Water, especially the sea will inevitably contribute to deteriorating the fabric of the tubes on your RIB.

That’s why constant and proper maintenance is essential if you want to keep your Smuggler RIB in good condition over time.

Tube washing is the first essential step, an operation that should be carried out in the shade, or in any case protected from the sun if possible.

Like all equipment and accessories on your RIB boat, if you look after it then it will look after you. Keeping your Hypalon, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) or TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) tubes clean, serviced and in good repair will ensure that they keep on giving you a good return on your investment, and don’t let you down further down the track.

Sand and debris are bad news for inflatable boats so after each outing wash down your RIB with a hose, ensuring that sand and debris is removed from the tube seams, deck joints and transom joints etc.

If during winter, you find a build-up of mould (eg if the boat has been under cover for a long time) you can spray it with a weak ’30-Seconds’ mould remover solution with a regular garden sprayer then wash off using the hose. Once dry, apply Rubber and Vinyl conditioner. This will ensure the boat is easy to keep clean.

At Smuggler Marine we sell a good quality Rubber and Vinyl conditioner and recommend that you use Mothers or Meguiars for a polish after its been washed – it can also be used on the vinyl upholstery on the interior of the boat too. Depending on how often you use the boat, this should be done each season.