Re: Does every boat need foam in it?
Back in the '60's and on for awhile the deck (floor) was "sealed" (Ha!) forming an air pocket between it and the hull. This was the flotation mechanism. Oh and reasoning on flotation is that it may help you to recover your craft and if you are overboard, it gives you something to help keep you afloat besides your life jacket.....if you were smart enough to be wearing it, or had one on board at all.
Problem with that theory was that as the boat was used the hull would flex and the seals would open and water would get under the floor in the air chamber and lo and behold your boat has added several hundred pounds and was hard to control. BTDT '63 Taylor Craft.
So Foaming came into play where an expanding 2 part plastic was injected into areas of the boat to provide flotation. This was "open cell" material and could and would absorb water if not sealed (another Ha! for the same reason). Some Mfgrs. like Starcraft for one (I had one I restored) used closed cell styrofoam batts, like in coffee cups, under the deck which would get wet when water was in the boat but remained functional do to the closed cell design....ever had a coffee cup leak?
Don't remember the year but I do recall that somewhere along the line, mid '80's or so, there was a requirement (from whom I don't know) that boats shall float upright. That meant that the foam needed to occupy the higher parts of the boats. Remembering an '89 Ranger I had, a lot of otherwise usable space at the transom especially, was useless due to all the flotation material.
My 2c,
Mark
