Home test for waterlogged foam?

[Fordiesel69]

When I pull the sea ray this weekend, I want to see if the foam is water logged. Is there an easy way?

I was think of putting the bow up for 15 min, letting it all drain out the engine bilge, then put the plug in and leave the bow up high for a few days and see what fills up if any. Would this work?

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

That way will take forever, find a place of interest use a hole saw to make a hole big enough for a piece of 1/2" pvc. Cut some teeth on the end of the pvc and cork-screw it into the foam then pull out the plug and check for water. If all is good, replace the plug and reglue the piece of deck.

 

[yjanray]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

Hey Diesel,

Let me know how this worked out for you. I was wondering the same thing about my SRV. From what I read here, seems like its a pretty good chance that the foam is soaked.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

I am a little lost, once I cork screw it into the foam, what plug am I pulling out, or do you mean a small piece of foam will come out?

Oh, and any recommendation as to where the optimal place would be to drill the holes?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

it will be a "plug" of foam....

 

[Capt'n Chris]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

I read that thread awhile back about taking foam core samples. Most boats will have a stringer system and frames of some fashion and would surprise me if shoving that pvc pipe in there would get very far. I think you will likely bind before you get a few inches.

You could very well have cavities and foam between the frames holding water and you'd never know it from the transom. You might be able to tap the bare sole with a dowel and locate the structural members and mark the floor with a Sharpie. Or, better yet, call the manufacturer and ask them to send the stringer schedule for your boat, which probably makes the most sensible place to begin before heading out on a wild goose chase.

 

[marine4003]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

Before you go off half cocked and start marking lines and getting stringer layouts..find out the weight of the boat ..add fuel at 8# a gallon..battery's ect..then take it to a truck scale or your local dump..subtract the boat manufacturers weight..trailer..water is also 8#'s a gallon.. alot easier than cutting up your boat.if your over weight by 75-150 lbs..you got water.
Also..the reason propping up the boat to drain soaked foam doesn't work,is the foam is closed cell urethane, it will take months for the water to travel 5-15 feet.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

i believe i wrote the thread on the core plug, drill 2 inch hole, using a hole saw and electric drill, save the cut out.. use atleast 1inch pvc with the notched teeth. smaller will not get enough core sample. twist the pvc into the foam, all the way to the hull. remove and push the foam out of the pvc, you will know immediately if the foam is wet.

 

[kregars]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

Water is 9#/Gallon....Straight gas is 7#/Gallon as is E10.

 

[marine4003]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

i believe i wrote the thread on the core plug, drill 2 inch hole, using a hole saw and electric drill, save the cut out.. use atleast 1inch pvc with the notched teeth. smaller will not get enough core sample. twist the pvc into the foam, all the way to the hull. remove and push the foam out of the pvc, you will know immediately if the foam is wet.

I have restored , from bottom up 6 boats ,boston whaler and mako,both makes have foam..when i removed the decks the water saturation was often spotty, transom area..dry , forward..wet. so my point is,unless your going to drill "core samples" all over the place,its ALOT easier to do the weighing option.a substantial difference means water.period.No Drilling..No Fixing holes.

 

[RICHARD5]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

Water 8.33

5.9--6.5 for gasoline...depends upon temperature. 6.25 at 72F.

 

[Marcq]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

I agree with the weighing option, the best way to find out if you are carrying weight you're not supposed to, but you need to know the original dry weight of your boat

Marc..

 

[marine4003]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

Water 8.33

5.9--6.5 for gasoline...depends upon temperature. 6.25 at 72F.

where do you guys come up with this stuff...

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

A fellow iboater once suggested drilling a 1/2" hole and inserting a wooden dowel all the way through the foam and let it sit overnight...... remove the dowel and it will show signs of water.

The downside is that there are so many compartments of varied shapes it will be by chance to guess them all based on a hole or two.

Take a few minutes and read through the restoration section. This will give you a picture of how varied boat stringer systems are. Unlike a sheetrock drywall where you could figure on 16" OC studs.... every boat is different.

 

[nitsuj]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

where do you guys come up with this stuff...

http://tinyurl.com/ygwnd5a

;-)

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

Good answer. That should be a sticky at the top of every forum.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

A fellow iboater once suggested drilling a 1/2" hole and inserting a wooden dowel all the way through the foam and let it sit overnight...... remove the dowel and it will show signs of water.

The downside is that there are so many compartments of varied shapes it will be by chance to guess them all based on a hole or two.

Take a few minutes and read through the restoration section. This will give you a picture of how varied boat stringer systems are. Unlike a sheetrock drywall where you could figure on 16" OC studs.... every boat is different.

I used a similar technique only I stuffed the hole with paper towels.I used a 2-1/4" holes saw, once the cutter starts a groove you can remove the pilot bit and finish cutting through the wood and right on through the foam, the holesaw cuts the foam like a hot knife through butter so it's easy to tell when it bottoms out on the hull, the core will pop right out with the holesaw and can easily be epoxied right back into place.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

When I pull the sea ray this weekend, I want to see if the foam is water logged. Is there an easy way?

I was think of putting the bow up for 15 min, letting it all drain out the engine bilge, then put the plug in and leave the bow up high for a few days and see what fills up if any. Would this work?

Similar method to cutting a 2" hole, but less destructive is to drill a 3/8" hole in the deck, then insert a length of 1/4" wood dowel w/sharp point. Leave it in there for an hour or so. When pulled out, if its wet, there is water. If dry, just fill the little hole with some epoxy paste.

The wood dowel will wick water out of the damp foam, indicating if water is present.

The hole can be filled using epoxy in the tube applicator from the hardware store. Mix with wood flour or wheat flour to make a thicker paste to fill the hole.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Home test for waterlogged foam?

Yea, a small hole is less destructive and easier to fix for sure, I drilled out the largest core I could get only because I thought it would reveal layers of saturation but it was all dry, the foam was just like the stuff florist's use to create an artificial boquet.