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When taking trophy fishing trips to the Putorana Plateau, anglers set out with a full arsenal of gear and necessary supplies. After a helicopter drop-off into the reserve's taiga wonderland, anglers raft along the colorful waters in PVC boats.
To avoid surprises, guests should be aware of how to quickly and easily repair their watercraft if needed. We've dedicated a whole series of articles to PVC boat repair. These articles will detail how to keep one of the most important attributes of trophy fishing in good order in the taiga.
In what cases do PVC boats require repair or intervention?
PVC boats are extremely popular, but it's worth remembering that this material isn't considered particularly durable. It can be cut, burned, and exposed to sunlight, even causing the tube to rupture due to extreme heat. PVC boat repairs are necessary in the following cases:
· The boat begins to deflate;
· Leaks valve;
· The keelson begins to leak;
· Breakthrough of the boat bottom;
· The seams of the watercraft are starting to come apart.
Other unexpected events may arise, but the main thing is not to worry. After returning from fishing, you can carry out repairs yourself or call in specialists.
What do you need to do the repair yourself?
Before fixing the problem, you should determine the type of damage. Most often, these are cuts, punctures, or seams that are coming apart. But sometimes unexpected accidents occur. Therefore, it's essential to bring special tools and materials with you on a fishing trip. They look like this:
· Patches of various sizes.
· Glue for PVC.
· Knife or scissors.
· Wipes for wiping the damaged area.
· Strong threads.
· Acetone or alcohol.
· Hair dryer or lighter.
Step-by-step instructions on how to seal a boat in the wild, while rafting
Repairing a hole or cut is easy. The key is to have everything you need on hand. The PVC boat repair process should look like this:
1. The damaged area is cleared of dirt, sand, and silt.
2. Then we dry the surface and degrease it by wiping it with alcohol or acetone.
3. Apply special glue to the inside of both sides of the cut and then wait for about 10 seconds.
4. The patch cut to size must be pressed tightly to the damaged area.
5. The final step is to heat the area where the patch is applied. You can do this with a hair dryer, but if you don't have one, don't despair. A spoon heated in boiling water or a metal mug filled with hot tea will work just fine.
Conclusion
Repairing a watercraft with minor damage right on shore is easy. You just need the right materials and some tools. If the damage is more serious, such as broken valves, transoms, joints, or oarlocks, a simple repair kit is unlikely to suffice. We'll explain how to repair these yourself in full detail.
The most important thing to remember is that if a watercraft suffers any damage, it must be repaired immediately. Your safety, as well as the quality of your catch, depends on your boat and raft.
