Halpyon life?

[britcoal]

Hello all,

I'm trying to replace my dinghy. I won't go into all the questions that people seem to hate going over for the third, fourth, or eleventh time.. but I wanted to know how long halpyon might last? I'm looking at an older 10' Avon fiberglass bottom inflatable with no leaks whatsoever but I'm guessing at 12 years old it will only become a headache very quickly?

What's a fair price for a boat that old? I googled craigslist ads and older inflatables still seem to command $1000 prices.. is that because buyers just don't know what to look for?

Thanks,

Michael

[sailingdog]

Umm... the lifespan of most inflatable dinghies is affected by the amount of use and UV-exposure. Hypalon (not Halpyon) is more UV-resistant/tolerant than PVC, but not impervious IIRC. A raft that is over a decade old is likely to become problematic rather quickly.

[andy_smith]

Also, be aware that although Hypalon is more UV and abrasive resistant than PVC, the glued Hypalon joints don't seem to uold up quite so well. Check the warranty on the glued joints.