TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Dinghy contact dermatitis

Whenever the commodore climbs in and out of the dinghy, she breaks out. A long time nurse, she probably has a rubber type allergy. Although she usually wears a rash guard, none of the dinghy son boats we’ve chartered have chaps. How do the rest of you deal with it? A towel? Any tips or suggestions? She’s usually miserably broken out by day three. Almost like poison ivy.

They sell lightweight pants made of ripstop nylon that are zippered so you can convert them to shorts, they dry quickly when wet and are available at Columbia sportswear.
The pants should help otherwise use a towel.

Thank you. I, of course, have some. My commodore is more driven by fashion over function. I also don’t break out when coming into contact with the dinghy. I’m certain it’s because of her repeated exposure, over the course of 2 decades as pediatric oncology nurse, to various rubbers. It’s hard for me to find fault in anything that brings pleasure to someone who surrounds herself with kids fighting cancer. If she’d rather look “cute” riding in the dinghy, or snorkeling, I will endeavor to solve the problem.

A dedicated towel perhaps, with a specific pattern on one side so that I always know which side faces the dink. A cutout for the handle, and a ladder to keep from rubbing on her way in

I know someone who had the same issue. They would bring about a 6 foot length of rubber backed carpet runner to toss over one of the dinghy tubes. A large welcome mat might even work. The rubber backing keeps it from sliding around the dinghy tubes.
https://www.amazon.com/iCustomRug-Indoor-Outdoor-Utility-Berber/dp/B074PZTH37/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1AN9DWZFZHVJM&keywords=carpet+runners+for+hallway+6+ft&qid=1565709653&s=gateway&sprefix=Carpet+runner%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFLVDFUSUhXSFA4TFkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAwNzk1NzlPVlI2QU5CQ1Y1QlkmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDUxMjgxNjJRQjRWQVhaUThTSE8md2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
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I have seen terry cloth dinghy covers, but I doubt they sell generic ones, I believe these are custom make for a specific dinghy.

If you have a local sail maker, I would stop in and ask them if they can make a custom cover that might work for any dinghy.

A rubber backed mat just might be the ticket! Impossible to confuse the sides, a razor knife would easily make a place for the handle to stick out. The backing would keep it from slipping—helping to avoid a comedy of errors as she climbed back in from snorkeling. Easy enough to clean and hang overnight to dry. 🤔