Additional flotation

[quigley595]

Guys, what are your thoughts on this???

I have put additional flotation into my 4.9 Quinnie.....

Simple as, Effective as, Easy as, and cheap as.

Go to the Warehouse, or Big W or some discount store. Buy up a few (dozen) of those poly Pool Noodles, the ones the kids ride on in the pool. You can get them for about a dollar if you look around.

They are the compacted poly material, dont absord water, perfect fit for under my gunnals for side flotation, easy to cut up and put under the floor, and I dont think they are affected by petrol (though I stand to be corrected on this one).

I found them great, and in the gunnals, they provide what I think will be good positive flotation (though I'm NOT going to test this one out!).

If any of you guys have any thoughts or comments, I would love to hear them.

Mike

[murf]

sounds good
but keep them out of the sun as they fall to pieces after a couple of seasons around the pool????
been thinking myself what easy flotation i can put under the gunwales
at the moment i have the 400mm fenders jammed in there. neat fit between the ribs. but how many to make a difference?
i have been in a swamped boat on a shallow bar and the boat floated fine untill you tried to get in, the water in the boat rushes to the side and wants to tip the boat over :( fiberglass boat with full floor.
Murf

[seatime]

Having extra floatation can't really hurt, just ensure it won't be dislodged easily.

To achieve 'upright' or 'level' floatation, sufficient foam is installed under the gunnels to maintain a 'right way up' position when swamped.
Too much under floor foam, and not enough gunnel foam, and the boat may capsize when swamped.

The accepted practice when adding additional floatation is to wrap the foam in plastic, as some foams are known to react with aluminium.

The pool noodles are a closed cell type foam, which should be suitable, but not UV treated.
A good thread and there might be some informed opinions on the subject.

regards
Steve.

[dnej]

Steve,
Always wanted to know why under floor floatation,made a boat turn turtle.What actually causes this.
What is the action,of the underfloor floatation.
David

[quigley595]

Good post!
Yes, the pool noodles are not UV treated, but that doesn't matter... they are tucked away under the gunnels, and the remainder are under the floor. Neither sees the light of day.

I just can't believe how simple and inexpensive this flotation is!!! What am I missing??? Have you ever checked out the price of a sheet of closed cell foam or poly?? It's hideously expensive. And have you ever priced a boat yard to put flotation in???

I must be missing something...

Mike




Having extra floatation can't really hurt, just ensure it won't be dislodged easily.

To achieve 'upright' or 'level' floatation, sufficient foam is installed under the gunnels to maintain a 'right way up' position when swamped.
Too much under floor foam, and not enough gunnel foam, and the boat may capsize when swamped.

The accepted practice when adding additional floatation is to wrap the foam in plastic, as some foams are known to react with aluminium.

The pool noodles are a closed cell type foam, which should be suitable, but not UV treated.
A good thread and there might be some informed opinions on the subject.

regards
Steve.

[maxwell9]

Another cheap form of flotation is empty plastic milk bottles or coke bottles with the tops firmly screwed on. Put them under the floor where ever you can fit them. The important thing to remember with additional flotation in any form is that the method of fixing has to be enough to with stand the force of the flotation pulling away from a sinking boat. In other words of you put flotation under your floor and secure it with only a few screws, the flotation will apply an upward pressure and may pop the floor.

[dave22]

Flotation should be a lot higher up in the priorities stakes than where it is now, from my point of view.

Case in point the 2 boats that collided on the weekend, after the collision i believe they started to

Sink, and would have if not for the Water Police. Its all out of mind out of sight in my book. Take

Quintrex for eg with there level flotation, they say,

> SAFETY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
Quintrex is currently the only Australian boat manufactured to feature Level Flotation on virtually all of its models, as standard.

Should the boat become fully swamped Level Flotation helps it remain level and in an upright position in controlled conditions.

Significant quantities of foam flotation have been strategically installed within the sides and the underfloor compartments of our boat.

We perform comprehensive swamp
tests at the factory. These rigorous procedures are conducted in accordance with the American Boat and Yacht Council and European Certification (CE) standards, Quintrex swamp tests are performed with allowances for the heaviest rated motor, occupants and gear.

It all adds up to peace of mind that you and your family can trust.


My question is that I can't believe that the American Boat and Yacht Council, and the European

Certification ( CE ) board would approve using Polystrene, ( FRUIT/ BROCCOLI BOXES ) for flotation

purposes. I mean go and get a piece of polystyrene and light a flame to it, up she goes now go

and get some perol and pour a little on it and watch it disintergrate in front of your eyes.

I mean if your boat does turn Turtle, they say, Flotation helps it remain level and in an

upright position in controlled conditions, but if your unlucky enough and its not in controlled

conditions, eg ( dead flat lake ) than the petrol could eat the foam if the tank ruptures/leaks

being upside down. I believe they should be using a fire/petrol resistant foam that dos'nt

absorb water. I mean if you read the statement from Quintrex above you would think that you

would have somnething similar, but thats not the case!

[seatime]

dave22

You're absolutely correct, and I believe the recent Marine Safety Conference on the Goldy conducted by the National Marine Safety Commitee had a discussion on floatation and building standards.
http://www.nmsc.gov.au/MS2006.htm

Yes polystyrene has been used, I've seen it in flat sheets, wrapped in plastic and fitted in between the transom and thwart seat on tinnies.

dnej,

using a Coastal type lifejacket as an example:

# the jacket floats fine on it's own, just laying on the surface
# don the jacket in the correct manner, and you float fine on your back
# roll over and try to float in the prone position, you can balance on the front of the jacket, but a wave can easily roll you onto your back again.

the upward buoyancy out weighs the downward loading.

With a swamped boat, the gunnels have trapped the water onboard.
If a wave sloshes the water to one side, the centre of gravity moves with it, the centre of buoyancy remains in the centre of the boat, approx.
All the water piled on one side generally puts the gunnel underwater.
It was OK when the forces where directly opposed, but now they are off centre and they want to get back to the centre, result = the boat capsizes.

hope that helps explain

regards
Steve.

[dnej]

Thanks for that Steve.
Regards David

[whiteman]

Floatation material should not react to petrol and be inert if exposed to naked flame. Put a few drops of the precious stuff on the noodles and see what happens. Then put a match to a piece. My mate has filled his boat with wine corks and he doesn't drink!

[SunnyCoastMark]

Table Tennis Balls :)

Saw Mythbusters raise a big old boat from the bottom by filling it with table tennis balls.

It Works and you can stick them everywhere.

Just have to break into the local table tennis club late one night.............. 8-)

Mark

[poor_mans_barra]

Hi guys, good conversation.
Does any one know what foam they use in the thawrt seats of tinnies as the old ones seem to of had an expandable type put in after it was bent up. Also they say surfboard foam is excellent but no idea on how dear.

PMB

Keep up the ideas

[ahoj]

Ping pong balls