MrSimon
Well-known member
Now THIS is impressive! Great example of foam keeping a boat not just floating, but functioning as normal. There is a TON of foam in there, good foam, and installed very well. Most bench seat aluminum boats have about 15% of how much foam your boat has.
jigngrub said:A very simple test to see if your boat needs foam, has waterlogged foam, doesn't have enough foam, or has the right amount of foam is to launch your boat with the drain plug out and leave it until it doesn't take on anymore water... anybody got the cojones to do this?
I have done this with my Tracker Pro Deep by accident (launch without the plug in), the foam in my boat is so good that the bilge doesn't even fill completely and water doesn't come up through the deck drain. I have fished all day with the plug out, only to discover my mishap when I pull the boat out of the water on the trailer and water is shooting out of the bilge drain like a garden hose turned on all the way.
My boat is equipped with the closed cell 2 part pourable urethane foam from the factory.
The 2 part urethane foam can become waterlogged, but it has to be submerged for months for this to happen.
A quote from a urethane supplier:
Common Applications: Our 2LB density marine foam is recommended for void filling in nonstructural applications. This product can be poured underneath decks and inside cavities where a lightweight flotation foam is needed to provide buoyancy. This foam has been tested in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard Regulation # 33 CFR 183.114 . This foam is approximately 95-98% closed cell which resists absorbing water, however continuous water submersion can eventually lead to loss of buoyancy over a period of years. We recommend this product strictly for flotation applications. If looking for a liquid foam for sculpting or casting we recommend using at minimum our 3LB or 4LB density. More questions? [Try our Foam FAQ.]
The blue Dow "Styrofoam" and the pink Owens Corning EPS rigid sheet foam is also closed cell and takes a long time to become waterlogged. The beaded white Styrofoam isn't closed cell and become waterlogged much faster and the beads break down over time.
I would be a very bad scenario to suddenly realize that you really do need the floatation foam that you so stupidly removed from your boat and didn't replace. Especially if you're boating over frigid water or get caught out on the lake in a severe storm.