I have a seriously soggy boat. It is a ’69 fish in need of some minor repairs, otherwise in good shape, just seriously, seriously overweight (I’ve not gotten it on a scale yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it tops 300 lbs).
From talking to a number of different people and reading the forum, I seem to be getting mixed signals about drying out a sunfish. Some say it works, others have said, don’t bother, you’ll never get all the water out.
As it stands I see the following options
1: Cut two holes in the top deck and devise a low power ventilation / heating system.
Pros: Low initial cost. Small labor investment. “Set it and forget it” process (this is especially attractive since the boats is at my mom’s house and will stay there through the winter.
Cons: Time consuming. I figure the boat won’t be ready to sail until next year. Considering that I am fixing this up to teach my 11 year old son to sail, this is not a major drawback, however, where is the point of diminishing returns if I can’t get all the water out? Also, I see the strong possibility that I will wind up with three 5” ports in the boat: bow, near the centerboard slot and aft, I don’t want the boat to look like a floating junker.
2: Replace the foam
Pros: Ultimately, This appears to be the only sure fire way to get all the water logged foam out. Replacing the foam with new technology extruded polystyrene foam may also represent a major tech improvement in weight and future water resistance. I may still need one vent port amidships. However, but that would be offset by the ability to use it as a cat bag. In addition, this would allow better access in making repairs to the hull and upgrading the rudder, adding a hiking strap, etc.
Cons: Labor intensive, high skill levels, etc, Cost of materials*
3: Buy a new boat
Pros: It’s a new boat.
Cons: Even though a new sunfish is still one of the best “bang for the buck” deals in sailing, it’s still a bit more than I can swing at the moment.
* From some preliminary research, I don't see why I can't use one of the newer extruded polystyrene foam boards from dow or Owens Corning. OC's Foamular 150 is avaialable in 2" thick boards that can be glued up to the appropriate width and shaped. I also think that it would be possible to wrap the blocks in ultracoate like a model airplane wing to vapor proof them further.
From talking to a number of different people and reading the forum, I seem to be getting mixed signals about drying out a sunfish. Some say it works, others have said, don’t bother, you’ll never get all the water out.
As it stands I see the following options
1: Cut two holes in the top deck and devise a low power ventilation / heating system.
Pros: Low initial cost. Small labor investment. “Set it and forget it” process (this is especially attractive since the boats is at my mom’s house and will stay there through the winter.
Cons: Time consuming. I figure the boat won’t be ready to sail until next year. Considering that I am fixing this up to teach my 11 year old son to sail, this is not a major drawback, however, where is the point of diminishing returns if I can’t get all the water out? Also, I see the strong possibility that I will wind up with three 5” ports in the boat: bow, near the centerboard slot and aft, I don’t want the boat to look like a floating junker.
2: Replace the foam
Pros: Ultimately, This appears to be the only sure fire way to get all the water logged foam out. Replacing the foam with new technology extruded polystyrene foam may also represent a major tech improvement in weight and future water resistance. I may still need one vent port amidships. However, but that would be offset by the ability to use it as a cat bag. In addition, this would allow better access in making repairs to the hull and upgrading the rudder, adding a hiking strap, etc.
Cons: Labor intensive, high skill levels, etc, Cost of materials*
3: Buy a new boat
Pros: It’s a new boat.
Cons: Even though a new sunfish is still one of the best “bang for the buck” deals in sailing, it’s still a bit more than I can swing at the moment.
* From some preliminary research, I don't see why I can't use one of the newer extruded polystyrene foam boards from dow or Owens Corning. OC's Foamular 150 is avaialable in 2" thick boards that can be glued up to the appropriate width and shaped. I also think that it would be possible to wrap the blocks in ultracoate like a model airplane wing to vapor proof them further.