Foam in 1996 Tempest Bowrider

Goo_111

Cadet
Joined
Sep 21, 2020
Messages
9
My boat recently sunk and was under water for about 8 hours. Does this mean that the Floatation foam Under the floor will be forever waterlogged And need to be replaced?
 

Goo_111

Cadet
Joined
Sep 21, 2020
Messages
9
No. The bottom of the outboard was on the bottom but 1/2 the boat was still up.
 

matt167

Rear Admiral
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
4,159
if the foam was floating you may be good... Easiest is to weigh the boat against what it should. weigh
 

jbcurt00

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Messages
25,070
It wont be waterlogged, not yet, that takes multiple freeze/thaw cycles w water below decks.

Thats likely what you have now, water trapped in every little crack and crevice below decks with virtually no way to get out.

Look thru some pix of restos. Foam isnt a flat, well draining surface and any water that got behind it is now trapped which leads to wood rot and waterlogged foam long term.

You might try leaving all the deck hatches open, the drain plug out of it, bow lifted as high as you can reasonably raise it, in a heated well ventilated covered area (garage). And leave it that way for months. Tented w forced air circulation might help...

Might dry out, might dry out enough to get a decade more use out of it w no problems, or the clock just started on stringer rot and a rehab. If the latter, no way to guesstimate when it becomes unusable.
 
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