Re: Foam in flotation tan

Posted by Laszlo on Jan 27, 2005

OK,

I know I agreed with Lee that improper application could burst your hull, but properly used, foam is a good thing.

The main advantage is exactly what Charlie says it is - it prevents buoyancy loss in case of puncture.

The Coast Guard approved 2-part structural closed cell foam also provides structural strength by resisting compression. If you filled a Chessie's storage spaces with the correct foam, you could tap dance on the deck with your 250 lb buddies without fear of damaging the boat.

As far as promoting rot, that's not a problem if the inside of the tank is properly glassed and epoxied.

If used correctly, the only real downsides are increased weight (2 lbs per cubic ft) and lost storage space.

BTW, the easy way to calculate volumes is to fill the tank with water, then pour the water out into a graduated container (or just weigh the water once you've poured it out and divide the weight by water's density - particularly easy using the metric system).

Laszlo

In Response to: Re: Foam in flotation tan by Charlie on Jan 27, 2005

Replies:

• Re: Foam in flotation tan by RogerJ on Jan 27, 2005
  • Re: Foam in flotation tan by Greg in Vancouver on Feb 26, 2005