Questions about waterlogged foam on 1977 Mckee Craft

[dragula]

good afternoon folks, I am looking to get approval from some of you (hopefully) on what I have planned. I have a 1977 Mckee Craft Waccamaw hull that I suspect has water logged foam. The plan is to use a circular saw to cut a 2" lip from the gunwales around the center of the boat. I would stop short of the transom and inspect the stern from the area that is cut. Then tear and replace any thing that needs replacing.

I read on another post that a piece of plywood is needed to prevent the skin of the deck from becoming "wavy." Could someone please go into more detail about that?

Please excuse the dirty boat and large pictures! First image is general area that would be cut up. I would stop at the fore end of the splash well. Second is a picture of my boot pressing on a screw hole and water gushing out - lol

Thanks!

 

[dragula]

 

[dragula]

 

[shrew]

The way I've seen them do it in the yards is to drill a bunch of holes in the bottom of the hull at low points and allow the hull to drain. Then re-fiberglass the holes, barrier coat and paint the hull. I watched a friends boat in the yard drain for 6-8 months.

 

[racerone]

Once the foam is water logged it is near impossible to get the foam dried out.----Cut the liner.---Remove the foam.-----Choose a method other than foam to provide structure / floatation.----Doing a project myself.----No way that I am putting foam under the floor.

 

[mr 88]

The way I've seen them do it in the yards is to drill a bunch of holes in the bottom of the hull at low points and allow the hull to drain. Then re-fiberglass the holes, barrier coat and paint the hull. I watched a friends boat in the yard drain for 6-8 months.

This method will get the standing water out and that's it. The waterlogged foam will remain as is. Documented case, a person with a 11' Boston Whaler did this and had it in Arizona for something like 20 years and it still has water in the foam. In OP's case he has to remove it. I will put money on the transom being compromised as well . Looking at the metal cap where the motor hangs , the cruddy caulking around the engine mounting bolts and the amount of miscellaneous screws on the inside of the transom it all adds up to water intrusion.

 

[dragula]

This method will get the standing water out and that's it. The waterlogged foam will remain as is. Documented case, a person with a 11' Boston Whaler did this and had it in Arizona for something like 20 years and it still has water in the foam. In OP's case he has to remove it. I will put money on the transom being compromised as well . Looking at the metal cap where the motor hangs , the cruddy caulking around the engine mounting bolts and the amount of miscellaneous screws on the inside of the transom it all adds up to water intrusion.

There were SO many open screw holes when I got the boat. I covered a lot of them with marinetex. So I guess my plan is now is to an oscillating saw and cut the deck lining out and inspect how bad it is.
Does anyone have any info on the build of these old boats? I’ve read that it is just floatation foam sandwiched between two fiberglass skins.

 

[dragula]

Once the foam is water logged it is near impossible to get the foam dried out.----Cut the liner.---Remove the foam.-----Choose a method other than foam to provide structure / floatation.----Doing a project myself.----No way that I am putting foam under the floor.

Where can I find info on an alternative structural/floatation design? Besides becoming saturated, are there other drawbacks for using closed cell foam? Or huge benefits of the alternative methods?

 

[racerone]

Using the expanding foam is a fast / cheap method of producing a boat.----Took the motor off a " whaler " a few years ago for that very reason.-----Foam was waterlogged.------Boat went into one of those tub grinders and was destroyed in seconds.

 

[JimS123]

There were SO many open screw holes when I got the boat. I covered a lot of them with marinetex. So I guess my plan is now is to an oscillating saw and cut the deck lining out and inspect how bad it is.
Does anyone have any info on the build of these old boats? I’ve read that it is just floatation foam sandwiched between two fiberglass skins.

If the boat has stringers there is plenty of data here on how to fix it. If the core is structural foam then its not as simple as just cutting away the deck.

If the latter is the case go over to the Boston Whaler forum and talk to them. There IS a way to restore a Whaler.

 

[Grub54891]

Redoing a transom at work as we speak, 25' whaler. The guy just bought it and didn't know how to check it over properly. Trued to tell him it's just a bandaid to repair but he wants it done. I removed the motor pod, cut out the transom and about a foot of saturated foam. Not pretty. We will replace the transom, inject new foam and rebuild. The rest of the boat checks out fairly dry with the non contact moisture meter. I just hope he is happy when its finished. It's been opened up for a week, and it's still seeping a small amount at the bottom, it will never completely dry out. The seepage should be stopped by Monday as the rest is surface dry now. "I hope."

 

[Chris1956]

There is a Boston Whaler specialty forum for repairs. Maybe on continuouswave?