Tuff-Coat Project creates a ‘HOT’ market.
“It looked good enough to steal … so they did!”
Ken's Tuff-Coat Boat
Fortunately for inflatable boat owner Ken H. of White Rock, BC, he had already sold his beautifully restored dinghy to the eventual unfortunate victim, a fellow member of his local yacht club.
“The dinghy appeared terrific … like brand new” which apparently made it a target to boating crooks casing the yacht club’s dock, Ken explained.
In fact, the restored second-hand inflatable looked so good that Ken sold it for a better price than he first thought possible. “I advertised the dinghy several hundred dollars higher than I originally planned and got it. I was obviously quite pleased at the final price I got.”
So what made this used Zodiac Yachtline 310 so desirable to both thieves and buyers alike? Two fresh coats of Tuff-Coat Inflatable Boat Repair in a Can.
<img title=”Kens boat” src=”images/stories/projects/ken1.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”Kens boat” hspace=”6″ width=”350″ height=”232″ /> The process started mid-2005 when Ken decided to “spruce up” his aging dinghy. He was already the Zodiac inflatable’s second owner, having bought the used PVC boat several years earlier. The 10-foot inflatable was starting to show wear and tear from extensive Pacific Ocean usage. It was time for a full boat makeover.
“But I didn’t fully realize when I started this restoration project that PVC is potentially trickier than Hypalon when it comes to repairs,” noted the avid boater.
Originally trying to match his Zodiac’s bright white exterior, Ken choose matching white paint as part of the Tuff-Coat two-stage restoration process. Following the clear instructions for application of the Tuff-Coat synthetic rubber coatings, everything went well until the new topcoat started blistering. “Quite frankly it was a bit of a mess,” he recalled.
So Ken immediately called Tuff-Coat inventor Mike Fry, who also happens to live in White Rock. Mike was keen to see the situation first-hand and remedy the problem.
It turned out an earlier generation of white top-coat has been susceptible to some blistering on PVC so Mike immediately gave him a free replacement repair kit, suggesting Ken switch to the popular and original grey top-coat.
The second attempt went well. Because there was no underlying damage to the boat, Ken choose to go with two top-coats instead of the normal two-stage process using separate bottom and top coats. After masking off the areas he wanted protected, Ken brushed on the first coat, and then rolled on the grey finish coat for a smooth like-new appearance.
“It turned out just the way I intended!” he exclaimed. “Not only did my dinghy look great, but it was restored to last and stand up well to the elements.”
So although the restoration project had a few hiccups, Ken noted that the Tuff-Coat owner stood behind his product 100 per cent. “As the inventor, Michael clearly wants his product to be the best on the market and is willing to back it with actions not just words.”
Better still, this story has two happy endings. The new owner also recovered his restored Zodiac inflatable – putting it back in the water where it belongs.
So while Tuff-Coat can’t promise the recovery of every stolen inflatable it’s restored, it will deliver on the promise of perfection when you restore your dinghy using Inflatable Boat Repair in a Can.
