boat floatation

[cranky]

something to think about when you do floatation on your boat or decide to buy a boat...if you decide to use the 2 part foam fill what are you gona do in 5 years time when you need to have it checked and find that the filler is water logged?

filling the boat is easy you just drill holes and pump the filler...now you need to take it out because the foam is water logged...mmm...this is gona be the interesting part...on a bass boat it could involve splitting the boat...imagine the cost.

what i do know is that if you use noodles they have a 15 year life warranty and a lot easier to remove.

foam filler i dont know the life span...but if a closed cell is not used and installed correctly could get water logged over a period of time.

something to consider...when you fish in the rain or your boat is not keeped under a water proof cover the boat collects water.
 

 

[PH]

I support that! I am building a kayak an have done a few enquiries.

Even polyurethane foam available in areosol cans become waterlogged over the years.

I have it on good authority that pool noodles  will last about 10 years before starting to absorb water. (Obviously depending on the frequency of usage). The noodles can also be cut and shaped to suit the shape of the void.

Certain types of plastic bottles have also been approved by SAMSA for use as floatation. (emphasis on certain types)

 

[MouseDog]

If you use noodles, will you be able to get enough noodles in the hull to give you the adequate boyancy???

 

[cranky]

now thats the trick question..i purchased enough foam to get a certificate...but whether or not it would all fit in is another question. 

I am also looking into making my pontoons out of solid foam...it works out cheaper than having pontoons made and i dont have to worry about getting punctures especially when i have my trolling motor and battery on the kickboat...only catch is space...i also dont have to make arches for the kickboat because we will make the pontoons flat on the top.

 

 

[cranky]

PH wrote:

I support that! I am building a kayak an have done a few enquiries.

Even polyurethane foam available in areosol cans become waterlogged over the years.

I have it on good authority that pool noodles  will last about 10 years before starting to absorb water. (Obviously depending on the frequency of usage). The noodles can also be cut and shaped to suit the shape of the void.

Certain types of plastic bottles have also been approved by SAMSA for use as floatation. (emphasis on certain types)

it is not a pool noddle as in ones you buy from game or pick & pay...it is a special noodle purchased from companies like sondor...the foam is high density...and as mentioned shapes can be cut to fit.

 

[PH]

Thanks, i will check it out!

 

[cranky]

do we have to get floatation for our fishing ski...i have an erics canoe...which i have had since the ice age...

surely not...

imagine trying to carry the ski full of floatation along the beach 5 km when you get caught in a strong north easter.

 

[PH]

Sent you a PM

 

[Herman Nel]

Hi Guys!

Some info regarding 2 Part high density polyurethane foam.

I use this stuff in the manufacture of my own fishing lure range, and have experimented a lot over the past 3 - 4 years with it.

2 Part high density polyurethane foam is superior to the type that comes in a can, it expands maybe 5 to 10 times more, filling every nook and cranny, but the mixing ratio has got to be 100% accurate,....

A -  too little catalyst or part A and it shrinks in after a few days looking like a raisin,it also stays "soft"

B - too much catalyst or part A and swells fine, but it becomes "brittle" and "chrunchy" to the feel

Laquer thinners dissolves cured urethane so this could help in the removal of it if you need to replace... So too does certain aerosol spray paints...

I have got some test prototypes ( without the hard epoxy,nitrocellulose and fibreglass coating ) in a bottle of water now for about 3 years, inspected them the other day, felt soft but not waterlogged...so unless your boat is standing in water premanently with a soccerball sized hole in the hull, I cant see why you would have to replace it though?

It also sticks to fibreglass like k@k on a "wolkombers", the only thing that it does not stick to is sillicone...

 

Greetings

Herman

 

 

[cranky]

thanks for the info...

  

 

[DWB]

you guys can pm lemon on this site, they are one of our sponsors www.aquajacks.com for noodles etc

 

[sparnar]

hi cranky,

i am also interested in making a kickboat pontoon with foam pontoons.

check out this site. it is a guy in the US that makes these.

http://floatpros.com/floatpro.php

are you planning to make these for resale, or just for personal use?

if for personal use, do you think we can perhaps trade some ideas?

 

 

[cranky]

i spoke to rory this morning about the rigid pontoons...i have the design and costing but not the time at the moment to work on kickboats

all my kickboast ideas and builds are for personal use...as i mentioned before we dont make kickboats to make money...i would be bankrupt if i did.

those ones in the attachment are made of plywood...the one i plan on building will be made of foam...with a flat top to cut back on brackets etc...which should be cheaper then the ones with air pontoons.

the only problem with rigid pontoons is the space issue...transporting them....if you dont have a bakkie or van...the one bonus about rigid ones is you will be able to transport them on roof racks...and not worry about them overinflating from the sun.

my plan is to make a kickboat which cannot sink...because i get over 5 km/hr on my kickboat and can travel using the battery for more than a day...when i am finished and i have rigid pontoons i should be able to cover about 20 km in a day fishing without a problem...i also plan on fitting another smaller deep cycle battery just in case...the riged ponttons will be thicker but shorter.