Soaked Foam? / Water in hull over 3 years

[Mscanon99]

Hi All,

I picked up a boat today that I had negotiated a deal on with the condition of a marine inspection. I took the boat to a trused marine service center who will look at the boat Monday for inspection.

For anybody considering buying a boat and is not extreamly familiar with them, I recommend this strongly, cost me about $100 each time, however has saved me thousands in the long run.

Anyway, I went to pick up the boat today, I checked in out for the first time the other day. I noticed that the boats bow did not seem to have much elevation. I cranked up the bow with the stand and about 5 gallons of water came out the stern. I actually know this becuase there was a bucket nearby which I put under the plug.

This water was most likely at the bottom of the hull over time, the boat had been sitting for about 3 years. It was covered with a tarp, however it was not water tight all the way around. I checked the floors very closely, they are all solid, I looked in the ski well and pulled back the carpet, I could see the stringers, they were glassed in.

All apears OK, however I am concerned about damage. The boat is a 1993 sunbird bow rider with carpet over plywood flooring. We live in the Northeast, so we get freezing weather as well.

Any way to check for damage? How would I know if the foam is soaked? How long will it take to dry out?

All advice is welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

Mike

 

[PSS-Mag]

Re: Soaked Foam? / Water in hull over 3 years

Any way to check for damage? How would I know if the foam is soaked? How long will it take to dry out?

All advice is welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

Mike

The good thing is that the foam is Polyurethane, you don't have to worry about it getting wet.

The bad thing is water can puddle in the creases on it and sour or mold, causing bilge odor and eventually rot but over a decade or so.

Best thing is to use it. The more it's jarred around any standing water will slosh and find it's way to the aft and drain out when you pull the plug.

The next thing, if you can find or have an open car port to park it under to protect the interior from sun and any rain. Park it there, leave the cover off, open all cubbys, storage compartments, to air out the bilge ( remove engine cover if it is an Inboard or I/O Stern Drive), Take all equipment out and let air out for a week or two.

If it already has bilge odor get a bilge cleaner/odor remover and pour a small amount in to the bilge before each trip.

I wouldn't suspect any or minor damage at this point, but to check use a small rubber non marring mallet and tap on hull, floor, stringers etc. You can tell by feel or sound the general condition of teh filer material it's it rotted or not.

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Soaked Foam? / Water in hull over 3 years

Sorry, but the foam will indeed soak up water. The only sure way to find out if it's wet is to find an out of the way spot to drill a hole big enough for a piece of thin wall pipe. Push the pipe into the foam and pull it out then look at the "core sample" to see if it's wet. Fiberglass under the floor, as good as it is will eventually let water through. If the foam is wet, I would suspect the structural stuff holding up the deck.

 

[Mscanon99]

Re: Soaked Foam? / Water in hull over 3 years

OK,

I have a vote for the foam does not soak up water and one that it does.

PSS, are you suggesting that after a certain year the foam is a different type and may not soak up the water?

Rocky, where would I drill for the core sample...I am thinking your post indicates through the floor. This could be simple enough, is there a certain section of the floor where this should be done (sides/front/back)?

In response to both of you, the only area I have been able to see/inspect the stringers is by putting my head and hand down into the ski well. I can see parts of the stringers on the left and right side. This section is carpeted, I pulled back a small section of the carpet, maybe I can pull back some more. I figured the well is not the bottom of the boat but some type of tub.

There are a few places around here where I might be able to weigh the boat/trailer. The boat is listed here and on NADA as being 1490 dry weight. I am guessing a load right bunk trailer would be 400 lbs or so. The places I am thinking of are refuse centers. I have been to these places with a landscape trailer to dump building materials in the past. They weigh you in/out to determine the amount of tonnage your dumping for charging purposes.

Please, keep the comments comming.

Thanks

Mike

 

[burroak]

Re: Soaked Foam? / Water in hull over 3 years

Sorry, but the foam will indeed soak up water. The only sure way to find out if it's wet is to find an out of the way spot to drill a hole big enough for a piece of thin wall pipe. Push the pipe into the foam and pull it out then look at the "core sample" to see if it's wet. Fiberglass under the floor, as good as it is will eventually let water through. If the foam is wet, I would suspect the structural stuff holding up the deck.

The foam is a closed cell foam and technically it will not soak up water into the closed cells. It will however, due to capillary action fill the voids between and around the closed cells. It's not a matter of "absorbing" water; it just retains it(a distinction without a difference).

Vacuum dryers are good at this kind of thing (six times faster) but you need a perfect seal between the hull and a vinyl sheet. Use the drain hole as the vacuum port. This is probably not viable due to cost and availability.

The low cost (redneck) way would be to tilt the bow up (out of the weather) and get a positive drain back to the open drain hole. Get a squirrel cage fan from a dead furnace, fashion an adapter from the exhaust side to a 4" flexible dryer vent hose, establish an access through the floor near the bow, make a good seal around the vent hose and let the fan run, and run, and run.

 

[Coors]

Re: Soaked Foam? / Water in hull over 3 years

Welcome to the restoration forum.

You probably have 6 months of rebuilding.


but it will be good after that. Search this forum, for the way to start.

Don't give up-used boats need love.

 

[Mscanon99]

Re: Soaked Foam? / Water in hull over 3 years

Well guys, I have read about 50 posts in the last 1.5 hrs....general concensus seems to be that the foam under the floor does retain water if it is left submerged in it.

There does not seem to be any way to get rid of the water without tearing up the floors and replacing the foam.

In addition, if the foam is wet, and there is wood touching it, once you do dry it out, the wood rots out - hence the term dry rot.

The big question is how much water got in and conducting a test to verify if the foam is dry or wet without cutting everything up.

The boat is a 1993 Sunbird with a Evinrude 115 outboard. Sunbirds are not known for thier heavy build quality, they are an average at best boat. I am thinking of using the core test, drilling a core hole inside the box that the lounge seats sit on so it will be out of sight.

Questions for the experts - do you think one core sample would be enough? Are there multiple chambers that would all need to be tested? Besides the spot I referenced, are thier other locations you would test like the bow/stern?

Good news is that I am not committed to this boat if it is water logged, just the hundred bucks or so for the marine service center and all my time looking and working with the seller.

In a final note, here is the irony of the story. The guy I am buying this boat from is obviously a wealthy man. He is also particular, everything is detialed, even has a sticky on the boat key with the word "igniton". He read the manual, it has highlight marks and notes all over it. He has a porche in the garage and an inground pool in the back. All this becuase he refused to buy a decent cover for the boat, opting for cheap wallmart tarps and bungee cords.

Best to all,

MS

 

[azlakes]

Re: Soaked Foam? / Water in hull over 3 years

There are a few places around here where I might be able to weigh the boat/trailer. The boat is listed here and on NADA as being 1490 dry weight. I am guessing a load right bunk trailer would be 400 lbs or so. The places I am thinking of are refuse centers. I have been to these places with a landscape trailer to dump building materials in the past. They weigh you in/out to determine the amount of tonnage your dumping for charging purposes.

Please, keep the comments comming.

Thanks

Mike

... thats what I would suggest. 300lbs over, your prolly soaked.

good-luck