Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

[a1964rn]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Here's my thoughts on the subject:
You wear your PFD's to keep yourself and your passengers safe. The flotation is for your boat. If you have a boat and/or motor(s) worth keeping, use proper flotation. If not, let it go. If it sinks, go buy another pos and go at it again. Your choice. Truck inner tubes, noodles, etc., etc. If you want your boat to float, put the proper flotation in it. If you don't care, then don't worry about it. It'll make a good Crappie fishin' hole when it sinks.:facepalm:

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

If you don't care, then don't worry about it. It'll make a good Crappie fishin' hole when it sinks.:facepalm:

I prefer to fish non-oil & gas slick waters

Some places have a fairly hefty penalty for letting fuel & oil spill from swamped/sunk/derelict hulls. I'm ok w/ that, the heftier the better.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Welcome BigFishDave. Ah, no. Inner tubes belong inside tires. Period.

 

[a1964rn]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

:facepalm:

I prefer to fish non-oil & gas slick waters

Some places have a fairly hefty penalty for letting fuel & oil spill from swamped/sunk/derelict hulls. I'm ok w/ that, the heftier the better.

I hear ya! Just makin a point. :facepalm:

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

How long would it take for a Hugh Jass inner tube to get "in the way" lashed to the bow of a boat?

... about 2 seconds for me.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Yeah, I doubt most of those posting in this thread seriously consider sinking it, innertubes or the airbags a good idea.....

Others & those to follow, well, maybe not so well informed......

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Ok, I'm going to do it just for you Jas. It's been a while since I've forgot to put the bilge plug in before launching and then fished all day with the plug out because water never even comes up through the deck drain and it probably needs checking again just to make sure nothing has changed.

I'll make a vid of it.

LMAO. If your doing it I'm watching it. For the record I believe it will float. I think the reason Jas does not like pour in foam is because of the lack of drainage problems. It does eventually sog up, then it lays against the aluminum hull and pitting ensues.

I'm on the fence on this. Noodles or pour in, I'm flipp-floppin.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

LMAO. If your doing it I'm watching it. For the record I believe it will float. I think the reason Jas does not like pour in foam is because of the lack of drainage problems. It does eventually sog up, then it lays against the aluminum hull and pitting ensues.

I'm on the fence on this. Noodles or pour in, I'm flipp-floppin.

As you can see in post #51, my boat came with good floatation foam and drainage.

I've launched the boat without the bilge plug in several times over the 15 yrs. I had it and fished all day every time without noticing it until I pull nthe boat out of the water on the trailer and it looks like someone turned on a fire hose at the back of the boat with all of the water shooting out of the bilge drain... it's just a little embarrassing when other people are around and see what happened.:embarassed:

 

[BigFishDave]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

As you can see in post #51, my boat came with good floatation foam and drainage.

I've launched the boat without the bilge plug in several times over the 15 yrs. I had it and fished all day every time without noticing it until I pull nthe boat out of the water on the trailer and it looks like someone turned on a fire hose at the back of the boat with all of the water shooting out of the bilge drain... it's just a little embarrassing when other people are around and see what happened.:embarassed:

Another consideration is the location of the flotation added. Under-the-floor flotation may cause the boat to turn over when full of water in big swells, and so the passengers get to cling to the bottom of the overturned hull.

I had the unpleasant experience of a fully swamped boat, that had waves repeatedly coming into the boat - more than could be pumped out; but the outboard still ran (for a while) while I got closer to shore. Eventually, the wind blew the boat to shore, after the motor quit due to water from the spray getting into the carburetor. I was able to drag the boat up on land with a 4-wheel drive.

My newer 23' cuddy cabin weighs about 3,000 lbs; so adding flotation is like trying to float a car. Last night I cut and fitted more foam into the gunwales and spaces in the transom. So far, I added about 1,500 lbs of lift to the existing 1,000 lbs of lift created by the manufacturer's (Crestliner) sprayed foam, which lies against the bottom of the hull in four long 20' rows. I'm only about 500 lbs. shy of being able to fully float the boat.

