Heavy boat!

[big_o_tom]

When I first found this site 3 or 4 years ago I asked about my boat being heavy. I don't remember the exact weight but it seem's to be about 200-300 lbs. to heavy. I think I just found out why. I just got done putting new carpet in a friend's Javelin and his floor was cracked just in front of the driving seat's. Well, when I started on my boat, a Hydra-Sports, I found that mine has a soft in the same place though not a big. It seem's that when the manufacture mount's the gas tank and the seat mount, they don't use any kind of sealer on the screw's. Plus when they drill 1/2" holes in the floor to put foam in it they don't seal those holes either. So what I think I have is waterlogged foam under my floor. Could that weigh 200-300 lbs? I went ahead and put layers of fiberglass on the area and I'm not going to put any screw's in the floor. It'll probably last for a while but I dread the day if I decide to refloor it because I have done that to a smaller boat before and it was a huge job!

[Rebel9921]

As far as information I could dig up...

You can tell if your foam is saturated with water... just press down on it lightly and if it bubbles up with water, then chances are that it is...

If I remember correctly... 1gal of water is approx 5lbs... so you're asking if its possible you got 40-60 gallon of water saturated in your boat... chances are that yes you do...

From what I've learned from various websites... its not just the foam that absorb water... fiberglass do absorb water too, polyester-based fiberglass being the worst... this being the case in the older boats where the foam is notorious for absorbing excessive water...

I am currently in process of renovating a 1988 Bass Tracker... and I could see plenty of errors in the inner hull design that allows the foam and the hull to be absorbed with water over the years...

Hope this helps...

[Skeet'r89]

It would be pretty hard to measure the weigh of your boat unless you new the weight of everything that was in it. You have to know the weight of your motor, how much fuel may be in the tank, T-motor, etc. Water weighs 8lb,4oz per gal. Gas weighs 6lb,3oz per gal. Usually the listed weight of a boat is for the hull only.

[delee36]

when I tore the foam out of my hydra sport it did not seem like much. kept pulling it and tossing it in a bag a small piece at a time.

when I got done I jumped out and tried to pick up the bag and "UMMMPH"....darn thing weighed a ton!

[hammerhead]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Rebel9921 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
If I remember correctly... 1gal of water is approx 5lbs... so you're asking if its possible you got 40-60 gallon of water saturated in your boat... chances are that yes you do...

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Water weighs 8.33 lbs per gallon.

[CRIMSONGAMBLER]

http://www.bbcboards.net...-help http://www.bbcboards.net...-boat

[big_o_tom]

When I weighed my boat I took everything out except the trolling motor, batteries and gas tank. I allowed 250 lbs for the batt. and trolling motor, 400lbs for the outboard, then weighed it at a lumber yard. I then took it to the lake and left the boat in the water with my wife while I went back to the lumber yard to weigh the trailer. My floor is solid except in one spot, and it's where two pieces of flooring meet and also where the seat's mount to the floor. I can't push on any foam to see if it's waterlogged but I'm guessing that it is because if there's a soft spot in the floor then there has to water in the foam. Anyway, I'm not gonna fix it for a few years since I just put new carpet in it!