Drying/replacing saturated foam......

[trazz]

I have a 2003 Triumph center console boat that was docked and unknowingly the boat had a small hole in the bottom, now all the closed cell foam is very wet, how can i dry or replace the foam?

 

[DeepBlue2010]

It will never dry. You need to get it all out and replace it. While you are there, see if there are any structural elements (stringers, bulkheads, etc) got any water damage. You will need to do core samples for that; visual inspection - specially if they are fiberglassed over - will not be sufficient

 

[Scott Danforth]

Welcome aboard

you cant dry it, even if you lived in the desert and use a heat gun. if it did dry, it would no longer be closed cell foam anyway and wouldnt float

to replace the foam, you remove the floor, dig out the bad foam and replace it, then rebuild the floor. you may have to uncap the boat.

most likely if the foam is wet, so are the stringers and the transom.

there are stickies at the top of the restoration forum. one is labeled DIY information. read link 14 in there, then 2, 3, 4a, and 4b

 

[kcassells]

Bummer but no.........................................

 

[tpenfield]

A bit more information and background would be helpful . . .

Was the boat otherwise good before the hole in the bottom?

How long was the boat in a submerged condition?

Is there water around the foam or is the foam fully saturated like a wet sponge?

How were you able to determine that the foam was wet?

Have you opened up the deck or other parts of the structure and can you share some pictures of the issue?

Also, Welcome to iBoats

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome aboard, trazz.

Triumphs are not the typical construction we deal with here. The hulls are made of molded polymer. As Triumph says;

Roto Mold: Each design that makes the grade is passed onto our tooling department, where it?s transformed into a state-of-the-art, all-metal mold. Storage boxes, gunwales, transom, hull, deck cap?everything is molded into a single, seamless piece.

The build process is detailed here - http://www.triumphboats.com/construction/

Repair is nothing like fiberglass boats for which we normally offer advice. It has no separate hull and cap and no easily removed and repaired deck. It is a one piece plastic boat that needs specialized repair.

If none of us can tell you how to do a hole repair, a Triumph dealer may be the best choice. Are you the original owner? They like to say the boats are indestructible and have a lifetime structural warranty for the original buyer. Something to look into.