69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

I'm trying to determine the weight of my 16 Foot 1969 Bellboy. I don't know what the trailer weighs, so can't take the boat off then reweigh and take the difference. Under the floor boards there is no foam. Just alittle in the Bow section. I have a new 90HP Merc, which is 375lbs. I'm wondering if I put in 9 cubic feet of 2 pound foam, it that will be enough to have it not sink. The area I'm looking at is 9ft X 4 ft X 4 in. which I believe = 9 Cubic feet.<br /><br />Any advice you have would be appreciated.<br /><br />Thanks

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

To find cubic feet (l X w X h) 9 x 4 x .333 = 11.988 or 12 cubic feet.<br /><br />There should be a plate on the transom that will give you the weight of your boat. Then figure in motor, gas, occupants and equipment.<br /><br />Your foam may become water logged if water gets into that compartment.

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

Thanks, IIfish for the cubic feet calc. It doesn't have a plate. I'm hoping that there might be someone that as one of these old things.

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

Just remember, it is not dry land weigh that you base your flotation foam needs on, it is a theoretical submerged weight. Depending on the amount of water displaced by the entire boat when under water, you may only need to displace 1/2 to 2/3rds the amount of the dryland weight of the boat. In anotherwords, your boat probably weighs around 1300 lbs, so you would only really need to displace 800 or 900 lbs of water. It is that amount you can start a baseline calculation from. Then you can add a bit more for extra gear. If you have the room for the 12 cubic feet, that should be plenty enough to keep your boat at the surface. Good luck...

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

If it were me I would not foam it. I have just finished digging out wet foam that someone (not Chris Craft) put in a 22 foot 1977 Chris Craft I am restoring. Water will get to it and will contribute to rot not to mention the weight of water soaked foam. If you want to stay afloat if the boat sinks wear a life jacket. Your boat may have beem built before the USCG began requiring builders to put foam in boats 20 feet and under. In my own opinion don't cause your self problems down the road by foaming it.

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

I would foam it no question about it, if you hit a rock and put a hole in your boat at least you can make it to shore, or have something to sit in while waiting to be rescued. Foam is not expensive, and if you build it right and take care of the boat properly, the boat will outlast you most likely. Not foaming a small boat is not good advice IMHO, small boats sink VERY quikly, 16 footer probly more quickly than you have time to get a life jacket on, and go into more places with hazzards than bigger boats, you never know when you might hit some submerged rock or other hazzard, and put a hole in the hull. accidents happen, charts can be wrong at times, storms can move things around on the bottom, waves can crash over the stern. Also a life jacket doesn't do anything for hypothermia. Small boats NEED foam. Some boats are built that rely on the foam for support and can break apart without it. If it had foam from the factory it needs to have it after a rebuild IMHO

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

Based on what I have read, it appears that the two part closed cell foam should be resistent to water take up. I'm more concerned about the safety of family when boating, considering that the water temperature in Puget Sound is extremly low, even in summer. <br /><br />Does anyone know, what is the best working temperature for 2 part foam? It's still a little nippy in Seattle, 40 degrees, I would like to get the foaming done before boating season starts, if at all possible. In addition, I plan on using a Truck roll on liner (Herculiner) on the side and floor boards, rather than carpet. Has anyone had any experience with using truck liner for a boat?

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

the warmer it is the more thoroughly it will expand.<br />It was in the mid-high 60s this weekend, and I poured the first batch in and let it expand. I then poured the second batch in and let it expand. Both batches in went in the same space under the floor. Both batches were the same amount. The second batch expanded about 30% more, I think because of the heat from the first batch preheated the area. I would wait until you can get above at least 60 degrees, but I really do not know what the minimun temp is to be honest. But I was satisfied with how it went.

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

Originally posted by PaulKim:<br /> I'm trying to determine the weight of my 16 Foot 1969 Bellboy. I don't know what the trailer weighs, so can't take the boat off then reweigh and take the difference. . . . Any advice you have would be appreciated.<br /><br />Thanks

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Paul Kim,<br /><br /> First of all, if you weigh the boat and the trailer together, then take the boat off and weigh the trailer, then you subtract to find the weight of the boat. By definition, you know the weight of the trailer if you weigh the trailer without the boat on it.<br /><br /> Secondly, from what I have read, the higher the density of the foam, the more resistant it is to absorbing water. I am putting 8# foam back in mine...this will cost 4 times as much as 2#, but will be much more water resistant and stronger...and I lose very little flotation.<br /><br /> Finally, one concern that I have is if you add too much flotation under the deck, then there is a possibility of the boat turning turtle (flipping over) if it gets swamped. Most modern boats add flotation under the gunwales and such so that the flotation is higher (also keeps it away from water in the first place). It would take an engineer and probably some good software to determine how much flotation a given boat can have and where it should be located in order to float properly when swamped. That being said, I too am adding 9 or 10 cubic feet of foam under my deck...hopefully, over 500 of additional flotation will keep the boat high enough that the gunwales never go under.<br /><br />Just my $0.02 worth,<br />Joe

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

Thanks Joe, I'll be planning to weigh the boat. Currently I have open space between the stringers all the way back to the end of the boat. 5 inside stringers, and 2 outside stringers. This leaves a total of 6 areas which could be potentially foamed. I plan on doing the outer 2 on both sides. The question is, towards the transom should I block off the two outspaces, and leave a hole for a drain plug, just in case water does get into the out two areas?<br /><br />Thanks, here are some pics of the transom area. You can see the stringers and knee joint.

Re: 69 Bellboy Weight / Floatation

Probably would have helped if I put in the link for the pics<br /><br /> http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/elpto90hp/album?.dir=/a581&.src=ph&.tok=phqxJZCBt8t2XXWZ