replacing foam... yet another foam question...

wca_tim

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
1,708
I want to open the foam area under the bow of my bow rider to make a storage compartment. Since it's filled with foam does anyone see a problem wit removing the foam that's there and replacing it with with significant additional closed cell foam up under the sides on the front half of the boat. SO long as I add the same amount or more new than is in the pocket in the front, it seems like it should serve the same purpose...

When I replaced a rotten / soft section of the deck in the front, I had a chance to inspect the foam underneath and even took a couple of "core samples" down to the hull to make sure it was dry and in good shape before replacing the wood and glassing over it.

The foam filled boxes on either side of the engine compartment will get opened and checked as well when I swap engines out in a few weeks. If they're wet, I plan to remove the wet foam, replace any wet or rotten wood and glass over it, and then maybe replace the foam or at the very least tightly seal the voids to provide the intended buoyancy. My understanding is that the volume and location of the "boxes" is designed to be sufficient that in the event of unchecked water intrusion into the engine compartment, the water level will not get high enough for water to get into the engine itself. I'm going to do some math to see whether that jibes with the weight of the hull and engine. Depending on what the numbers say, I'm tempted to add additional. of course, I don't plan on having a major leak, but who knows, I could screw up a bellows install, etc...

Last question: Why in the cases of the boxes in the back, do we even use foam rather than to very tightly seal the empty space? Seems like if long term water leaking in and not getting out, it wouldn't be difficult to install watertight inspection ports... Just curious...
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: replacing foam... yet another foam question...

hey tim.....

last question first......

read bond-o's statement in wet foam rot prevention......no such thing as a sealed chamber on a bote...(thats boat..spelled like i love-hate them :D )

im thinking.......what kind of storage do you need?

do you want the whole area?.....or would a section do? (1x2x10 ins deep?)....if just a section....

fab a container...and just cut out the foam to fit the container.

if you want the whole section....just fill the section between the seat backs and the top deck with corresponding amounts.

(that boat rot- wet foam suggestion thread is getting good....)

......you said...pull OUT the engineS.....does that mean more than one?....
if it is...your over twenty feet...in a i/o configureation...uscg says you dont need foam.....

cheers
oops
 

wca_tim

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
1,708
Re: replacing foam... yet another foam question...

Sorry, did read Bond-o's post(s). Lots of em in fact. and have learned a ton from most of em. I was thinkin that if it's gonna get wet over time, why give it foam to retain the water, rather just leave a way to check it and to get in... At least that way would allow a way to let the wood dry if it did get wet.

On the front compartment, there really is only the nose area and I was looking for a relatively large space. I do like the idea of putting a premade container in there. Also, the only thing behind the front two seats is the leg area for the driver and left side seats. There are small compartments under each of the front seats as well.

On engine, only one, it's an 18 ft checkmate. I'm going to upgrade to more engine and am planning to take a week off and do the engine bay, interior and engine swap all at once. Making sure I have everything figured out and ready to go so I don't get hung up on too many things. (seems like no mater how careful, there's always something...).
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: replacing foam... yet another foam question...

(seems like no mater how careful, there's always something...).

yeah i know what you mean.......that jerk murphy allways shows up with his laws.......

you should be fine with your plan.

just add equal or more foam in the front.....

what kind of re-power are you going to?

cheers
oops
 
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