Folding Of The Boat; Treatment And Storage; Guarantee Conditions; Boat Repairs - Gumotex PALAVA 400 Manuel Du Propriétaire

The canoe is propelled by two canoeists sitting on the seats.
All people in the canoe have to wear fl otation life-jackets.
When using the canoe on wild water, canoeists are on their
knees, supported by the seats; their thighs are fi xed by thigh-
-straps with a safety clip which enable safe abandonment of
an overturned canoe. The canoe can be equipped with a tilt
that prevents water from entering the canoe while passing
through rapids.
CAUTION
U
It is necessary to suffi ciently practise undoing the
safety clip and abandoning an overturned canoe on
calm waters in advance!
Prior to every use of the boat, check whether it is ne-
cessary to observe any special regulations, restric-
tions or rules connected with the river, surface of
water or area in which you aim to operate.
ATTENTION
The canoe is not designed to be towed behind motor-
boats, nor may it be dragged or in any way stressed
unusually.
Sharp edged or pointed items carried in the canoe
should be safely wrapped.
Place all valuables in a waterproof container and fasten
it to the canoe.
Over time, sunlight adversely affects the rubber coating
of the canoe; therefore, it is recommended to place the
canoe in the shade after every use.
CAUTION:
On large surfaces of water (seas or lakes), pay atten-
tion to water currents and off-shore breezes. Currents
and breezes may make it impossible to return to sho-
re.
The Palava canoe should not be used in challenging
conditions, such as in decreased visibility (night, fog
or rain).
Characteristics of Diffi culty Grade WW 3 – Hard:
• Big rapids, high and irregular waves, pillows, whirlpools,
medium blockage and low cascades in strongly meande-
ring rivers or blind rivers.
Subjective assumptions for riding wild waters graded
WW 3:
• Excellent knowledge of all basic strokes, very good con-
trol of the boat, the ability to realistically evaluate the
diffi culty posed and the actual state of the river's waters,
elementary knowledge of live-saving techniques in the
water, swimming skills in wild waters and physical fi t-
ness.
Technical equipment for riding wild waters graded WW 3:
• Covered boats, boats with self-draining fl oor or open boats
equipped with covers; fl otation life-jackets with a minimum
displacement of 7.5 kg, helmets, protective clothes against
cold (neoprene) and safety instruments.
ATTENTION
Pay great attention to your choice of fl otation life-jacket.
The fl otation life-jacket should have a tag bearing details
of its fl otation capabilities and safety certifi cation.
5. Folding of the boat – see Fig. 3
Before folding dismantle the seats and the fi xation belts. Put
the fi xation belts and the small accessories to the open mesh
bag. Do not leave any sharp objects in the boat. Clean and
dry the boat. Force the air out of all chambers. Forcing the
air out can be accelerated by rolling-up of the boat towards
the valves. Spread the defl ated boat on a fl at surface and fold
it – see Fig. 3. Spread the boat fl at. Fold both side cylinders
in the longitudinal direction to a half so that they do not stick
out of the ground plan of the bottom. Then roll the both from
both sides towards the centre. Lay the folded halves one over
another and compress them with the compression belt. Put
the boat in the transport bag, add the seats and small acces-
sories. Force the air out of the bag, roll up the end of the bag
and clamp with the clips.

6. Treatment and Storage

The rubber surface coating of the boat is sensitive to oils, gas-
oline, toluene, acetone, kerosene and similar thinning agents.
Prior to storing a dirty boat, wash it down with warm soapy
water. Rinse the boat with fresh water after using the boat in
seawater. It is recommended to check the state of the infl ation
valves and the safety relief valves. If a valve is not air-tight,
it is possible to unscrew the valve body from the boat with
the use of a special valve-key and clean its membrane with
a strong jet of water or compressed air. Prior to storage, it is
recommended to rub the surface of the boat with an agent in-
tended for the treatment of such surfaces, which has cleaning
properties, and which impregnates the material to prevent fur-
ther dirtying, or which is capable of forming a protective UV-
-fi lter. Never use agents containing silicon when treating your
boat. Store the cleaned and dried boat in a dark, dry place at
temperatures of between 10–25 °C. During long-term storage,
it is recommended to infl ate the boat for 24 hours from time to
time to avoid fatiguing the fold lines. It is also recommended
to have the boat serviced by the manufacturer's authorized
service station at least once every two or three years.
Proper care and treatment of the boat will increase its
service life.

7. Guarantee Conditions

The guarantee period is 24 months and is calculated from
the date of sale. The producer provides cost-free repairs or
replacement of faulty components for material faults or pro-
duction faults.

8. Boat Repairs

You can easily repair a damaged boat yourselves by means of
the accompanying gluing set.
Gluing:
• mark out the damaged area on the boat and choose an
appropriately sized patch;
• the surfaces of both patch and place to be glued must be
clean, dry and without traces of old glue;
• sandpaper the patch and the damaged area and degrease
the area to be glued by using acetone or gasoline;
• spread a thin layer of glue on both surfaces to be glued and
repeat this step once the fi rst layer has dried;
• after the second layer has dried, press the patch fi rmly on
the damaged place, weigh down or use a rolling pin on
a fl at surface.
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