Foam alternative:Pics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

[Paul Bell]

http://picasaweb.google.com/pacerdude/EntireDeckReplacement89Celebrity224se?authkey=HgGTAKMNl18#

To foam or not to foam:
That continues to be the question

 

[jklnhyde]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

Great set of pics to use as a resource or guide. Yes, looks like a bit of overkill on some of the bracing, but that's exactly what I would have done! Is your Celebrity a 24' bowrider?
I've always wanted a large BR; maybe for my next project.

Rick

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

Absolutely fantasic work. The foam board is what I'd have gone with as well. I believe another forum member found a piece of it buried in the ground at a construction site and it was still dry.

 

[betayv]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

hey nice boat and very good job, you have a good thread going on thanks and keep up the good work.

 

[wewefirex2x]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

I have a question? In picture #12 and others.

When you cut the deck out, do you leave this lip towards the bottom of the gunhale? for a reason? If so how do you apply deck up to it if you dont build supports like you did?

The reason I am asking is because I have just started to pull my deck. I dont want to replace what is not rotten. The only way for me to place deck in is to remove entire floor???!!! Not sure...

 

[Paul Bell]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

Hey thanks for the kind words. I really planned to just pull the carpet up and fix a soft spot.
This is an 89 Celebrity 224Se bowrider. I have owned for this boat around 14 yrs, keep on a lift under a canopy and store indoors for the winter so I cant tell you how shocking it was to see what was below. I honestly had no idea the extent of the damage or what in the heck I was getting into to do this type of repair.
This forum has provided all the advice and direction so thank you to all.
The question of the inch or so of decking left is so the new deck could but up and provide a means for the fiberglass (yet to be done) deck and gunwhale coming together. I will fiberglass up about 12 inches up the gunwhale. It also provided a way to use the circular saw at a depth of the decking to go almost completely around the deck except for tight corners where a dremel and jig saw where used.
Pour in foam requires 70 degrees or more to expand and I am lucky to get this barn up to 50-60 with some space heater.
Best of all foam board is not stuck like glue to the hull like pour in foam.

 

[wewefirex2x]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

OK. Maybe I am confused or just dont understand!!

In this picture where the RED arrow is. How is the plywood going to butt up against this and be sturdy? The closest stringer is about 12-14 inches away. I understand the fiberglass will give strength but what about flexing? I am new to this deck thing and trying to do my own, but dont want to get over my head. Am I thinking too far into this? Thanks Mike

 

[salty87]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

you're right about the temp...you'll need 20-25% or more foam at that temp. when i did mine, i was surprised how much difference a shady spot under a tree made compared to the rest of the hull.

another thought...pourable foam doesn't have to be poured into every nook and cranny. it's nasty stuff when that happens. you can have foam and drainage. water will always find a way in.

i think builders decided long ago that pouring the foam in was a nice shortcut that hid other shortcuts for many years. very much like sweeping dirt under the rug.

 

[stackz]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

I like the foam board idea. how is it's bouyancy compared to pour foam??

such as how much extra or less could I get away with?? this would be perfect stuff for installing in-floor compartments that could be removeable in case I needed to get at something under the flooring for whatever reason...wouldnt have to chip away at the dried pour foam...

 

[Paul Bell]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

wewefirex2x: your question of how to but the decking up to the lip of old deck is a good one.Look at the added bracing put in place to compensate. That spot with the arrow was the largest unsupported part of the old deck with foam adding a little support.3/4 ply wood with supports adequately spaced is extremely strong. Study the rebuild pics to see the difference. I have the new deck down and not even fiberglassed yet and it does not budge. Making additional supports is easy.I used cardboard to make a template and then set with PL poly adhesive.Deck needs support.
Stackz: I bought 1 qt of part A and 1qt of part B foam.($100.00) and I think I ultimately would have needed a few gallons so took it back. Home store had 2 inch 4x8 foam board <20.00 sheet. I used 4 total and filled every possible space.Waterproof, indestructable easy to cut to size and DOES NOT stick like glue to everything! After all that chopping of glue type saturated foam no way did I want to do that again. Water (that should not get in) will easily flow around foam boards to the drains I put in. Not sure of exact bouyancy but it is very light and very bouyant and I bet more so than saturated foam!!

 

[J. Mark]

Re: Foam alternativeics of rebuild 89 Celebrity

Your work looks great! I think I am missing something though-did you not wrap the new stringers and supports in fiberglass cloth? The pictures look like you just epoxy coated them and glued them down. The way everything is sistered and braced, it seems like this would work, but it is not conventional to my understanding.

Also, was your boat previously overhauled or was the structure from the factory? It seems odd that with all the cross supports, there wasn't a support/stringer on the outer edge of the boat right at the hull.

Still a nice job from what I can see.


I'm planning to use the same type of foam in my boat. I'll end up using 3 sections of 2 inch foam 24x96 on each side.

I'll add some beads of PL to the hull to keep the foam up off the hull and allow good drainage. (Will let dry before installing foam)

Did you glue your foam sheets together or just let them sit loose?

Any thoughts as to which would be better? I'm leaning towards gluing them together with a thin layer of epoxy to keep water from between the sheets of foam, but perhaps gluing them with PL adhesive and some 1/4 inch scraps to leave a gap might be better?

I'm also going to look at putting a layer or two on the underside of the bow.