Floatation material

[CapnD]

Hi all, what should I use for under the floor floatation material for a starcraft 16' SS? And where can I get it? and how much? and have a nice day!

CapnD
Team Superfloat

 

[Bondo]

Re: Floatation material

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,... I suggest you use the Search function...
This topic has quite literally, been Beaten to Death...

 

[dozerII]

Re: Floatation material

There is another post from last week and Ezombee used pool noodles, which I thought was a great idea. i had already used pink styrofoam sm on mine or I would have used the noodles. The dollar store has them for a buck apeice, way less than the SM.

 

[Spinnaker]

Re: Floatation material

Here we go with the "pool noodle" thing again. You guys are going to hate me for saying so but it is mickey mouse to save a few bucks. DO IT RIGHT!
If you are going to replace the foam use 2 part and be done with it.

 

[nitrosteve]

Re: Floatation material

I'm doing pool noodles...

 

[PaulyV]

Re: Floatation material

Pool Noodles..Pool Noodles..Pool Noodles..Pool Noodles..Pool Noodles..Pool Noodles..Pool Noodles....or the pink/blue sheets at HD Loewes...

 

[PaulyV]

Re: Floatation material

The pink foam at HD cost about $5.18 per cubic foot ($14 for a 2? sheet)
The blue buoyancy billets cost about $11.5 per cubic foot at the local lumber yard ($89 for a 7? x 20? x 8? piece).
Poured in place foam is $13.25 per cubic foot, based on a 8 cu ft kit for $105

I replaced the transom in my boat because of the original poured foam trapping water against it. The poured foam also trapped water in small pockets against the deck, and prevented the water from moving freely in the bilge to the pump. The slow moving water didn't clean the stuff out from between the ribs etc, making it trap even more water, adding to making the decks soft. All strikes against pouring again (at least in my opinion). The money part is obvious.

The moral of the story, based on my boat, get every bit of foam board you can in the boat and you?ll float the boat in a worst case situation, for way less than half the price of poured foam, with none of the poured foam issues.
*********************************************************
Thats from a great Restoration going on and there are pictures to back up why he went through all this figuring.

 

[bankfisher]

Re: Floatation material

Here we go with the "pool noodle" thing again. You guys are going to hate me for saying so but it is mickey mouse to save a few bucks. DO IT RIGHT!
If you are going to replace the foam use 2 part and be done with it.

There is no frigging way I would put two part foam into the bottom of my aluminium boat. If I were to do this there is no way for the water to drain to the bilge area. If you have a glass boat and could seal everything maybe, but you never really seal everything or you would not be reading this.

Spinnaker, enjoy your gold medal in hockey, pour your foam, and please skip the noodle, extruded polystyrene, what do I need for flotation threads.

And by the way,
Have a nice day!!!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Floatation material

Foam billets. That should be what you found below your deck.

2 part foam tends to fill and block the water passages.

 

[stylesabu]

Re: Floatation material

I'm in the process of redoing my boat{16ft tinny) most of my old foam in the back was water logged.all other options are much better in my opion.now using 2 part filler to bond everything together isn't a bad idea. but using construction insulation is cheaper and easier to use.

 

[Spinnaker]

Re: Floatation material

There is no frigging way I would put two part foam into the bottom of my aluminium boat. If I were to do this there is no way for the water to drain to the bilge area. If you have a glass boat and could seal everything maybe, but you never really seal everything or you would not be reading this.

Spinnaker, enjoy your gold medal in hockey, pour your foam, and please skip the noodle, extruded polystyrene, what do I need for flotation threads.

And by the way,
Have a nice day!!!

Aluminum is another story. The construction is very different. I know nothing about. BTW, where's the love?

 

[jspano]

Re: Floatation material

i believe there are 2 different uses of foam for different boats.

alum boats usually will get more water under the deck and should always have a way for water to ran back to get pumped out. so loose closed cell foam is the way to go.

fiberglass boats seem to be a tighter deck and most water runs over the deck to the bilge area and expandable foam seems to offer some stiffness to the deck

but for boats under 21 ft i believe you would want positive floation

 

[PaulyV]

Re: Floatation material

Aluminum is another story. The construction is very different. I know nothing about. BTW, where's the love?

The original post came from a TINNY owner...and you slammed him..and us..so...no love...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Floatation material

Here we go with the "pool noodle" thing again. You guys are going to hate me for saying so but it is mickey mouse to save a few bucks. DO IT RIGHT!
If you are going to replace the foam use 2 part and be done with it.

Ayuh,.. What you're calling doin' it Right, is heading down the Same path of the hull's Self-Destruction that happened the 1st time...

Einstein would define that as Insanity....

OEM's do it because it's Required of them, it's Cheap,+ Easy...
I'm also quite Sure that Designed Obsolescence also comes into play....

 

[bankfisher]

Re: Floatation material

Aluminum is another story. The construction is very different. I know nothing about. BTW, where's the love?

That was just my point. you can't compare apple to weeds!!

There is plenty of love in there!

 

[73Steury]

Re: Floatation material

Just a thought. I throw away yards of bubble wrap with shipment I receive. This would displace water and allow water to flow to the bilge area.:

 

[noworries79]

Re: Floatation material

I'm a little hesitant to use the 2-part foam since I removed over 100 pounds of saturated foam in December. I'm one for the oodles of noodles myself.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Floatation material

Just an additional thought......a number of newer aluminum Starcrafts with poured in foam from the factory are turning up with corrosion issues. The older ones, which just had some white foam blocks from the factory, don't seem to have as much of a problem. I think the foam itself, or perhaps it's just that it's holding saltwater close to the hull, is causing this corrosion. I would not even consider putting poured foam in an aluminum boat.