Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

SeaMasterZ@aol.com · Jul 2, 2003

posted this over in boat projects, but it was ignored, maybe someone will see it here before it gets moved

Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is better ... Which begs the question, where do you get the long slats of foam you see laid along the stringers under the floorboards? I dont want a whaler, but I Would like to have a chance at keeping SOME Of my stuff should Hydrophobia take a shot at being a submarine any ideas? would plastic bags filled with shipping peanuts work? strong bags, lol, ziplock freezer bags or something, lol, a few hundred would be a couple bucks, I can get shipping peanuts by the bushel! (just for the sheer helll of it, I filled a two gallon bag with peanuts, and tossed it into a pool full of kids, they had a ball floating around on it, worked great!) its all about trapping air right? [Cool]

zzzzz · Jul 2, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

Ray-down here we have a place called the Gingerbread Trim Company..they make the foam blocks used in fancy trim for house construction..the blocks are shaped/carved and added to the house frame then covered with stucco..we have some blocks to store boats on

SeaMasterZ@aol.com · Jul 2, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

lol, foam blocks in the Hurricane Belt ... why do keep seeing three little pigs??? and Hurricane Big Bad Wolf howling into town ... lol

zzzzz · Jul 2, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

Ray- I was in Miami for Hurricane ANDREW !!..not too much scares me anymore...Floatation can also be added with Clear Cote's Poly-U-Foam..a two part kit available in two different desities that you can mix and pour thru small openings BUT be careful to judge the expansion of the foam as it cures !...best done in small quantities(is that the voice of experience???)

SeaMasterZ@aol.com · Jul 2, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

jeeze ... I guess nothing much DOES scare ya after that juggernaut blasting thru ... I have to replace the floor, so I figure while everything is out, put the floatation in ... even thought about putting those swimming "noodles" in the hull, lol, go buy a hundred of them and start stackin em down, like making a raft within the boat I guess after a while ya get numb, and just start throwing the money like a drunk in a ticker tape parade

rolmops · Jul 2, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

Hello. Packaging peanuts have a lot of air in the inter peanut space.If your plastic bag springs a leak for whatever reason, you will find yourself with a plastic bag half full of water that the bilge pump can't get too. This becomes dead weight. It seems so much easier to just buy some 4 by 8 by 1 or 2 inch styro foam boards, cut it to the right size and layer it between the stringers.Your floor boards will keep it down and the end result has hardly any space for water to gather in.On top of that ,any water that does, can still reach your bilge pump,so it will be pumped away. As for money,I did my 17 footer that way and in order to get 12 cubic feet of flotation (12 x60 pounds = 720 pounds of upward force)cost me all of 23 dollars and a lot of fun with my eleven year old son who measured and cut the foam. good luck.

SeaMasterZ@aol.com · Jul 2, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

thanks rolmops where did you get your styro boards? also ... my great grandfather, the one chronicled in here so often, used to eat something he called rolmops, some salty damn thing, herring or something tasted good with beer ... lol, even when I was five I liked beer

rolmops · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

Home depot or any other big chain hardware and building materials store. Was your grandfather a dutchman?

moderator1 · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

Moving to Project Boats. This is NOT an outboard question.

moderator1 · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

Which begs the question, where do you get the long slats of foam you see laid along the stringers under the floorboards? I dont want a whaler, but I Would like to have a chance at keeping SOME Of my stuff should Hydrophobia take a shot at being a submarine any ideas? would plastic bags filled with shipping peanuts work? strong bags, lol, ziplock freezer bags or something, lol, a few hundred would be a couple bucks, I can get shipping peanuts by the bushel! (just for the sheer helll of it, I filled a two gallon bag with peanuts, and tossed it into a pool full of kids, they had a ball floating around on it, worked great!) its all about trapping air right? -------------------- Ray Keep It Simple ... Sailor! Bunch of boats and a Big Johnson : o)~ (and a few spares kickin around!) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posts: 386 | From: South Jersey | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged bondo Captain Member # 8448 posted July 02, 2003 09:36 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trapping Air IS the Ticket..... 12oz. Soda Bottles..???? They're Strong,+ Last Forever..... -------------------- Any Grease is Better, Than No Grease At All... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posts: 740 | From: The North Coast of America..1000 Islands Ny. | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged JasonJ Captain Member # 3950 posted July 03, 2003 01:33 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I ended up just using expanding foam, but originally I was going to use 4" PVC Drainfield pipe capped at each end. I was going to place these tubes between the stringers, then foam them in place, the theory being that it would be less expensive and less to eventually saturate. It turned out that it was less expensive to use the foam and less work, as well as less weight. Get the 2 part foam, pour it and be done with it. -------------------- "The Boat Gods are cruel, but fair and just" Project Skanky Beast -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posts: 353 | From: Sandpoint, Idaho | Registered: Aug 2001 | IP: Logged CastawayRay Captain Member # 23728 posted July 03, 2003 03:14 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- so put the floor in, then pour the two part foam? ive also been told that sheet styrofoam is good to go too, and around 25 bucks for a 17 footer, Im doing an 18, so that would be great for me ... but gotta tell ya, mix and pour sounds SO much easier, lol thanks for the heads up -------------------- Ray Keep It Simple ... Sailor! Bunch of boats and a Big Johnson : o)~ (and a few spares kickin around!)

