Replacing Foam bouyancy with inflatable tanks

Guys, the foam blocks in the hulls of my Hobie 14 have become water-logged and therefore the hulls weigh a ton. I was wondering wether it would be worth fitting deck ports, removing the foam and replacing it with bouyancy bags like they have in an oppy. What do you think?

H14turbo

Use foam swim noodles. There are a lot of sharp edges inside the hull (stray bits of fiberglass) that will puncture the air bags.

I used noodles in my '72. Put the inspection ports in between the pylons (towards the front of center) and cut out the foam and stuck in a bunch of noodles cut in 1/2. Works pretty good. My foam was wet and icky too, and this cut a little weight and works alot better.
The noodles were a buck each at SprawlMart.
My boat is still a heavy beeyotch, but she is a little lighter in the ass-end and has a wonderful personality. If only she could cook and do laundry.....

I might do that then, would it be advisable to dry out the hulls completly in a warm environment before putting new foam in. Also, how much weight woulod be saved by removing the old foam, the entire inside of the hull seems to be saturated with water.

I saved about 5 pounds, which is a drop in the bucket with my boat, but better and easier than ME losing any weight.
I dried it with a light bulb, and its much nicer in there now.
cw

I take it that would make it illegal for racing?

In a word, yes.

The IHCA Rules Committee reviewed a request to allow the replacement of flotation foam in older boats, but rejected it upon the advice of the manufacturers (who have 2 of 5 votes on the committee).

If someone protested you on it I would settle it in the parking lot if I were you. I don't think it would happen

He would have to get up front to get protested.

How much should a hull only weigh? How much weight can you drop by drying out the hull?

I have a hull that weighed 69 pounds I cut in a port hole into it. I left the foam block alone ( it felt pretty dry anyways). I put a small Fan over the port hole and let run for 48 hrs. Reweighed and the hull came in at 59 pounds. Could I really have lost 10 pounds. The hull was drained before I started but it was a little damp in the hull. Also I was weighing it buy standing on a bathroom scale so my weights maybe with in a couple pounds.

Thanks for the input. Jamie

Jamie,

That 59 is probably a good number. Is that with the bow tangs, gudgeons and drain plugs? Seem to recall a "loaded" 16 hull weighs in the 70's at best. Got a line on a '83 may see you on the line

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I think Ping pong balls are the answer. You can get a gazillion of them on eBay and they weigh nothing. You can fill your hulls with them by drilling a small, easy to patch hole.

Also, think about this: if you are out in the ocean and your hull breaks apart, your rescueers can follow the path (of the ping pong balls that leaked out of your hulls) straight to you!!

I think Dan's idea is pure genius. Why has no-one seen it before. Nice one!!

I'm imagining the sound it would make. Both on the beach wheeling it around and when you're going through waves.[img]http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/images/smilies/rofl[1].gif[/img]

Years ago, I saw a hydroplane skip a wave and stuff its bow during a race on the Ohio River. The boat exploded into a cloud of ping-pong balls (at least that's what it looked like) and the driver emerged through it doing a series of cartwheels down the river. I guess the motor immediately sank, and nothing that was left on the surface was big enough to do any damage. The guy was fine after they fished him out of the water. This was before the days of enclosed cockpits and other safety features.

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2006 Hobie Wave 7358
"Ish Kabibble"

Forgive me for raining on your "balls" theory, but isn't the whole point of the foam blocks providing flotation in the event of a hull breach? If all it takes to fill the hull with ping pong balls is a small hole, doesn't that mean that all it takes to EMPTY the hull would be another small hole? I have seen too many collisions that resulted in a more than a ping pong ball sized hole. And I have seen the benefits of the large foam blocks after some boats were washed off shore into the rocks during a regatta @ Lake Lewisville, TX. We would never have found some of the boats that sustained major damage to their hulls if not for the foam.