Midnight confession of a neophyte boat renovator!

[Boomyal]

After having removed half of the foam below my floorboard, I've had the chance to assess the general structure of my boat including stringers, flexibility of the lower hull and the interaction and strength of the foam tying it all together.<br /><br />Now over the years, I have not hesitated to subject my my boat to a most rigorous pounding, at the same time admiring how it held together.<br /><br />

<br /><br />This day, I know why it did. There is no doubt, that as some on this forum have contended, the foam was there to absorb and spread the repeated shock and to tie all the components tightly together.<br /><br />I am definitely over the ping pong ball/soda bottle syndrome. When I begin to put her back together, It'll be, Fill 'er Up , for me!

 

[12Footer]

Re: Midnight confession of a neophyte boat renovator!

I hear ya. I'm still removing foam, and it looks like I have two more 'boxes' in the back of the soggy stuff.<br />I have reached a simular dilema.. The voids outside of the stringers..The reason they were waterlogged, is because there is no way for them to drain. They really need to be filled with something....Or drill drain holes thru the stringers.<br />Oh well, if it were easy, everyone would do it.<br /><br />I just dread putting foam back, as I'm certain it will be a sponge before the boat ever is launched.

 

[crab bait]

Re: Midnight confession of a neophyte boat renovator!

cause i'm in generous mood.. i'm gonna turn yous on to my secreat non-pat ( but should) invention..<br /><br />before you put in the 2-part foam.. laydown THIN-THIN-THIN pink owens corning THIN styfoam sheets on the hull..about 1/8 in.thick... <br /><br />but first lay down thin strips of the thin styfoam first..then lay the big sheets on top of that.. <br /><br />but there again not one big sheet but cut down in bigger pieces/sections an lay down.. the more pieces the better..<br /><br />when you but the two edges together,, an even good fit IS NOT NOT NOT wanted.. but a wide wavy gappy irregular fit is wanted..<br /><br />when all styfoam is layed.. take wide cheap MASKING TAPE.. AN ONLY CHEAP WIDE MASKING TAPE..<br /><br />tape all the irregular seams with it.. <br /><br />an then foam..<br /><br />the reason for this insanity is so the water WILL find it's way thru foam via thru the cheap wide tape..an give water a place to go via air space bettween styfoam an hull via the small strips layed first acts like spacers/stilts..<br /><br />good luck..

 

[Winger Ed.]

Re: Midnight confession of a neophyte boat renovator!

Perhaps a compromise would work for ya.<br /><br />On both my hydroplanes, since I'm not racing them competively, I foamed them solid for the extra strength & security.<br /><br />But, to save some of the expense, and even the weight of the 2part foam, I mixed in soda bottles as it was poured.<br /><br />I've got the best of both worlds.<br /><br />When you pour the foam, do it in 2 pours.<br />Sart with less than you think you'll need to fill it. Dump it into the place you want it, throw in the bottles, and hold down a piece of cardboard covered with plastic over the area you poured, but below the level of the floor.<br /><br />Then, pour more foam after that has set to finish the top surface. Use the covered cardboard to help it go into all the corners and edges properly. Then rasp it down to floor level, paint it to seal the sanded surface, & go from there. If you haven't worked with this foam much-- this is probably the best way to do it. <br /><br />Another method if you're going to have carpet is to cut some 2 inch or so holes in your plywood floor boards. Make the second pour, start screwing down the floor, and after the foam sets, just knock off the foam that purted up through the holes. It'll come out of the relief holes without building enough pressure as it grows to give ya any grief. <br /> <br /><br />I'd be leary of using any styrofoam that can be melted with gasoline. It'll probably be the type that will waterlog in a few years.<br /><br />If you put a pounding on that hull, you'll definitly want poured foam under the flooring. It increases the strength & rigidity of the hull beyond belief.<br /><br />Ed.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Midnight confession of a neophyte boat renovator!

Except for a few places, where the flooring had become delaminated due to rot, it was the foam sticking to the underside of the flooring that was anchoring it down. <br /><br />As well constructed as my boat appears to be, they used ferrous fasteners to affix the floor to the stringers. They had all but disentigrated. The foam was holding the whole mess together.