26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

[littlelund]

I have a 26ft islander that I am rebuilding. I installed a new floor and cabinets out of marine grade plywood and the foam atleast under the floor was dry so I put it all back together. So now I pulled the cuddy floor out because the drain was rotten and found water logged foam in part of that floor and its water logged under the fuel tank as well heading to the rear of the boat. Of course it's been raining non stop for 3 days but regardless I'm assuming I should do something about this. Starcraft in all their wisdom simply put dryer hose through the boat and foamed around it, for the drain they just cut a section of the hose out and put a hole in the floor. so water pretty much hit the foam and if your lucky some of it found it's way inside the tube that would take it to the bilge. Stupid design, can't believe they build this like they did.

So my question. I assume the water won't dry out, so if I pull fuel tank and remove the foam, do I have to put foam back into the boat. If foam is soaking water, then at what point does it do more harm than good. Judging by the number of threads I've seen of people with wet foam, I have to assume there are tons of boats out there running around with the issue, so how important is it to fix it?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Did you core sample the aft foam before you decided it was dry?

From the way you describe it, I'd say all of the foam in your boat is actually waterlogged and the aft foam just felt dry on top but is saturated below... I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it's more than likely what has happened.

Sure there are a lot of boats out there with waterloffed foam, and those are the ones that sink to the bottom when something goes wrong... like this one:
http://www.glangler.com/_blog/Great_Lakes_Angler/post/MULL/

I strongly suggest you check all of your foam and replace the bad stuff. Check it by core sampling.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

I have a 26ft islander that I am rebuilding. I installed a new floor and cabinets out of marine grade plywood and the foam atleast under the floor was dry so I put it all back together. So now I pulled the cuddy floor out because the drain was rotten and found water logged foam in part of that floor and its water logged under the fuel tank as well heading to the rear of the boat. Of course it's been raining non stop for 3 days but regardless I'm assuming I should do something about this. Starcraft in all their wisdom simply put dryer hose through the boat and foamed around it, for the drain they just cut a section of the hose out and put a hole in the floor. so water pretty much hit the foam and if your lucky some of it found it's way inside the tube that would take it to the bilge. Stupid design, can't believe they build this like they did.

So my question. I assume the water won't dry out, so if I pull fuel tank and remove the foam, do I have to put foam back into the boat. If foam is soaking water, then at what point does it do more harm than good. Judging by the number of threads I've seen of people with wet foam, I have to assume there are tons of boats out there running around with the issue, so how important is it to fix it?

The foam is FLOTATION foam, on a 26' metal boat w/ an I/O (a guess but likely) that weighs a considerable amount, flotation foam is only required if you don't want the boat & all your gear to sink if it ever becomes swamped Plan for the worst & all, don't ya know.....

Do an advanced search from the Resto forum homepage on: flotation foam

There are several options, and many many threads debating the various methods. The Starcraft Owners Group forum is a great resource as you work on putting your SC back together. Good reading in all the SC resto threads...

Ask 10 people what to use & you'll likely get at least 4 different answers. Do some reading in those threads & the ones that come up from an advanced search & once informed, you'll be better able to decide which method suits your needs, your budget & timeline.

Welcome to Iboats dry dock

 

[OHfishing]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Im pulling out foam from a sylvan offshore outside right now! A sylvan offshore , is a starcraft islander with sylvan stickers on it. The foam I was planning to keep because the foam in the front was dry and in good shape , the further I got to the back of the boat the worse it got. The foam on the bottom was heavy like concrete , I think even if it did dry out , I wouldn't trust its buoyancy. Check the link in my signature ("88 sylvan")

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Ugh, foam problems, bummer.:facepalm:

Yah, agree with these guys. Your foam is probably soaked and likely needs to come out. What a drag especially after you already installed the deck.

Man, my ultimate dream rig is a 26' Islander so I'm a bit jealous of ya LL. You don't happen to have a few photos of that big tin can do ya?

 

[OHfishing]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

ditto on the dream rig , I had one this past july , it was mine!! the boat dealer sold it on me while I was driving to go get it!

 

[littlelund]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Thanks for all the responses I agree, especially after I saw the extent of the problem

Yeah the foam was loaded with water on bottom. I pulled the deck, new cabinets, fuel cell and center foam back out today. I'll get the rest out of it this week. Like mentioned the top was dry but bottom is loaded up with water. I will have to replace all of it except the front half of the cuddy. Not what I wanted but it's what needs to be done and I'm committed to doing the job the way it should be done. Still can't believe how SC put these things together though in multiple areas

jasoutside, here is a couple of pics of it. My neighbor/friend of almost 15 yrs who owned it since new sold it to me a few weeks ago for very little money with down riggers, out riggers, planner mast, ect knowing it would go to someone who would restore and enjoy it for years to come with my family. I've being working on it for the last three weeks trying to get some of it done but unfortunatly he lost his battle a few days ago and won't be here to see it. So I plan to fullfill the image left in his head and restore the boat. New deck, floor covering, dog house, cabinets, seats, cuddy ceiling, cushions, drainage tubing, transom, electronics, canvas, decals etc and maybe even paint the trailer and rims. But most of all catch as many fish as possible

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

the foam should be replaced for piece of mind and its not realy that expensive considering its got the word coastgaurd and marine in the label. non toxic (postage) so it can be posted but most of all its fun stuff to work with in a childish kinda way about $70 for 8 cubic feet online. a $5 blender also gets the max amount of foam for your money as the better the mix the more it expands when used (wife hasnt noticed the hand blender is missing yet so im still $5 better off)

 

[Teamster]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Sweet boat,..

