What to do about saturated foam Block?

telluridescott

New Member
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Hello Members,
I'm a newbie! and just got a porpoise II sailboat that had water in the hull.. After opening up the drain plug and the inspection port I have found that there is a foam block on only one side of the aft that is soaked with water and a loose foam block under the bow that I guess is also saturated with water by the weight shift I can feel when moving the hull around. And help with what I should do? I'm trying to dry it out but should I remove the OLD blocks? and if I do how can I replace flotation without opening up the hull? Any and all help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
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Telluridescott
 
You have a shiny RED Porpoise II? :eek:

I bought a Porpoise II, then found out my BIL and I couldn't lift it! :confused: Briefly, what I did was to put in two inspection ports, and reached in to pull out all the disintegrated foam—those handfuls were like soaked sponges. :eek:

I then coated a bunch of empty, capped, 2-liter bottles with expanding foam, and pushed them in as far as they would go. :cool: Competent-enough a sailboat, it's now sold. "Search" Porpoise here, there's a lot of information.

BTW 1: You could do us Porpoise-members a favor by figuring out how the cockpit drains work. Are they simply straight black tubes? Maybe press a digital camera, set at wide-angle, against the upper drain and take a picture?

BTW 2: There's a 4" wide fiberglass brace under the rear deck. I suggest installing an inspection port that is set off to the side. A 5" port—offset—should clear the brace.
 
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You have a shiny RED Porpoise II? :eek:

I bought a Porpoise II, then found out my BIL and I couldn't lift it! :confused: Briefly, what I did was to put in two inspection ports, and reached in to pull out all the disintegrated foam—those handfuls were like soaked sponges. :eek:

I then coated a bunch of empty, capped, 2-liter bottles with expanding foam, and pushed them in as far as they would go. :cool: Competent-enough a sailboat, it's now sold. "Search" Porpoise here, there's a lot of information.

BTW 1: You could do us Porpoise-members a favor by figuring out how the cockpit drains work. Are they simply straight black tubes? Maybe press a digital camera, set at wide-angle, against the upper drain and take a picture?

BTW 2: There's a 4" wide fiberglass brace under the rear deck. I suggest installing an inspection port that is set off to the side. A 5" port—offset—should clear the brace.
Interesting, 2 little bottles covered in foam not filled with foam? Also, is it weird that it only has a foam block on one side of the hull? Finally, will a sunfish dagger board fit a porpoise II? Sadly mine came missing one...
Thanks for the help,
Scott
 
The daggerboards are interchangeable with Sunfish. The Porpoise II wood grip has a large arrow indicating "forward". I kept the Porpoise II board, as it was the best of the lot. Good boards can be found cheaply at eBay, but shipping-costs can torpedo a "good deal".

'Don't think I'd remove the foam blocks until it's been determined that they're not useful. Be aware that drying-out with a fan will take all winter. :( BTW: Those "fingers" of fiberglass can draw blood! :eek:

You do seem to missing a foam block. My Porpoise' deck—aft—wasn't very strong following the removal of my water-soaked flotation. In the case of your boat, perhaps it was an expediency of hurried construction?

I'd given some thought to gluing new Styrofoam disks together to fit inside my new, offset, 6" inspection port. To glue and move them—like stacked checkers—to support the deck against my weight—then considered that they'd eventually become crushed and no longer useful, so decided against it. The forward Styrofoam blocks seemed clean and dry.

The 2-liter bottles were added to add critical floatation, should things go very wrong. I added foam on their outsides to keep the bottles from rolling around. Adding foam to the insides would be a waste of effort—IMHO.

A view (outdoors, in the sun) ...um...from the starboard aft port (corner), looking forward:

P6070005.JPG


Should an inspection port installed on the port side be called a "port port"? :confused:


.
 
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The daggerboards are interchangeable with Sunfish. The Porpoise II wood grip has a large arrow indicating "forward". I kept the Porpoise II board, as it was the best of the lot. Good boards can be found cheaply at eBay, but shipping-costs can torpedo a "good deal".

'Don't think I'd remove the foam blocks until it's been determined that they're not useful. Be aware that drying-out with a fan will take all winter. :( BTW: Those "fingers" of fiberglass can draw blood! :eek:

You do seem to missing a foam block. My Porpoise' deck—aft—wasn't very strong following the removal of my water-soaked flotation. In the case of your boat, perhaps it was an expediency of hurried construction?