moderator1 · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

The posts from your previous message have been added to this one. Previous post-deleted.

SeaMasterZ@aol.com · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

LOL, yes he sure as hell WAS a dutchman, how did ya know that? that a dutch thing, salted herring? Neat guy, pain in the ass at times, had no compassion for a five year olds fears ... those are SHARK FINS pop pop!!! ahhh, theyre just baby sharks boy, get in the water "SPLASH" stop screamin, youll scare the fish, and screams make sharks wanna eat ya ... lol, the guy loved water, lived water ... and in the time I got to spend with him, I learned to love water baby sharks and all

ps ... moderator1, what other information was deleted from the other post? jeeze, freakin one man gestapo squad ... read any Orwell lately? Hmmm, then again, 1984 was practically 20 years ago (can you believe that? damn, time flies ... )

moderator1 · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

NO posts were deleted from your double posting. If you read the string on this one, you'll see I moved them all over here.

SeaMasterZ@aol.com · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

thank you moderator1 - I know you guys get the odious task of being Town Ogre, but someone has to ring the bell, right?

On the bright side, Ive slowed down on camping it up Thats good for something!

Bondo · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

1 more thing to check for if your going to use Foam Blocks....... Pour a little Gasoline on it before you install it..... Many Foams will Melt when Exposed to Gasoline, or other Oils...... Show me a Boat that hasn't had Something Spilled in the Bilge..... I Still think, Plastic Soda Bottles.... You can even fish a wire or hose through them.... Try that in a Foamed Hull..... It's All About the Air .....

SoulWinner · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

Greetings, Check with sign companies. They get foam to cut into letters and logos for commercial signs. SoulWinner

hunky-dory · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

bondo i think thats a great way to bring up the value of the boat at 5 cents a pop . but will never work .. can never displace enough volume .

SeaMasterZ@aol.com · Jul 3, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

hmmm, could always check for gas leakage with a match ... i dunno, could always inflate a bunch of conundrums (jesus christt, C O N D O M S gets censored on here, how bout some freedom of SPEECH!), talk about safe boating! Seriously, I like both ideas, maybe bulk foam and the two part solution to fill the gaps in the foam inexpensive and efficient, good partners!

Bondo · Jul 4, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

hunky-dory, Soda bottles will hold a Great Volume of Air.. Fit into Small areas.. And Not Soak up Water....And, If(or really When) water gets into the "Dry" bilge compartments, The bottles will Allow the water to be Drained.... Foam will Hold the water for Years, Rotting your boat out from under you.... Foam Floats because of the minute Air pockets in the foam... When it soaks up the water,(Yes, It Will) it Sinks.... Fill a burlap bag with soda bottles,+ Try to sink it..!!!!!! I Know you guys Think I'm Crazy, But I tell ya, It Works,+ in Most states, They're Free.... Remember, It's All about how much AIR you can trap that floats your boat(or actually, how much water you can displace)..... I've seen folks in here "Think that adding foam to their boat will make it set Higher in the water".... That's NOT how it works....

Paul Moir · Jul 4, 2003

Re: Hope Floats, but Styrofoam is Better

I don't know what the US coast guard has to say, but up here the flotation cells only have to be non-intragle to the hull and under 0.014m3 in size each. 0.014m3 is 14 litres, or 0.5 cu/ft. (I love how we use units up here! Where do you think *that* number came from??? "Hold spray can 20.32 cm away from..., Now where did I put my micrometer?? )

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