I have been considering the truck tire inner tube, which will fit on the front deck, or two long fenders lashed to the lower part of the rails on each side of the boat. Prostock Marine (Prostock Marine) makes a nice 12" x 120" fender that would provide about 500 lbs of lift to each side of the boat. Properly secured, it might keep the boat upright when an unexpected storm blows in. It may be possible to keep most of a person's body out of the cold ocean water, thus adding to the person's survival time - well worth the $800 cost of keeping the boat upright.:cold:

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Another consideration is the location of the flotation added. Under-the-floor flotation may cause the boat to turn over when full of water in big swells, and so the passengers get to cling to the bottom of the overturned hull.

A lot, maybe most, possibly the vast majority of capsizings come from too much water on the deck of the boat. When the boat deck get's too much water on it and then rolls or pitches to one side all of the water and weight goes to that side capsizing the boat.

A deck drain to the bilge, a good bilge design that will accomodate a good amount of water and a strong bilge pump will help with this. As the water drains off of the deck into the bilge so does the weight, adding weight below the deck to keep the boat upright. As the bilge pump pumps water out of the bilge more water leaves the deck lessening the weight above deck.

Boats without deck drain scuppers or deck drains into the bilge are the ones most likely to capsize and are victims of poor design.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

After hearing opinions here(and coming to my senses)...I've decided against any DIY sealed air enclosed floatation. I guess that pink foam board is going to be the solution for me.


I should be able to get enough of it under the deck(including packing a bunch of it under the splash well) and in any unused areas to give me sufficient floatation......I hope.

 

[Ned L]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

A lot, maybe most, possibly the vast majority of capsizings come from too much water on the deck of the boat. When the boat deck get's too much water on it and then rolls or pitches to one side all of the water and weight goes to that side capsizing the boat.

This is called "free surface effect" and people here don't seem to understand or know about it. it doesn't matter if it is water in a cockpit, fuel in an un-baffled fuel tank, or water in a 'live well', it significabntly affects the stability of a boat.

 

[BigFishDave]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

This is called "free surface effect" and people here don't seem to understand or know about it. it doesn't matter if it is water in a cockpit, fuel in an un-baffled fuel tank, or water in a 'live well', it significabntly affects the stability of a boat.

Good information. Thanks. I never heard of free surface effect until just now.

Wikipedia gives a nice description of it: Free surface effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[64osby]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

After hearing opinions here(and coming to my senses)...I've decided against any DIY sealed air enclosed floatation. I guess that pink foam board is going to be the solution for me.

BII - Sounds like a great decision.:clap2: I'll be doing the same when my times comes to tear up the floor.

 

[BigFishDave]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Or why not rig up automotive air bags in stratigic places on the boat, 3 on the bow and 4 on the stern... all wired to a deploy switch to activate at the press of a button?:facepalm:

My wife reminded me after I crashed my car that:

Air bags are designed to deflate soon after inflation, so they may not work for boat flotation.

Thanks.

BigFishDave

 

[BigFishDave]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Another idea my father-law had: flexible black poly pipe sealed at the ends. A 6" diameter pipe that is about 40' long would provide almost 2,000 lbs of lift.

I'm looking into making a wrap-around fender that will follow the upper edge of the gunwale, fastened at intervals.

Thanks.

BigFishDave

 

[AZwadder]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

I hate patching tubes on a bike, Can't imagine tearing up the deck in my boat to repair one!!

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Another idea my father-law had: flexible black poly pipe sealed at the ends. A 6" diameter pipe that is about 40' long would provide almost 2,000 lbs of lift.

I'm looking into making a wrap-around fender that will follow the upper edge of the gunwale, fastened at intervals.

Thanks.

BigFishDave

Neat thought For smaller boat maybe it could be shorter sections used sideways and glassed in as braces between stringers to help support the floor. If done right pour in foam could still be added to support the hull and seal damages if needed and would have much larger air pockets for more floatation and also less floatation foam would be needed. Worse thing would be forgetting where they were at and accidentally drilling one when installing something in the new deck/sole.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

There's a reason why the USCG doesn't recognize sealed air chambers in boats under 20' as floatation, and it's a good one.

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: Inner tubes instead of floatation foam for my Starcraft SS ?

Well I understand if you puncture a sealed chamber it is no longer sealed but multiple sealed chambers plus floatation foam I think would be a good combo. Multiple sealed chambers you can't possibly puncture them all at the same time unless you destroy the boat and then floatation foam won't even help a boat that's been destroyed.