A couple of safety questions

5

54fleetwin

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I am fixing up a 1957 crestliner. It originally had 3 flotaion tanks. One under each bench seat and one under the bow.
The seat tanks are missing. Although I feel they are a good idea, are they required?
I have serious doubts that thes factory tanks would keep the boat from going to the bottom when fitted with an outboard, fuel tanks, anchors, fishing gear and whatever else I need for a day on the water.

The easiest way I see to do this is build a box under each seat and fill with expanding foam. Again I dont think this enough and if its going to the bottom, I dont want to invest the time or expense.
 
Bifflefan

Bifflefan

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Re: A couple of safety questions

54fleetwin said:
I am fixing up a 1957 crestliner. It originally had 3 flotaion tanks. One under each bench seat and one under the bow.
The seat tanks are missing. Although I feel they are a good idea, are they required?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is required on Boats 16' and less. I think that length is correct. Been a while since I read the hand book.
Here is a link to the USCG regs.

You would be surprised how little of flotation it takes to keep something buoyant. It's not to keep it above water, its to keep it level and close enough to the surface to allow the passengers something to hold on to until help arrives.


fill with expanding foam
Click to expand...

You need to use "closed cell" foam. The pink or blue stuff at your favorite home store is closed cell. It wont absorb water (or at least not as fast) like open cell foam.
There are closed cell products you can buy that are expanding pour in type, but they are not cheap.
 
5

54fleetwin

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Re: A couple of safety questions

Thanks, I did go to that site but I thought that was required stuff for modern boat building.
After all, my boat is old enought that it doesnt have an information tag, only the numbers stamped on the outside of the hull.
 
H

H20Rat

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Re: A couple of safety questions

bifflefan said:
Yes, it is required on Boats 16' and less. I think that length is correct. Been a while since I read the hand book.
Here is a link to the USCG regs.
Click to expand...


Its only required on newer boats, I think the floation regs started sometime mid 70's? (certainly not 1957 though...) There is also no requirement to retrofit it either into that boat.


but yeah, it isn't meant to keep the boat out of the water, it just keeps it from going to the bottom. You don't need much to do that.
 
rwidman

rwidman

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Re: A couple of safety questions

You don't have to use the floatation if you don't want to. It's your boat, your life, and the lives of your family and guests.

You seem to be trying to justify leaving the floatation out by "enineering" the likelyhood of the floatation keeping the boat from sinking. You don't have the equipment or training to determine this without actually installing the floatation and trying to sink the boat.

Like I said, in or out, it's your choice.

BTW: If you don't want to spend the money on foam, empty plastic soda bottles with the caps screwed on tight will work as well. ;)

BTW #2: The floatation material should be as high as practical in the boat so it will tend to float upright when swamped.
 
R

robert graham

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Re: A couple of safety questions

I've heard of folks using the closed cell foam swim "noodles" that you get at Walmart for maybe $1 each, just cut to length, pack it in the space available, should last for years and be easy to add or remove. Seems like a pretty slick and inexpensive idea. Good Luck!
 
P

PGFISHER

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Re: A couple of safety questions

Or you can take a tip from Myth Busters and fill the seats with ping pong balls;)
 
ziggy

ziggy

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Re: A couple of safety questions

nice organized color scheme with the noodles there ezmobee.... ;)
 
5

54fleetwin

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Re: A couple of safety questions

OK guys, I wasn't trying to reengineer anything.
I decided to add floatation and it wasn't noodles, guess what, they are out of season and I think the polystyrene was cheaper in the long run

This is what I did
crestliner006.jpg

crestliner007.jpg
 
korygrandy

korygrandy

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Re: A couple of safety questions

ezombee: What kind of a moron would put pool noodles in their boat?
Click to expand...

Some little kid was pissed when you snatched all the noodles up. How many wal-marts did you need to go to? ;)

It doesn't take an engineer to think that one up...just a genius! I like the idea.
 
26aftcab454

26aftcab454

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Re: A couple of safety questions

In my 1957 LoneStar -the last time I re did the floor & gunnels I added all the sealed plastic bottles that would fit then sprayed with triple expanding foam- :D

that was before noodles!
 
G

generator12

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Re: A couple of safety questions

I'd say that those seats better be REALLY well-fastened to the floor, because if the flotation is ever required to work, the weight of the boat (minus its volume displacement in the water) will be suspended from them...
 
5150abf

5150abf

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Re: A couple of safety questions

I pulled the foam out of my boat and never replaced it but I trailer mine and fish rivers so I am never more than 100' from shore adn I have an alarm on my bilge pump so if I do get a leak to will let me know in plenty of time to get to shore.

As someon eelse said, if you were building new boats for sale it is required but once you buy the boat you can do about anything you want to it.
 
H

Haffiman

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Re: A couple of safety questions

Another thing is where to put the flotation material.
All at the bottom, as for the 'noodles', the boat will most likely belly up when water filled. Unless handles are riveted/welded at the bottom, difficult to hold on to.
When put higher, like in the seats or under deck, boat will be filled, but stay 'upright.
Anyone wearing the life west around their ankles?
 
5

54fleetwin

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Re: A couple of safety questions

generator12 said:
I'd say that those seats better be REALLY well-fastened to the floor, because if the flotation is ever required to work, the weight of the boat (minus its volume displacement in the water) will be suspended from them...
Click to expand...

The stock floatation was aluminum air tanks under the seats and one under the bow.
I have the bow one but the seats tanks were missing from the boat.

The tanks were attached to the seats and the seats get attached to the boat with 6 1/4 stainless bolts on each seat.
The boats dry weight is 205lbs
 
R

robert graham

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Re: A couple of safety questions

There was a thread on here a while back about under deck floatation replacement and there was a guy, with photos, that had laid those swim noodles all under his decks and sealed them up and it seemed like a pretty creative idea to me. Maybe he was a moron, maybe not! Whatever works! Good Luck!
 
ezmobee

ezmobee

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Re: A couple of safety questions

That was probably me. Though I didn't come up with the idea.
 
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