I'd given some thought to gluing new Styrofoam disks together to fit inside my new, offset, 6" inspection port. To glue and move them—like stacked checkers—to support the deck against my weight—then considered that they'd eventually become crushed and no longer useful, so decided against it. The forward Styrofoam blocks seemed clean and dry.

The 2-liter bottles were added to add critical floatation, should things go very wrong. I added foam on their outsides to keep the bottles from rolling around. Adding foam to the insides would be a waste of effort—IMHO.

A view (outdoors, in the sun) ...um...from the aft port (corner), looking forward:

View attachment 24083

After closer inspection there are two foam blocks in the aft one is just pushed over farther than the other. I'm going to try and dry them with a heater very low and a fan.
The cockpit drains straight into the hull and the bottom of the hull has 2 scuppers that are upen to the hull. Boat wasn't flipped over and water filled the cockpit. Know wonder the hull was saturated. I need to install tubes connecting the top to the bottom.
Thanks for the info. Looking for a board next.
Scott
 
I'm going to fall over if I ever open up a little daysailor and find 2 litre bottles in them. L&VW... you're kidding right... but I guess the pics tell all. Yes... empty bottles are better ( I guess...lol!!!) it's like filling a spar with foam if it's already water tight...why?? (add weight).

That said...I knew this "hippy" years back that built his own house. Did the construction just fine, but cheap'd out on the insulation in the walls. Collected whatever he could get free, down to egg cartons and scrap pieces of Styrofoam. Looked like a landfill. If I ever replaced some drywall in a house and came upon that.... Some people.
 
Quoting the above for clarity:

After closer inspection there are two foam blocks in the aft one is just pushed over farther than the other. I'm going to try and dry them with a heater very low and a fan.

The cockpit drains straight into the hull and the bottom of the hull has 2 scuppers that are open to the hull. Boat wasn't flipped over and water filled the cockpit. No wonder the hull was saturated. I need to install tubes connecting the top to the bottom.
Thanks for the info. Looking for a board next.
Scott
Mixmkr, I got the 2-liter bottles idea from an engineer-genius, Pete McHenry, [late] of Winton-Salem, NC. Before modding BMWs—including my M3—he was a legend in Mercury outboard re-engineering.

To meet a racing-boat requirement for mandatory foam-floatation, he weighed the difference between foam and 2-liter bottles. Finding foam heavier, and with every ounce saved counting towards a win, he crammed bottles into the required spaces, then generously foamed them all in. The races' officials couldn't see past the foam, so they OK'd the installation. :cool:

.
 
Boo..
Why not just make the boat watertight in the first place and skip filling it with kitchen trash?

Sounds like Pete cheated too.
 
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I am with L+VW on this. If the boat leaves the shore watertight but gets holed in the middle of the lake, its nice to have positive flotation in there. It is why Lasers for instance have what they call "cubitainers" in the hull - basically big airbags so if the hull gets holed the cubitainers will not leak and keep the boat floating.
 
The laser plastic tanks probably hold 50 or more liters total. A TOTALLY flooded 100 lb hull isnt goung to be kept afloat with a couple of sealed soda bottles. Keep a mast from going turtle...yes
Now fill the hull up with these suckers....sure.
But good grief...this matches some of gelcote repairs you read about.
I guess if you're on a budget and dont want to put plastic in the land fills....
 
The daggerboards are interchangeable with Sunfish. The Porpoise II wood grip has a large arrow indicating "forward". I kept the Porpoise II board, as it was the best of the lot. Good boards can be found cheaply at eBay, but shipping-costs can torpedo a "good deal".

'Don't think I'd remove the foam blocks until it's been determined that they're not useful. Be aware that drying-out with a fan will take all winter. :( BTW: Those "fingers" of fiberglass can draw blood! :eek:

You do seem to missing a foam block. My Porpoise' deck—aft—wasn't very strong following the removal of my water-soaked flotation. In the case of your boat, perhaps it was an expediency of hurried construction?

I'd given some thought to gluing new Styrofoam disks together to fit inside my new, offset, 6" inspection port. To glue and move them—like stacked checkers—to support the deck against my weight—then considered that they'd eventually become crushed and no longer useful, so decided against it. The forward Styrofoam blocks seemed clean and dry.

