bulges in hull between bulkheads??

[Brett777]

the hull on my 83 mako bulges outwards between the bulkheads, does anyone know why?

 

[steelespike]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

Maybe there is water trapped in flotation foam<br />causing expansion.<br />If no foam maybe too much distance between bulkheads.

 

[Brett777]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

There is foam and thats a possibility I guess, The Makos are supposed to be built well and I doubt that the bulkhead spacings are designed improperly. Do you know if there is a way to dry that out or to see if the foam is in fact wet?<br />Thanks Brett

 

[sea wolf]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

i don't know of any way to dry out the foam. i would drill a small hole {watch where that drill goes!} to see if in fact it is wet. but once it's saturated that's it. you'll have to remove it. does the boat lean more to one side? if it does that's an indication that you've got water in the core. what condition is the deck in? any soft spots? u need to find out why the foam got wet in the 1st. place & correct it. of course, i could be jumping the gun, as i can't see your boat from here. good luck.

 

[JRJ]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

Hi underthegun, I would check on some sites like: floridasportsman or thehulltruth for info on Makos. You'll find some owners to talk to. Good Luck.

 

[tjthorson]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

Just because its wet, I wouldn't think it would make it bulge. Is there a possibility that it got wet and then froze and expanded??? That would worry me! I would think you want to start pulling up the floor and getting that stuff out sooner then later....

 

[Brett777]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

Ok, Thanks, no chance of freezing here in Miami. The deck is solid and the hull seems to be in fine shape other than this. It looks as though pulling up the deck would be a major under taking with the center console and controls and all but I will get around to it if thats what it takes. Another question though, I pull the deck and get the wet foam out, is there replacement material available somewhere? and do I need to glue the skin to it when Im done? This is probably a little above my do-it-yourself confidence level.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

there's a 2 part pour in foam that u mix together than pour. but u have to be careful with it 'cause it expands big time than u got a mess & if u don't leave room for expansion it WILL blow out a bulkhead. try cutting out a small section of floor to check the foam. another option is to bring it to a good fiberglass repair shop to get an idea of what's going on. or find a good surveyor. one more thing. on my boat the floor was solid but i found wet foam underneath. the foam got when part of the deck seperated from the hull, allowing water to seep in. i did the repair work, but it ain't no fun.

 

[Spidybot]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

Agree with seawolf.<br /><br />The 2-component expanding foam (polyurethane) even sticks to anything (except one or two types of plastic). Once hardened you can cut it with a knife. It can be poured in through a small hole and the expand it's way to every corner. Just make sure there is an escape for excess foam as it won't stop expanding before it's ready to. Or pour in small amounts at the time. If you ever want to remove it, I'd suggest you use blocks of polystyrene cut in shape or even as loose 'microballs'. This solution won't get soaked and contain water as the foam might do over time.<br /><br />Make sure you do some tests before filling the expanding PU-foam into your boat.

 

[tjthorson]

Re: bulges in hull between bulkheads??

Oops. Sorry, didn't see the "From: Miami" under your post. I *thought* I looked around for a location before I posted, but I must have missed it.... Sorry!