1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

[johnbuczek51]

Been reading the restores for months now and find a lot of good info, however, some confusing info also.

Let's start with "floatation" the foam, insulation what ever. I've seen articles where some used spray foam, some using what appears to be 1/2" blue soft foam others swear by a pink foam. Some of the applications do not appear to have enough "whatever" to keep a boat afloat.

We removed from our (Grandson and I) boat a white solid approximately 3" thick chunks that were so water logged that they added maybe another 300lbs to the boat. This material could not possibly help in floatation in my opinion.

Second....wood for the deck...some say plywood others talk of another wood AND thickness from 1/8" to 3/4" all of which are painted with...paint, epoxy or some other type of application (fiberglass). From our boat we removed 1/8" plain plywood with no paint covered by an indoor-outdoor carpet. It was not rotted but it was soft and bounced when we walked on it.

SO... the big question. Is there a standard by which you guys go by or is it a matter of what you honestly believe to be right because I'm about to embark on a new venture..............see pictures

 

[johnbuczek51]

Re: 1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

Find it difficult to believe that this amount of "foam" will keep this 18' aluminum boat afloat.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: 1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

I don't know if that's enough to foam to float the boat.
I'm starting the redo of a 14' 1968 Falcon which from what I've read became the 14' Holiday. The floor and foam both appear to be original to the boat. I will be replacing the old in great condition dry foam with the pink insulation foam panels. The floor is going to be the same 1/2" plywood as was the original but will be the Arauco ply..

 

[coolbri70]

Re: 1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

Find it difficult to believe that this amount of "foam" will keep this 18' aluminum boat afloat.

View attachment 196167

the foam is to keep it from going to the bottom, so it can be recovered, it wont keep it "afloat" though. even if just the tip of the bow is at the surface to be hooked to a towline

 

[johnbuczek51]

Re: 1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

the foam is to keep it from going to the bottom, so it can be recovered, it wont keep it "afloat" though. even if just the tip of the bow is at the surface to be hooked to a towline

I guess that beats a stick in the eye.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

Foam talk!!! opcorn:

I like your new boat, very cool:thumb:

 

[johnbuczek51]

Re: 1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

Thank you. Boat is in great shape as is the trailer.....the motor big?

Now to find out more about "floatation"and I wounder if the "pink insulation", which many seem to be using, is the answer. Any feed back would be appreciated See Lund Boat video

 

[johnbuczek51]

Re: 1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

Here may lie-in the answer

From the AeroMarine Products

AeroMarine Polyurethane Pour Foam
for Insulation and Flotation

"Boat Foam"
"Closed Cell Foam"
U.S. Coast Guard Approvable Liquid Foam

Q. Is this flotation foam compatible with styrofoam?

A. Yes. It will not "eat" or dissolve styrofoam. If you have a large cavity to fill, you can put some chunks of styrofoam in the cavity to save foam.

Q. How do I know how much foam I need to float my boat?

A. Get your calculator ready, you will need it. A cubic foot of polyurethane will float about 60 pounds of "dead weight". The wood parts of your boat will probably float, so you don't need flotation foam to offset that weight. The fiberglass parts of your boat will barely sink, so you really don't need much foam to offset the fiberglass- maybe one cubic foot of foam per two hundred pounds (or more) of fiberglass hull. The metal parts of your boat are what you really need to account for. A small (4-6hp) outboard may weigh 45-55 pounds. A 50hp outboard will weigh about 200 pounds.

So a 16 foot fiberglass skiff with a 50 horse outboard will need about six cubic feet of urethane foam to keep it afloat. A 12 foot plastic kayak will only need one cubic foot. A 30 foot fiberglass sailing sloop with a diesel engine and lead keel would need about 150 cubic feet of foam. Actually, very few 30 foot keelboats have positive foam flotation, but it's not out of the question- especially when you consider all of the air pockets that would exist, as well as all of the wood interior components that provide some positive flotation.

Q. Do I need to paint or fiberglass over the floatation foam?

A. You probably should. Polyurethane will absorb a small amount of water, because some of the the cells are open (95%+ are closed, though). Painting or glassing will seal the foam and prevent any water absorption. However, it really shouldn't be necessary unless the foam is constantly immersed in water, such as in a boat with bilges that are always wet. The foam is not UV resistant, so it must be painted if exposed to sunlight.

Q. Is the polyurethane foam resistant to fuel, oil, and solvents?
A. Mostly yes. It is resistant to splashes of gasoline and diesel fuel, although it will absorb a small amount because no pourable foam can be guaranteed to be 100% closed cell. A strong solvent such as acetone or toluene would eventually break the foam down, but it would take a long time.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1973 Starcraft 14' Holiday Restore

the foam is to keep it from going to the bottom, so it can be recovered, it wont keep it "afloat" though. even if just the tip of the bow is at the surface to be hooked to a towline

You don't have a good idea about what you're talking about and should really study the subject before commenting so as no to confuse people with inaccurate informtion.

Take a look at this video:
Lund Boat Floatation Video - YouTube

My 17' Tracker actually floats better than that Lund when filled with water (because my motor is smaller) and I never even get water on the deck.