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View Full Version : Re-foam or not?



Barefoot Bob
12-25-2002, 05:19 PM
I need to replace the box frame that I had to cut away to remove the wet foam in my boat. My question is, do I replace the foam? Or not replace it, and risk the boat going to the bottom of the lake some day. My plan is to replace it, and having a channel under the foam so that water would have a chance to run away. I was going to put egg crateing down and then a plastic screening on top. Then spray the foam in. Any moisture getting into the foam would run trough the sceen and then channel away. Any other suggestions?

bulldogdaddy
12-25-2002, 06:25 PM
i dont think that if water comes in contact with the foam it will get out of it.if you do use foam again let me know and i'll send you some waterproofing for it.

Barefoot Bob
12-25-2002, 07:18 PM
Well I know that the water had know way to escape before. And all the foam was dry on top. The foam was about 15" high and ran from my bucket seats, all the way to the back of the boat. It was solid foam boxes on the starboard and port sides. The only water found was in the bottom 2" of foam. So, I figured if I have a hollow space for water to escape, I would cure my problem. I think I will waterproof it like you said also. If you look at the pic of my boat. You will see that it hangs in back from the 9" of set back. I already heard from a few people that if it would fill with water, it wouldnt float level with foam. But at least it will float. I have been through some scary times with that boat and lucky to be alive. Now would not be the time to chance it with no flotation exept for the foam up front under the bow.

sho305
12-26-2002, 10:26 AM
My best guess is you could try to foam into a plastic bag and seal it somehow, like in shipping/packing they do to conform to a part. Leaving room for drainage is great, but I would be afraid open foam could suck up water if it got wet even once. You can paint most foam with latex paint to protect it from the sun, but I don't know how waterproof that would be, guessing not the best.

Another way is you can have foam, like styrofoam or closed cell(waterproof) cut to size and then fasten/lock it in there. A foam company will do it for you, but make sure you check the weight of different foams before you do this.:)

One day long ago I was forcing a 2 liter Coke bottle under the sagging seat of my beater truck, and I got to thinking what a great flotation device it would be:D :D Thought if I had enough I could float a dock, even with the 10 cent deposit here that is cheap floatation. Too bad they are not square....milk bottles almost are, but the caps are not very secure. Any ideas? BTW, after some adjusting, the bottles worked great under the seat! Sometimes they made funny noises over bumps though:eek: :)

Barefoot Bob
12-26-2002, 11:24 AM
I did think of an air bag system. And I do think that would work also.

I have a Fat Sack for water skiing. You fill it with water as it sits in your boat,its for a bigger wake for skiing. I was thinking of taking the bladder out of it. Then filling it with air under one side to see if it fits. Then I could get another blatter from the company. The thing is. I am sure it would loss a bit of air over the summer. So I would have to make sure I had a way to get to the air fill.

I was going to use this same system to raise the boat from the bottom of the lake if I had no flotation in it. You go down with an extra scuba tank and empty air bags. You install the bags where you can and fill them with air from the extra tank....Up comes the boat.

I have a 50 pound lift bag I take with me scuba diving. Its a blast lifting things to the surface.

Flat Out
12-26-2002, 12:22 PM
No amount of foam is going to float a boat with a V6 on it anyways. Over time foam absorbs water. The air bag idea sounds better, but you probably still would not have enough floatation.
Good Luck

Techno
12-26-2002, 05:17 PM
That expanding foam is open cell foam but it forms a water proof skin when curing. Putting a drain in it won't work since it's "sealed". It isn't sealed for keeping water out but sure it won't let it out again.

I floated a piece of Klegecell foam in a cup for a couple months and no water Then I sunk it for a few weeks, and still no water. Kind of expensive for this.
If this is just for floatation the closed cell foam will stay dry but is probably a good idea to keep it off the floor for drainage.

Water weighs in at 64 lbs per cubic foot. If the boat is swamped then it weighs less too.

sho305
12-26-2002, 07:22 PM
I thought the new boats made today have to float fully rigged and full of water? No?

I know that styrofoam will not hold water, as I know people with docks floating on it for 10 years. However it will start to bead apart from the weather if not covered. It is not very light though, compared to spray foam, but not bad. I imagine the boat makers use what they do because that is the best to use. How about you stuff some 2 liter bottles on the floor and then plastic bag the foam above it? Maybe put some weather strip on them so they don't rub/move. I think the spray is as good as you will get, they just left it open and over the years it went bad. If you bag it you can put new in easy as well, if need be. I guess it depends on how easy it is to get to.

