maxum247
Lieutenant
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2007
- Messages
- 1,363
This is something that I have been wondering about after reading stringer questions. Would it be safe to?
Start with a bare fiberglass boat hull say up to 20 foot, strengthen the inside of the transom with fiberglass cloth and epoxy, especially in the corners of the transom and where the transom meets the bottom of the boat.
Pour in foam to the level the floor would need to be. This would take place of the stringers and knee's that would normally be present in some boat hulls.
Use some type of plastic pipe bedded in the foam for wiring and cables to run through etc, like they do in the floor of a building?
Use 5/8" plywood glassed on both sides sittng on top of the leveled foam, and glassed to the sides of the boat hull?
A strip of fiberglass could be layed across the boat at the plywood seams and along the sides of the hull and the plywood sealed with thickened epoxy as it goes in and then the deck glassed to the hull. This will give a layer of fiberglass under and one above the deck.
There would need to be a well to catch rain water and a bilge pump, make a form for the well, after the foam is poured remove the form. When the plywood floor is put in for good, the well would be glassed in permanantely. "That is if this foam can be glassed?"
I'm not sure how the plumbing for the cables and wiring would be drained if water were present, maybe a one way valve through the bottom of the boat sealed with 5200 and a scupper to keep it clean and neat.
Where the ends of the plumbing exits the deck could have a recess cut in the plywood around the pipe and could be filled with thickend epoxy, 5200 or something simular to keep it water tight?
1. Would this make a boat, too buoyant, unsafe etc?
2. Would the cost be worth it if it is safe to do?
3. Would heavy plastic hold up to the foam curing?
4. Would the floor floating on top of the foam be a problem? Stringers wouldn't be there to attach to, or would it not make to much of a difference with the hull filled with foam?
Thanks!
Start with a bare fiberglass boat hull say up to 20 foot, strengthen the inside of the transom with fiberglass cloth and epoxy, especially in the corners of the transom and where the transom meets the bottom of the boat.
Pour in foam to the level the floor would need to be. This would take place of the stringers and knee's that would normally be present in some boat hulls.
Use some type of plastic pipe bedded in the foam for wiring and cables to run through etc, like they do in the floor of a building?
Use 5/8" plywood glassed on both sides sittng on top of the leveled foam, and glassed to the sides of the boat hull?
A strip of fiberglass could be layed across the boat at the plywood seams and along the sides of the hull and the plywood sealed with thickened epoxy as it goes in and then the deck glassed to the hull. This will give a layer of fiberglass under and one above the deck.
There would need to be a well to catch rain water and a bilge pump, make a form for the well, after the foam is poured remove the form. When the plywood floor is put in for good, the well would be glassed in permanantely. "That is if this foam can be glassed?"
I'm not sure how the plumbing for the cables and wiring would be drained if water were present, maybe a one way valve through the bottom of the boat sealed with 5200 and a scupper to keep it clean and neat.
Where the ends of the plumbing exits the deck could have a recess cut in the plywood around the pipe and could be filled with thickend epoxy, 5200 or something simular to keep it water tight?
1. Would this make a boat, too buoyant, unsafe etc?
2. Would the cost be worth it if it is safe to do?
3. Would heavy plastic hold up to the foam curing?
4. Would the floor floating on top of the foam be a problem? Stringers wouldn't be there to attach to, or would it not make to much of a difference with the hull filled with foam?
Thanks!
