Foam or no Foam?

[Drexel Engineer]

Hello all,

In the process of refitting my 26 footer, I am at the point where I re build the V-berth. My question is this, should I fill the cavities with buoyancy foam? Is it worth it? Do any of you gentlemen actually use the urethane foam? Finally, in a worst case scenario, a capsize for example, will the foam keep the ship a float? I look forward to you thoughts.

Shawn

[delmarrey]

1 cu.ft. of foam will float a little more then 50#. So if the boat weights 2500# then you would have to fill up your whole V-berth (50 cu. ft.) for the foam to just keep it afloat, nose up.

Your boat does have a large void under the cockpit but not enough to float it. a 26' is not required to have floation foam by todays standards.

http://www.abycinc.org/standards/purpose.cfm#H8

Go to H-5 & H-8

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Drexel Engineer

Hello all,

In the process of refitting my 26 footer, I am at the point where I re build the V-berth. My question is this, should I fill the cavities with buoyancy foam? Is it worth it? Do any of you gentlemen actually use the urethane foam? Finally, in a worst case scenario, a capsize for example, will the foam keep the ship a float? I look forward to you thoughts.

Shawn

Yo Shawn,

although the idea of an unsinkable 26-footer is intriguing, it is not likely to be practical on a ballasted keelboat. And you will give away valuable storage space if you choose foam for the flotation material. What I mean to say is FORGET ABOUT THE FOAM!!!

Now if you are serious about adding to its' buoyancy, simply create non-flooding storage areas wherever possible. And remember, an empty tank is terrific flotation.

best, andy

[Drexel Engineer]

Well then, that solves that. Thank you for the help.

Shawn

[Brent Swain]

A friend working on an aluminium Saugeen Witch told me they put one on a tide grid. checked her out , then went to the pub. It had 1 inch of sprayfoam in in. When they got back they found that they had forgot to close a thru hull. The boat was full of water and still had a foot of freeboard. They took a picture of several of them standing on deck with the boat sytill loating high.That was Bruce Cope , of Cope Aluminium boats in Parksville, BC.
I remember a picture in a British Yachting magazine a few years back of a foam cored 48 foter , similar to a Maple Leaf 48 which ad been holed , yet refused to sink due too the foam core in her. They towed her to a yard ,still full of seawater and still floating.
Its possible to make many boats unsinkable if you put an inch of foam over the entire interior, rather than a few big lumps o ffoam.
Brent

[dana-tenacity]

Isn't there a European production boat that is unsinkable? Just foam in all the hard to reach bits if I remember.

[dana-tenacity]

boats.com - Boat Review/Test: Unsinkable Etap

[dana-tenacity]

http://www.boats.com/news-reviews/ar....html?lid=1044

[Charlie]

Etap is the boat that is unsinkable according to European standards. A couple of things I found is that the interior was very small b/c the foam was pretty thick. Alot of storage was taken up by foam. Also was concerned about how you would know about problems (leaks) that occurred. The foam would allow the leak to travel around before showing and then you wouldn't know where the leak was comming from.