Barefoot Bob
12-26-2002, 07:55 PM
We are re-foaming and trying to seal it up on top as best as I can. The problem I had before was water splashing over the back end when I shut down. Now I know the biggest problem, and can take care of that. So!!!!!! Do I leave a channel under the foam for water drainage. Or do I seal it all up, and just try my best to keep the water from splashing on it??

TaySikes
12-26-2002, 10:34 PM
Try a websearch for "pour foam". You mix two resins together and pour it where you want it. It then expands into foam. It comes in 2 lb density, 4, and 16, I believe. The greater then density, then the more weight it would be. I also think it has a hard skin on the outside that would be waterproof. I work with surfboard blanks all the time, and they come from the factory with a hard skin to protect in shipping. From what I have seen accidentaly leaving blanks outside in the rain, the water just beads up and runs off.

Barefoot Bob
12-26-2002, 11:01 PM
Thanks for all the help guys

sho305
12-27-2002, 08:13 AM
IMHO, if you can't seal the top with say, silicone under the panel or something you are fairly confident the splash will not get into....then I would seal the foam. You see what happened the way it was. Or maybe you can seal the top better if you are sure it was just splash that did it? Now on my Bayliner there is a box under the back seat by the motor, I am sure it has a little water in there...but I got lazy having ripped enough of the boat up and left it at the time. I think I could foam it full and put plastic over the top to seal it. The seat cusion goes over it and the water off that goes right on it. In fact now I am going to check that in the spring..thanks Bob(?).

I guess I mean if you know how the water got there and can stop it, then you should be good.:) Now you made me work to do! These boxes are a little bigger than a battery, and hard to get to. Well it was only a $200 boat! Had to make sure that Force run before I got that far into it;) Maybe I should put knees in there at the same time...I think my 1500 is lighter than the 85hp! The pad is a good 8" wide, how fast with the 1500? 40mph now. I just might get laughed off the lake with it:eek: :D

Techno
12-27-2002, 05:48 PM
I wonder if a few holes were popped in the bottom if it would allow any water to drain out.

sho305 It's impossible to float a boat full of water LOL. I think they mean it stays on the surface.

Bruster
12-27-2002, 06:31 PM
Simply make the area the foam was in air tight area. No foam = no soggy foam. The air pocket will float as much as the foam will, perhaps more.
It's easier to foam at the factory than take the time to make some kind of air tight compartment.

A.Acosta
12-27-2002, 07:34 PM
hey Bob dont use the foam .it was hard to remove it. so dont put it back you can put as many foam as you can and it wont hold you're boat floating .someting good of not having foam is you have an extra space for storage and you're boat is lighter.

Barefoot Bob
12-27-2002, 07:34 PM
In order to make the area air tight I would have to split the boat. And then I still dont know if I could get it air tight. Also this foam does help support the side of the boat in back. If I were to get hit in the side it would put a hole in it and I would sink. The foam on the other hand would still be there. I am going to make a neet air pocket under the foam and add two small PVC pipes. That way I can run the PVC pipe through the new wood on the bottom and just glass them in. I will put drain plugs in the pipes so in fall they can be removed to air out all winter.

For those of you that havent seen where and how I cut the foam out. There are pictures in a thread I started called "water logged foam"

Barefoot Bob
12-27-2002, 07:45 PM
There is a liability issue here also...True, the motor on the back shouldnt be there either. But, if I sell the boat down the road and someone drowns. They are going to nail my ass to the wall if they find out that I removed the foam from my boat. So I figured I would put it back the way the maufacturer had it. But go one step better and make drains, and prevent water from even entering, now that I know how it got there.

It would be nice to leave it out. Hell, a nice amp and subs would fit back there great. But its going to be hard to find that thing on the bottom if it sinks. At least with foam it will be close to the surface.

sho305
12-27-2002, 08:07 PM
I just thought of another-get some of that large bubble wrap and put it on the bottom. Water could run right thru.

I was thinking about that too. I rip around in my Checkmate and it has none unless there is some under the floor. Not enough to float it anyway. If I do any work on it I will have to put some in. I would freak out if it went to the bottom.