Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

[sebas54]

I recently removed a bunch of foam from my boat, under the rear floor. I was wondering does the foam stabilize the boat and keep it floating? I know that the foam is there as a safety precaution just encase if the boat takes on water it wont sink. Does the foam also act as flotation for the boat.

The reason I ask is because I remove saturated foam that caused my boat to lean a little and now it seems to be leaning even more.

I would think that the foam is much more buoyant than the hull so it does in fact act as a flotation to keep the boats water line above the water.

Does this make any sense????

Thanks

 

[brian3127]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

no the foam is only for the boat if it gets swamped the boat will still float. if it is still leaning sounds like you will have to remove all of the foam it sounds like it is all soaked. when i replaced the stringer and deck i took all of the foam out. so the total of the foam deck and stringer was about 850 bls.

 

[blousteau]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

Depending on how your boat was made, the foam could also be structural. I know my boat is a two stringer design, the foam between the deck provides some structural help to the bottom of the boat as well as the deck.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

Think about 2 plastic cups, fill one with foam, or something like it, and keep the other one empty, or put the same weight in each. They will both float just as high.

Do you have more weight on one side of the boat? like a battery, or fuel tank?
that may be your issue.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

We get ask that all the time about pontoons, "If I put air in the tubes will it float higher?"

As Bowman explained the flotation comes from the hull displacing water so the only way to make it float better would be to make the hull physically bigger, by removing the wet foam you made the boat lighter so it should ride higher in the water.

Also as stated, sounds like you either didn't get all the wet foam out or you have something heavy on one side of the boat, you need to shift some weight to right the boat.

 

[sebas54]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

Thanks for the replies.

The steering wheel/ cockpit area is on that side that leans and also the trim pump. The stringers in the back of the boat and the front look and feel very good. I check the area were I removed the foam for water every time I go out and it usually has some if it has rained I have installed a bilge pump to suck all the water out. I installed a water tight hatch over the hole in the floor and rain water seems to find its way in there. I think the water gets in there through he fishing rod holders and some small drilled holes from the previous owner. Is there anyway that the gas tank is off centered to that side?

My only guess would be to take out more foam. Should I replace it once I take it out.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

I recently removed a bunch of foam from my boat, under the rear floor. I was wondering does the foam stabilize the boat and keep it floating? I know that the foam is there as a safety precaution just encase if the boat takes on water it wont sink. Does the foam also act as flotation for the boat.

The reason I ask is because I remove saturated foam that caused my boat to lean a little and now it seems to be leaning even more.

I would think that the foam is much more botany than the hull so it does in fact act as a flotation to keep the boats water line above the water.

Does this make any sense????

Thanks

I know you meant buoyant short answer no

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

Actually Bowman is half right.. put 2 stripped out hulls in the water one with nothing and one filled with any type of foam you wish..the one with foam will be lower in the water then without. Foam in fact is a solid .. its made from solids.. it weighs..

5150 has it right.. its displacement..

I had to do this for USCG capacity of a new hull design .. I had to take a new layup "hull" to the boat ramp. Float the bear hull.. then start pouring in 5 gallons of water at a time , documenting every pour of 5 gl.. until the hull started taking on water...

Foam is only for filling voids in compartments..or float capability after the vessel is swamped.

YD.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

Foam is only for filling voids in compartments..or float capability after the vessel is swamped.

Ayuh,....

And all this time,.. I thought foam was added to hulls,..
Just to cause the stringers to Rot out...

 

[5150abf]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

We use 5 gallon buckets of sand to do our capacity tests, just load it up to the listed capacity and make sure it still floats,never got in on that but loading a bunch of 80lb buckets onto a boat sure looks like fun.

 

[kaw]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

Is there any way to weigh the boat over time to see how much more it weighs than when it was new. I run a small forlift with a scale, ever heard of those large ones at marinas having scales built in them. could possibly tell you if it's gained weight.

 

[oops!]

Re: Is the foam in the boat part of the boats flotation????

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