Hypalon paint or coating -- any experiences?

So, have any of you ever used one of these coatings (west marine has a paint, there's another two-stage sealer/topcoat, a two-part catalyzed hypalon coating, etc.)? I've got a great old tender that still holds air, but is cosmetically challenged (and leaves blue stains on the crew's butts).

Thanks to all!

Thanks for the responses. I absolutely agree with you all about the ratty look being theft-preventive. I also found Washington to be astonishingly low on petty theft at the marinas (you could leave a pair of sunglasses on the dock and pick them up three months later). British Columbia, however, is not. British Columbia was why we let the dinghy chalk up in the first place, where we started adding duct tape to the seams, and why I smeared cetol on the outboard cover... In Campbell River, we saw a 36' powerboat stolen, cars stolen regularly from the marina lot, outboards stolen, dinghies stolen, and all of the cotter rings stolen from our neighbor's turnbuckles!!!

My theory: Boat Guns! I don't have a boat gun, and I'm not saying a person's life is worth a dinghy, but I am saying that a thief doesn't think so either. Nobody would risk getting shot over cotter rings. My view is a little skewed having recently read this (which I think might be from an old crew member): http://www.subversiveminds.com/rant/2006/02/25/happiness-is-a-warm-gun/ and I digress in this off-topic. However, to those of you who do keep boat guns aboard, or make others believe you do, and thus make theives consider easier pickings elsewhere: Thanks!

Anyway, your replies gave me the courage to go ahead and paint the boat with the west marine stuff. It's cheap, they say it works, and it may solve the "blue butt crew" issue. I figured, what could happen? If it works, I'll have breathed new life into the dinghy, and maybe given it some protection from chafe and UV. If it doesn't work and comes off in sheets or cracks all over and looks awful, I'll just call it anti-theft camouflage...

I will report back with the results.

Thanks again, USA!

A couple of weeks ago I was in his place, and he had an inflatable that looked like pure hell. It had been painted with *something*, and the paint didn't turn out to be as flexible as the material underneath. It was cracked, chipped, dirty, and decidedly sad looking. I was really surprised to learn that the totally un-bristol cosmetic disaster belongs to a very successful yacht broker. Good grief! What is he thinking? I don't know if he used a "proper" paint or whether the available products are now improved, but that boat looked so bad that if it were mine I'd toss it into the dumpster and shop for something a lot less shameful looking.

Leanne

I think that boaters in general don't steal from other boaters. Any theft is likely to be goofy school kids out on a lark.

I think a bicycle lock cable passed through the eye of a cleat and back through a handle or other solidly affixed fitting on the dinghy would be a more suitabel deterrent if one were worried bout theft than using a filthy and decrepit looking dinghy, but I guess that's just me. :-)