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Typical Public Safety Layout

STERN VIEW:

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Standard Inflatable Boats
Most inflatable boats are manufactured from either PVC or Hypolon. PVC has the advantage that it can be thermo
bonded (welded together) to give you better seams on air chambers. However PVC breaks down in the sun (UV
degradation) and these seams begin to separate fairly rapidly. Hypolon air chamber seams are sealed with adhesives.
Hypolon usually withstands the UV degradation longer than PVC but glued seams are inferior to thermo bonding so
the lifespan is only slightly better. Both products suffer from what we refer to as the “plasticizer” effect. Plasticizers
are compounds that are added to plastic materials to keep them soft so they will not dry out and crack when exposed
to the sun. The problem with the plasticizers used in PVC and Hypolon inflatable boats is that when they are exposed
to the sun (UV rays) and heat they begin to migrate to the surface of the material (a condition that is accelerated in
tropical environments). When too high a concentration of plasticizer reaches the surface, the bond between the two
surfaces (whether welded or glued) separates. Once this separation begins, repairing the seams only works for a short
period of time.
If you have any experience with inflatable boats you have seen this effect.

Patten Company
The Patten Company has long been aware of the problems with PVC and Hypolon. In 1997 Patten formed an alliance
with the Seaman Corporation (www.seamancorp.com) to utilize technology they had developed for coated fabrics
used in commercial roofing. Seaman commercial roofing membranes are thermo bonded and need to last at least 30
years when exposed to the sun and elements. The Seaman Company (working with Dupont) has been installing
coated fabric roofs utilizing Dupont’s Elvaloy copolymer since 1979. 99+% of Seaman Company FiberTite roofing
membranes using Elvaloy are still in service. For more information see www.fibertite.com  , click on competitive
comparison at the top of the page, then –FiberTite vs. PVC

The Patten Company has been using Seaman’s 4140 double coated Elvaloy fabric for manufacturing combat and
rescue inflatable boats since 1997. All boats manufactured with this fabric have thermo bonded seams on all air
chambers. To our knowledge no boats have been taken out of service due to failure of a welded seam. I personally
have owned one for 7 years and expect it to last many more years. The boat is kept uncovered in Florida waters (the
bottom is painted with Hydrocoat). It still has its soft feel, the air chambers are all intact and the color has not faded.
Seaman’s 4140 fabric is designed to take the sun and heat of the tropics.

PERFORMANCE:
Standard Inflatable Boats
Most inflatable boats fall into two categories. They are either all inflatable or they are what is now called a “rigid
inflatable” or RIB. RIBS have a fiberglass hull with inflatable tubes (or collar) surrounding the hull. Generally RIBS
are considered to ride smoother and do not flex as much (either bow to stern or side to side) because of their rigid hull.
Whether a true inflatable or RIB, current inflatable boats have similar performance problems.
First is the fact that (at best) their ride can be classified as bumpy or harsh as the waves become larger. Granted RIBS
ride better than most other standard inflatable boats because they are based on a monohull, but the V design is not
deep enough to really smooth out the ride.
Second is that the major brands of inflatable boats only have one tube that separates the passengers from the water.
Most of the tubes in boats less than 20 feet in length are only 12 to 14 inches above the water line. Probably the
biggest complaint that I hear from inflatable boat owners is how “wet” the passengers get. It never ceases to amaze
me when I look at seating layouts for these boats that they count a seat close to the bow in their seating capacity.
Maybe it is just me, but I thought one of the purposes of a boat was to transport passengers across water without
getting wet.

Patten Company
A number of years ago the Patten Company was asked by the US Government to design light weight inflatable boats
that could be used by multiple branches of the armed services. The requirements were that they needed to be durable,
fast, carry 6 to 10 people, collapse for easy shipment, be stable in rough seas, and, oh by the way, the Navy would like
to deploy and recover divers in a stealth manner. In other words, no splashing.
In designing life rafts for the government Patten discovered two very important principles that they use in their
inflatable boats. First, “stacked tubes” provided a more stable life raft in rough seas (less likely to flex or twist and
capsize) than a single tube and “stacked tubes” kept the occupants dryer (staying dry in cold rough seas meant less
hypothermia problems).

Using these principals Patten started their design process
First, light weight and collapsibility. Inflatables are inherently light weight and collapsible so that was not a problem.
Second, speed and stability in rough seas. It was decided that the best platform for the boat would be a catamaran.
Catamaran designs are stable, handle rough seas well, and since they have less drag you need less HP to obtain higher
speeds. Less HP also meant lighter motors, thus less total boat weight. And, oh by the way, a catamaran design
meant that the floor of the boat was above the water line. Put a zippered hatch in the bow of the boat and you had a
stealth entry point into an out of the water. The Navy was now happy.
At this point you may want to refer to page 3 of our brochure and look at the “Stern View” drawing.
Patten now had the concept for the boat. All they had to do was take the technology they learned from “stacked
tubes” and add it to a catamaran. By bonding two sets of stacked tubes and two sets of bottom flotation tubes to a one
piece fiberglass transom you had a catamaran style inflatable that had excellent structural stability (minimal “flexing”
bow to stern and “twisting” side to side), was extremely stable in rough seas, and since you had over 27” of freeboard
on the sides, it was a very dry boat for the passengers. An added plus was that stacked tubes could be smaller in
diameter than most inflatable tubes. This gave you almost twice the interior space as compared to standard inflatable
boats.

The design was fine tuned over a period of about 6 years. In 1997 the durability aspects were addressed by changing
fabric to the Seaman’s 4140 Elvaloy
Patten Dive Boat, “the ultimate inflatable”
• Durable boat design that has been tested under extreme conditions by military and rescue units
• Competitively priced boat manufactured in the US using Mil Spec materials
• Not a “me too” product. Unique design that is engineered for open water use
• Shallow water boat. Draws 6 inches of water and is easy to beach.
• Roomy, dry boat (50” inside beam, 27” freeboard, 54” bow storage area before passenger compartment)
• Light weight boat that most cars can tow (boat, motor, trailer weigh less than 1500 pounds)
• 6 separate air chambers for safety
• Custom designed interiors
• Collapsible design for compact shipment or storage during winter or hurricanes
• More than a dinghy, it’s a boat