Styrofoam under seats?

[td2pts]

I have an old Klamath 14' aluminum "lake" boat. It is time to replace the plywood inside the boat (seats, floor, etc...). Anyway, under each of the (3) bench seats is a styrofoam block. I would really like to take the styro out and make the tops of at least two of the seats hinged seats with storage underneath. Would there be any problem with that?

thanks

[luckyr]

Kind of depends if you want to cling to your boat if it goes down. Seems like the Coast Guard requires manufacturer's to have floatation in boats under a certain length. Can you find another place to put some floatation that wouldn't steal storage perhaps under the floor if you have one.

[fishon_nehalem]

I am looking into a similar project with a 15' Smokercraft center console. My plan is to cut the front of the bench seat (back of the boat) and install Plano tackle boxes with slide out trays. I have 1 water tight storage in the bow and some storage in the center console so that should cover my storage needs. Just a couple of ideas, if you want to ratain you floation.

[td2pts]

I guess I am wondering if taking out the foam will change how the boat rides in the water. I think I realize how it will affect a boat taking on water, or a boat that is sinking, but will it affect "normal" performance? Will it ride any different? I like your idea. I was thinking of making the middle seat a fish box / cooler and the front seat an anchor box. If I could clear those two things out of the way I'd feel a lot better about the room I had in the boat.

thanks,
TD

[Aufish101]

I have a 15' Gregor and it has gone though a lot of modifications over the years. One of the first was put in a side console and take the foam out of the middle seat and install a fiberglass type cooler, it was still surrounded with Styrofoam. At the same time I in-closed the bow and it was filled with Styrofoam. After about 4 years, I got rid of the side console and went to tiller steering. Removed both bench seats, put in side bracing where the seats were and put in a level floor. Under the floor, I put Styrofoam. Will it float if it swamps, I have no idea, and I don't want to find out! It does make it a nice open boat with a lot of fighting room.

I don't know it that answerers your question, but it can be done. I do not think that it will affect your handling of the boat either.

As for legality, I know that you can do it, but a dealer can't.

Aufish101 http://members.aol.com/garyk10/images/poisson_39.gif

[Chrome Bumper]

The foam is there for the safety of you and your passengers. I don't reccommend that you take the foam out and create an unsafe boat. If someone gets hurt you or your survivors could be in hot water.

If you take foam out put an equal amount soemwhere else where it won't effect the stability when flooded, like under the gunnel maybe. fiberglasssupply dot com has the pour in expanding foam with the USCG required flame retard.

[Frank B]

I doing the same thing with a 1976 R166 Gregor. It has two bench seats both filled with styrofoam. One is used as the center console mount, but it's still packed with styrofoam. The funny thing is, there was no styrofoam under the floors. So I'm making storage under both seats and placing styro under the floors. It looks like I'm going to wind up with more floatation then I had before.

[fish_on]

I guess I am wondering if taking out the foam will change how the boat rides in the water.

Won't effect it in the water but might make it ride lower under the water if it fills with water. Floatation is just filler and doesn't effect the boat's ride unless the boat is filled with water or the foam is water soaked and heavy.

[1TRAPPER]

Good reading I'll be checking out that pourable foam.:bowdown:

[Chrome Bumper]

Pourable foam is really fun to use.

[baltz526]

i'm looking for foam to replace some floatation in a valco i picked up. any used foam removed, i might be interested in it. please pm me if anyone has some

[OR 663 RD]

I was just getting ready to post on a similar topic. I'm looking at Alumaweld Strykers and I don't like the two large carpeted blocks they have on both sides of the stern. They take up a lot of floor space, and in an area that's heavily used when fighting a fish or bringing in crab pots. I assume they're filled with foam, because they sure aren't storage. Has anyone removed these after buying an Alumaweld? What's underneath them? Hopefully they can just be removed and the screw holes plugged with some SS panhead screws. I suppose I'd look for other places to replace the foam after removing the blocks.

http://home.comcast.net/~sherwoodjohnsons/Carpeted_Blocks.JPG

[ICHTHYDEMON]

I was just getting ready to post on a similar topic. I'm looking at Alumaweld Strykers and I don't like the two large carpeted blocks they have on both sides of the stern. They take up a lot of floor space, and in an area that's heavily used when fighting a fish or bringing in crab pots. I assume they're filled with foam, because they sure aren't storage. Has anyone removed these after buying an Alumaweld? What's underneath them? Hopefully they can just be removed and the screw holes plugged with some SS panhead screws. I suppose I'd look for other places to replace the foam after removing the blocks.

http://home.comcast.net/~sherwoodjohnsons/Carpeted_Blocks.JPG

Those two boxes were the first thing I removed when I got home with my SuperVee LS.

They are just screwed to the tray and floor. They are added after the floor is installed,so underneath them is flooring just like the rest of the boat. I put the screws/washers right back in the floor after the boxes were out. The screws match the rest of the screws in the floor.

[OR 663 RD]

That's great. Thanks for the info. :)

[Tower Todd]

Don't take out the foam is my advice. Boats under a certain length (I think 21') are required to float upright when swamped. The foam under the seat helps in this purpose. I swamped a 16' boat once in the bay and I am very thankful it didn't roll over. As it was we were able to get a tow and by getting the boat moving forward, bail enough water to get the transom out of the water and floating on her own again. The week before the mishap, I had considered putting storage in just as you are considering. Needless to say that idea vanished after the big event.

Tower Todd