how to check foam for water

i have a 1999 palm beach c/c with a 115 yam. it scaled out at 3400 lbs and looks like it sits low at the stern when in the water. i have run a snake thru the hull channels but found no clogs. after adding up gear, motor, trailer, approx. dry weight of boat i get an estimate of 2800 lbs. 600 lbs is a big difference. is it possible the foam is water logged? how can i check this? any other suggestions would be helpful. i posted this in the general questions forum and was refered to this forum. (and yes, i tried a search but had no luck).<br /> thanks

Re: how to check foam for water

Do you have a built in gas tank? If so you can pull the access door and should be able to get to the foam in there, best test is to take a screwdriver, finger, ect and push on the foam if it's dry no problem but if water bubbles up out of it oh woa is you. There is no way to get it out of there short of pulling the floor and replacing the foam, but I wouldn't think a boat that new would be soaked up, did you add in the fuel in the boat, i think there may be something you forgot to add in remember water is about 8lbs per gal. Have you stored the boat outside without a tarp?

Re: how to check foam for water

Re: how to check foam for water

yes i took into account the gas at the time i weighed the boat. i've gone over it a hundred times in my head and i am baffled. i work for a local trucking company so i used our scales. would i be better off going to other scales? our scales are use dto weighing vehicles around 80k lbs.<br />the boat i garaged kept....since i've had it, don't know for sure about the previous owner.

Re: how to check foam for water

If you don't have holes in your floor (screw holes ect) water can't get to the flotation, if you don't have a hole in the hull it can't get in from there, the only way left is that the boat was sunk before you got it, when you sink one the bilge will fill up and then leak past the stringers in the flotation which in most boats that size is outside the stringers on both sides of the boat. If the foam gets soaked it won't be long before the floor and stringers will start to rot and it dos'nt take a long time. Do you have any soft spots in your floor? Is there a musty smell in the bilge (kind of like wet dirty clothes)? If you have a truckstop close to where you live i would look for a Kat Scale to weigh it on, I think you are worrieing for nothing. Are you also having performance problems, (slow to plane) (feeling sluggish when turning)?

Re: how to check foam for water

What did you find out? Could you get to the foam? Hope it wasn't anything serious