Air bags vs. foam

laser98706

New Member
I have another question for laser-ers. A friend mentioned to me a few months ago that I should check to see if my hull is full of foam or if it has the airbags, and if it had the foam, that i should remove it and replace it with the airbags. Since there is no inspection port, I assume that the boat is full of foam.

Is it necessary for me to put in the airbags?

-Corey Mitchell
USA 98706

"Sail fast, live slow."
 
I'm no expert, but if you're thinking the whole inside of the boat is foam, it's not. I beleive you will find there are a couple of large foam blocks glassed onto the interior of the hull, but it's by no means 'foam filled'. If the foam has turned to mush you will have to cut it out and replace with the air tanks. It's class illegal but it is generally believed that NO ONE would be such a butt-head as to protest you for it.
 
Seeing your sail numer, I'm almost possitive that you have air bags. I have a 1977 sail number 49201 and it has air bags so your 98706 should have them too. In most cases, they should be fine but sometimes they do collect a little water in them and must be replaced. But I'm not possitive it is illegal to replace them as Overdraft said as they sell the at Annapolis Performance Sailing and it is reccomended to replace them if you have foam. And for anyone else out there, I cut an inspection port in my 1974 13055 last summer and found that most of the foam was deteriorating, molding, collecting water, and just falling apart so If you have a boat that old, you may want to check out replacing them.
 
macwas16 said:
Seeing your sail numer, I'm almost possitive that you have air bags. I have a 1977 sail number 49201 and it has air bags so your 98706 should have them too. In most cases, they should be fine but sometimes they do collect a little water in them and must be replaced. But I'm not possitive it is illegal to replace them as Overdraft said as they sell the at Annapolis Performance Sailing and it is reccomended to replace them if you have foam. And for anyone else out there, I cut an inspection port in my 1974 13055 last summer and found that most of the foam was deteriorating, molding, collecting water, and just falling apart so If you have a boat that old, you may want to check out replacing them.

Many thanks.
 

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