling into valves | Blow the valves, clean the pump. |
They often forget to check. lease If they are installed incorrectly or damaged, the boat will not go out for planing and prowling, and visual inspection of the bottom before descent is mandatory.
Final inspection and launch
Before you carry the boat to the water, do the final round, walk along each cylinder, checking the tension, tap your knuckle on the balloon, the sound should be deaf but elastic, a ringing sound may indicate pumping, too quiet - about underpumping.
Make sure all valves are closed and protected by caps. air-gaugeCheck the safety falcon fastening - it must be securely tied to the nose handle or the squirrel.
Bring a repair kit and a small hand pump, and even a perfectly assembled boat can get a puncture from a underwater bitch, and the ability to quickly pump up the balloon will save your fishing.
It's better to pull a boat with a hard bottom together, picking it up by the handles on the sides. Don't drag it on the ground, especially if there's sharp grass or rocks. PVC is a durable material, but the abrasive effect will quickly do its dirty trick, thinning the bottom.
Post-operational care of the boat
Once you're back from the water, you need to wash the boat with fresh water, especially if you've been swimming in the salt sea. The salt crystallizes and corrodes the fabric and seams. Dry all the elements thoroughly before packing. A wet boat in a case is a guarantee of mold and bad smell in a couple of weeks.
Stack the boat carefully, trying not to crumple hard sleets on sharp corners. It is best to use a regular bag, but not to stuff there extra things. Keep the boat is better in straightened form or in a large case in a horizontal position to avoid creases on the surface. polyvinyl chloride.
⚠️ Warning: Never dry the boat upside down on sharp objects (stones, snags) and the pressure of the boat weight on one point can cause local overheating and deformation of the bottom fabric.
Regularly inspect the seams and valves, early detection of a minor problem will save you from major repairs, watch the condition of the transom - this place is subject to the greatest loads from the motor, if there are cracks in the transom tree, it should be replaced or reinforced immediately.
Proper drying and storage of the boat in the straightened form increases its service life by 1.5-2 times compared to storage in a tightly folded state.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long does it take to build a hard-bottomed boat for the first time?
In a beginner, this process can take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, and the main time spent learning how to insert sleighs and distribute them evenly, and with experience, the time is reduced to 10-15 minutes.
Can I leave a boat with a hard bottom assembled for a few days?
Short-term (2-3 days) if the weather and the space allow, but being constantly stressed reduces the tissue's resource, it's better to blow out the cylinders or at least put some pressure out at night.
What to do if the slate does not stand in place?
Don't use force. Just let the air out of the nearby cylinders, spread the cloth, try to change the angle of entry of the bar, often interfered with the fold of tissue that just needs to be straightened with your hand.
Should we lubricate the joints of sleighs?
No special lubrication is required, but if the boat is new and the sleighs are very tight, you can slightly wipe the ends with paraffin or special silicone lubricant to facilitate assembly for the first time.