# Another waterlogged foam thread



## Sheremeta (Nov 29, 2010)

I picked up a real nice  2003 stumpnocker 4 tiller layout cheap which is the 18' modified v entry with planing pads in the rear. It's in real good shape. The only problem is the foam under the deck is waterlogged because the previous owner drilled some holes in the deck without sealing them properly and rain water got in.  I took core samples and the wood is dry and looks like wood still. Transom has a lot of life left in it too so ripping up a good deck does not seem like a good idea right now. It appears I got the hull in time to save it. The foam isn't too thick but there isn't much access. Does anyone have a suggestion? I think I'm just going to use it until the floor needs replacing then do it in foam core. It jumped up on plane with a 40hp and two people.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

If you mean the main deck ( not the front nor rear deck )...then the solution used on a number of Carolina Skiffs which were affected by water in the foam...was to drill holes in the lower stern....raise the bow up very high, and let her drain for a week or two. Seal the holes back up with fiberglass and you are good to go. 

I always thought about putting my shop vacuum up against the holes, but some guys suggested that might pull the fiberglass away from plywood skin.

richg99


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## Sheremeta (Nov 29, 2010)

I have two commercial air movers. I plan to remove the center cooler seat which I believe the mounting holes are the source of water intrusion and put a 6" deck plate under it. I will make a manifold to step the exhaust of the air movers down to one 6" hose and insert into the deck plate. I already cut a 6" hole in the stern deck. I will run a small electric oil heater near the air movers to warm and dry the air and while supervised run it in my garage a few hours a day for a week or two. This probably won't do much but its not hard to try it out.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

Yea, most of the guys who had issues (including me) were convinced that the water intrusion happened due to two reasons.

#1 Installation of seats; consoles etc. without using 3M5200 or another sealant.

#2 Leaving the boat outside with water sitting in it. Either no cover or blocked drains due to leaves, etc. That allows the water to slowly drain into the unsealed holes.

Good luck....

richg99


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I have had that problem and removed foam and replaced some. But when I wanted to dry it out I use a small fan that is a HD small heater that i use on fan only. set it over the hole and let it run for a day and it drys everything out. Then seal it


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

When I realized my old Mitzi 17 had water trapped under the floor I drilled 2 small holes (1/4") in the bilge where the drain tubes were supposed to be (they forgot to glass them in). I got 17 gallons of water out of there. I know because I caught it in 5 gallon buckets as it drained out. If you can drill holes to let it out that would be the best method.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Casa- you can get water out but you will never get it dry.

Try to get freestanding water out and then seal it up and use it until floor gives way, then replace.


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## Sheremeta (Nov 29, 2010)

I agree but I want to see how this works. Each air mover moves 3000 cfms of air. With both air movers running and the restriction of the manifold and hose I will push around 3500-4000 cfms under the deck. The oil heater will dry the air and I also have a large o3 generator so I will inject the o3 through a Venturi on the air hose. This will kill any bacteria and organic in the foam. One 6" hole in the center of the deck and one on the rear with the trailer tilted. I picked up a used shop vac that I can connect to the hole in the rear deck to assist air movement. If I burn it up it was only 10 bucks.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Just darn that will dry it out. You need to hire that system out [smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif]


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I'm agreeing with Ducknut.  I tried doing the same and I did get water out but the foam will lock in the water and moisture since it absorbs it but wouldn't let it back out.  The only water you'll get out is water trapped around the foam in the voids where there wasn't any foam to begin with.

Where do you live?  Last time I seen stump knockers being build was in Dade City, FL and saw how they foam filled them.  It's not totally filled with foam.  I have a project boat I'm currently working that had the same problem with a plywood deck.  Btw some of the wood showed dry, but I finally cut the whole deck out to find that even the plywood in most areas was soaked and weighed a ton.

One thing to remember is that when water is trapped in the foam, even the fiberglass will absorb water.  So I cut out the entire floor, pried and scrapped out all the foam and I'm letting the inside of the hull dry out for several months in the sun, making sure to either keep it tilted so that rain water drains out immediately, or cover it before it rains.  A really good glass guy told me that it needs to dry out that long before you can properly laminate back over it so that no trapped moisture will cause it to de-laminate.  So I'm building up the hull and then I'm installing a foam core floor back into the boat to make it light weight.  The boat hull I have was originally built thin and I've seen the stump knockers were built thin with spray chop to make them cheap (same with my boat).  That's why I'm strengthening the hull with epoxy resin and 1708 bi-axle cloth and wide 1708 strips at the stress points to give it added strength.  Then adding a foam core stringer grid system to add hull and floor strength and to keep the foam filled sections separate from each other, thereby avoiding total water intrusion just in case something gets into one section.  It's a project but in the end, the boat will last.

Otherwise, I guess you can drill some large holes on either end, Stand the boat up, let it drain and dry out the best it can in direct sunlight for a couple of months, glass the holes back in, hope that removes most of the water and go ahead and use it for a while. Otherwise sell it if you still think it has water in it.  Then buy something better.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

There are several vids on YouTube on how to drill and drain. Due to all the Carolina Skiffs. You may want to take a look before you start. If your lower deck is compartmentalized like Devrep. You may have to use the XXX long spade bit method to get it out. Sounds you go it right. So I say drill it-drain it-and enjoy . I bet you will get ya lot more years out of it. I like your technique/scheme. I would just add that you do it. Leave it tilted up for a week or so. Then do it again and another if needed. You will get most of it.


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## Gator_Bob (Jun 26, 2007)

Move the boat to garage/shop. Cover boat with a 6mil poly and place a dehumidifier in the boat. Let the dehumidifier run for a week. This is not perfect but you will see the water in the dehumidifier tank.


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## Sheremeta (Nov 29, 2010)

I started with one air mover today and used 4" dryer vent hose to connect to the back deck where I made a 4" inspection hole. I can feel air coming out of the rear drain holes and even a tiny screw hole in the forward deck.  I plan to cut another hole under the center seat and run a second air mover in a similar fashion. I am going to get longer dryer vent hose so I can put the air movers in the hot attic above the boat. Once there is dryer weather I will run the ozone generator for 24 hrs with the boat in the driveway and cover the boat in visqueen and tape it tight. This should kill off anything that causes organic wood rot. I also came up with a plan to chew up all the foam or most of it through the 4" hole and shop vac it all out. Then I need to epoxy fill all the screw holes.


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## Sheremeta (Nov 29, 2010)

12 hrs later with one fan all the foam in a 1'x1' area is popcorn dry. Two fans pushing dry air should have this foam dry in a week or less.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Man...you got issues!

If you remove the foam your hull and sole will be weakened. If you leave it in it is going to get wet again.


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## Sheremeta (Nov 29, 2010)

Nah, the deck is fully supported without the foam. I'll have it sealed right and tight as well. This is the flotation foam the uscg requires, it has nothing to do with the hull.


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## rnkydnk (Aug 24, 2015)

Lol; if you have any friends out in the desert, you could ask if you could park it there for a couple of months.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Just spray a couple of cans of great stuff in there and that will help with drying


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