Starcraft waterlogged poured in floatation foam in Florida heat?

[thebrain]

Starcraft waterlogged poured in floatation foam in Florida heat?

Boat in ? will be a Starcraft aluimin mid 1980s 21'-22' center console. the plan is to first wieght the boat on scales if it weights heavy then drill though the floor use a tube to extrach a piece of the foam for moisture inspection pior to complete foam removal.

Will the moisture in the foam be evaporated in the Florida heat and become
Unwaterlogged?

if yes will this heat ruin the floatation properties and make the foam brittle and crumblei simaiarl to waterlogged plywood boat floors?

if no the Florida heat is not hot enought to evaperate the moisture can the boat be baked in a large oven like a car paint booth?

I?m thinking the inside of a aluimin hull gets very hot
Like it gets so hot during the summer the interior of a car gets up to 140 degrees.

edit when these big aluimin boats floatation becomes waterlogged is it just inside the stringers in middle of boat?
Thanks STB

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Starcraft waterlogged poured in floatation foam in Florida heat?

not sure what the question is, however heat doesnt have much to do with waterlogged foam.

usually the freezing cycles break the foam cells down quickly, however so does age.

the florida heat wont dry out the foam - it rains too darn much down here for that.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Starcraft waterlogged poured in floatation foam in Florida heat?

You have to replace it It will probably NEVER dry out and you are probably haulind allot of extra weight around in your boat.

I met another boater on the lake this past summer and he had the same Starcraft as mine except he was only 10 years old and mine is over twice that. He told me he removed over 600 lbs of wet foam from his 16' starcraft.

I bet if you take the time and effort to replace the foam and "re-do" things that are needed that your boats overall performance will go up. It will also give you the chance to "re-seal" the seams and rivets. My Starcraft gets zero water through the hull and is leak free.

Go for it. It is worth it.

 

[dozerII]

Re: Starcraft waterlogged poured in floatation foam in Florida heat?

What they said^^^there is something about the pour in foam that once it is waterlogged it never dries out, even a piece sitting out in the open air.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Starcraft waterlogged poured in floatation foam in Florida heat?

drill though the floor use a tube to extrach a piece of the foam for moisture inspection pior to complete foam removal.

No need to drill a hole in the deck, just remove the fasteners and lift a sheet of decking out. This will give you a much better idea of what condition your decking is in and you'll be able to core the foam in several places. I suggest taking up the piece of decking closest to the transom because this is where the foam is most likely to be saturated... it'll also give you a good opportunity to eyeball your transom for rot.

 

[thebrain]

Re: Starcraft waterlogged poured in floatation foam in Florida heat?

Guy's I was thinking a little to much.

how is the flooring attached to the hull on these big aluimin SC's I'm thinking aluimin rivets and they have to be drilled out?

TB