I'm gonna tag along and watch this,...

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Ah sheesh, that Islander is soooooo awesome!

I really hope to find one some day.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

It looks alot bigger then 26', nice!

 

[littlelund]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

yeah I think I'll call Aero Marine and order up some foam tomorrow so it's here when I want it. Need to get it done in the next week or two. It's not overly expensive but definetly feels like work

 

[littlelund]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Ok I have the foam in the center section and the right side of the boat torn out from the rear up to the cuddy bulk head. Now to the other side. My question is, is all this really worth it. Basically the center under the fuel cell was indeed flooded, and the water seeped upward through the holes around the braces that were foamed shut. so on the sides of the boat what I have is 12-13"s of good foam for a 1/2-1" of damp foam.. it's nothing like the centersection where I could see standing water and ring it out but the bottom inch or less is wet/damp. Still worth the effort? Not trying to get out of work or take a short cut but just trying to be realistic as to whether or not it's worth it. I'll be putting a ton of the foam I pulled out back into it when I pour the new stuff as it's dry and will take up a lot of space to save materials.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

My question is, is all this really worth it.

Take wet stuff out and put dry in? Yah, I think so.

For your new pour in foam, have you figured out how to get water to drain to the bilge?

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Just sold my 26' islander last year to downsize (getting older, me not the boat,lol). I tore this boat apart and restored it. Anyway, flotation foam is not required in a boat over 20' and I know the foam in your boat would not meet level flotation requirements. Point I'm trying to make is that foam was used as part of the hull structure. The Aluminum is very thin compared to todays boats. I think mine was .062 and most AL boats today have at least .080 with .100 being even more common. I think you need to replace all of the foam for hull stiffness or do something else to stiffen the hull. When I rebuilt mine about 10 years ago I noticed that my SC had thinner hull, less ribs, less stringers, and less bulkheads than any of the boats we were building at the time ( I was plant manager at an aluminum boat company). BUT, it did have foam in the bottom to help support those things. IMP.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Flotation is critical for staying at least partially afloat in the event of a swamp/capsize.

I believe the common understanding round iboats is that foam doesn't play a role in structure for alum boats. Yup, for certain glassers though.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Ok I have the foam in the center section and the right side of the boat torn out from the rear up to the cuddy bulk head. Now to the other side. My question is, is all this really worth it. Basically the center under the fuel cell was indeed flooded, and the water seeped upward through the holes around the braces that were foamed shut. so on the sides of the boat what I have is 12-13"s of good foam for a 1/2-1" of damp foam.. it's nothing like the centersection where I could see standing water and ring it out but the bottom inch or less is wet/damp. Still worth the effort? Not trying to get out of work or take a short cut but just trying to be realistic as to whether or not it's worth it. I'll be putting a ton of the foam I pulled out back into it when I pour the new stuff as it's dry and will take up a lot of space to save materials.

Reusing your old dry foam makes good sense and will really cut the cost on the new foam, just make sure it is dry and cut the damp 1" off. You can lay the old foam in the bottom and pour the new on top of it.

What is your stringer/rib configuration? Do you have the long longitudinal stringers for to aft, or the tall rib "joists" from port to starboard?

Some boat manufacturers do use the foam to support the thin 1/2" plywood decking they install. I personally don't like this design because it fills the whole bilge with foam and doesn't allow for drainage... it also puts the underside of the decking in direct contact with the foam, this can saturate the foam if the decking isn't sealed and the any moisture in the foam can be wicked up into the decking. It is a lose/lose design.

A 5/8 or 3/4" decking with an airspace between the decking and foam will last much longer.

Positive drainage can be achieved by leaving a drainway down the keel of your boat like this:

 

[littlelund]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Good reply's thanks... yeah the boat just has long cavities running the length of the boat. nothing from side to side. I think I will leave a center cavity down the middle just incase my efforts to keep water away from the new foam fail. The flooring did sit directly on top of the foam and it probably does do alot for support. That said there is a ton of foam in this boat with the cuddy and rear flooring. I'll finish ripping the foam that I plan on replacing out today and if the ups man is on time hopefully start pouring this weekend. Lot of work for a boat I've never ran before I wonder if a layer of plastic sheeting would be a good idea between the new flooring and the foam when I put the decking back on, kind of as a moister barrier?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Any water that makes it in between the deck & the plastic sheet will probably remain there. The sheet will keep the water from reaching the bilge, and whatever you seal the deck w/ will keep it from off gassing thru the deck...

 

[OHfishing]

Re: 26 ft starcraft islander foam questions

Good reply's thanks... yeah the boat just has long cavities running the length of the boat. nothing from side to side. I think I will leave a center cavity down the middle just incase my efforts to keep water away from the new foam fail. The flooring did sit directly on top of the foam and it probably does do alot for support. That said there is a ton of foam in this boat with the cuddy and rear flooring. I'll finish ripping the foam that I plan on replacing out today and if the ups man is on time hopefully start pouring this weekend. Lot of work for a boat I've never ran before I wonder if a layer of plastic sheeting would be a good idea between the new flooring and the foam when I put the decking back on, kind of as a moister barrier?

In my case the foam WAS holding the floor up , it was so tight that in some places the floor was bowed up , I think the foam is important in holding the floor firm

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