The 2-liter bottles were added to add critical floatation, should things go very wrong. I added foam on their outsides to keep the bottles from rolling around. Adding foam to the insides would be a waste of effort—IMHO.

A view (outdoors, in the sun) ...um...from the starboard aft port (corner), looking forward:

View attachment 24083

Should an inspection port installed on the port side be called a "port port"? :confused:


.
I think the bottles are a great idea, they serve a purpose. Also, the bottles will not get waterlogged, and they can be easily replaced, an advantage over a foam. Your later remark about the weight is correct and could be useful for a daysailor or race. I saw you mentioned the M3, that is one of my favorite cars BMW has ever made, I prefer the older design ones though, but they all are very nice.
 
....this thread is getting too "trashy" for me. Don't want to get bottled up with trying to keep ideas afloat...
..... ;-D
 
btw...when you guys start your Sunfish refurb biz, I'd use the more high dollar beverage containers like Coke, Pepsi, 7up... Not the 99 cent Crème soda ones .. ;-O
 
Well isn't this fun,
Thanks all for the conversation, it's wonderful.
But on someone may have hit on an idea...
Are there any types of inflatable bags that you could stuff inside then blow up?
Just a thought...
Thanks again for the reply's...
Scott
 
Well isn't this fun,
Thanks all for the conversation, it's wonderful.
But on someone may have hit on an idea...
Are there any types of inflatable bags that you could stuff inside then blow up?
Just a thought...
Thanks again for the reply's...
Scott
Interesting question, seeking an answer to floatation and structural support.

Before flotation was required by US law, my 1960 Folbot sailing kayak came with an option: a removable rubberized "safety bladder". Oddly shaped, it was pre-formed to perfectly fill the narrow spaces not occupied by cargo or people.

I think you can still buy large rubber bladders designed to lift cars. (!) However, such an inflatable option should be a concern to a boat owner where a deck can be destructively separated from the hull. :oops:

I'd go back to cutting round Styrofoam cylinders out of thick sheets, gluing them together, then gluing them in place. At least then, it wouldn't be a maintenance item. That said, I found these:
02W-InflatableStoppers.jpg


https://www.huntingdonfusion.com/im...InflatableStoppers/02W-InflatableStoppers.jpg

Now to ask my own question: What do recyclers do with Styrofoam?

.
 
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Well isn't this fun,
Thanks all for the conversation, it's wonderful.
But on someone may have hit on an idea...
Are there any types of inflatable bags that you could stuff inside then blow up?
Just a thought...
Thanks again for the reply's...
Scott
One of our local stores just listed swimming pool cover weight bags for sale and I thought of this thread. They were around $7.
 
many recyclers don't take Styrofoam. It's bad stuff as compared to other plastic recyclables. You've probably heard all the squak about coffee cups and those packing peanuts.
 
Couple of these collapsible-water-jugs should do the trick.
 

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I would just try to dry out the old foam blocks, and not tear the whole boat apart to replace them. if they are loose, you can pour in some 2-part expanding foam (closed cell... not the spray cans of Great Stuff).
I did this process and documented it here: foam block reset

dscn5452.jpg
 
Thanks for the feedback,
I have hooked dryer venting to the inspection port and a small heater with a fan on the other end. Seems to be working OK just don't how how to tell when it's dry...Weighing it is the only thing I can come up with...But have no way of doing that...
Kayak's have inflatable bladder bags, looking into them.
Thanks all,
Scott
 
I like the thought of cutting strips of foam that will fit through the inspection port then gluing them together and to the hull and deck. Seems like a reasonably good idea to me.
 
One Sunfish = 9 Bowling Balls
It's about one-forty-fifth as heavy as The Tongue of a Blue Whale.
It's about one-two-hundredth as heavy as an Anchor of a Cruise Ship.
It's about 300 times as heavy as a Hamster.
At 15 pounds, my mini-dachshund was an easy carry. I used that one "Fido Unit" to mentally calculate the effort needed to lug outboards, small boats, and floor mounted power tools from place to place. :)

Pool noodles would work in rescue operations when spare PFDs aren't available. :cool:

.
 
I would just try to dry out the old foam blocks, and not tear the whole boat apart to replace them. if they are loose, you can pour in some 2-part expanding foam (closed cell... not the spray cans of Great Stuff).
I did this process and documented it here: foam block reset

dscn5452.jpg

Here's a view you don't get very often—looking forward from the cockpit:

P8260064-001.JPG
 

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