TOPIC: What will I find under here

Hello all. I am elbow deep in my restoration project of a 1972 Glasspar Citation. I have taken the seats out and ripped up some of the floor that was rotted. I found a layer of foam underneath the wood. My question is if I were to rip out this foam what will I find? Should I leave it be and let it dry out before putting new flooring down? This is a fiberglass boat and the hull is in terrific condition with no cracks, holes, etc. iIf I don’t have to rip out this foam I’d rather not. A bit scared to take that leap.

My project boat and I don’t want to get in too deep if it isn’t necessary. Thank you for your help!

Cheers,
Jen

Jen,
Welcome aboard if we haven't already said that. If it were me I'd pull out all the foam and clean up underneath it. If it's wet it isn't going to dry very quickly and it probably isn't pretty under it but I definitely not leave it. Others with more experience with foam can jump in here. Some folks have put 1/2' thin wall pvc pipe next to the keel and sprayed foam back in. The PVC helps channel any water back to the transom so it will drain out. I thin there's a few pics in the member project section that show that but I can't remember which ones off the top of my head.
Ok those who have done this jump in please.

Bob

The foam may be the least of your worries. Better do the old ice pick test to the stringers. If they're soft, this is the time to replace them.

The foam will never dry, at least not in your lifetime. It's got to go...and it's a nasty job. I'll add the restoration photo log of a 1986 Ski Nautique I restored a couple years ago. I do the same with every fiberglass boat.
www.nautilusrestorations.com/1986CCSkiNautique.html

US Composites has what you need: 2 LB Density Urethane Foam. Here's their website: www.uscomposites.com/foam.html

Foam can be fun to install but it's a bitch to level out. I use a piece of a broken 1" wide, coarse tooth, band saw blade. You can see it in the photos if you look closely. (I have more of that blade if you need a piece.) Use it so that it cuts when you pull it, not push. I've tried every possible way to cut the foam level with the framework. This is the only one that works. Finish blending the foam to the framework with a palm sander.

I can walk you through the whole process if need be. Well, good luck. Anything worth having is worth suffering to acquire.

Thank you, Bob! I posted on here in December when I first started researching the boat. To give some back story, the reason there is the boat is wet is it has been sadly neglected for a few years living outside in the Adirondack Mountains and not covered. I've attached a few pictures. I have no idea how thick the foam is but I was afraid it was going to have to come out. As this is my first project boat, I may be in for more than I bargained for (the boat was free, so there's that!). Thank you for your input. Greatly appreciate it!

Thank you! To give some back story, the reason there is the boat is wet is it has been sadly neglected for a few years living outside in the Adirondack Mountains and not covered. I've attached a few pictures. Can you please explain your comment about the "ice pick test to the stringers"? I have no idea how thick the foam is but I was afraid it was going to have to come out. As this is my first project boat, I may be in for more than I bargained for (the boat was free, so there's that!). Thank you for the links and information you provided. The Ski Nautique looks fantastic and your restoration skills are far superior to mine. Any guidance you can provide is immensely appreciated.

Cheers,
Jen

Hello Jen,

I believe you will find fiberglass stringers on that model.

That foam should all be removed as the bilge is more than likely saturated. Looks like you gotta pull up the old floor but should not have to deal with wet rotted stringers.

Thanks,
Terry

JKeating,

IF you have NOT already figured this TRUTH out yet, there is no such thing as a FREE BOAT. = They are ALL costly, in one or more ways.
(My old 1970 CRUSADER bass boat was "FREE FOR THE TAKING" but I ended up spending nearly 1500 bucks on the remodeling job. - Nonetheless, I ended up with the boat that I really wanted for my purposes. = I'm an ADDICTED "perch jerker", i.e., a crappie fishing NUT.)

When I rotated to Latin America, I gave the "crappie special" to my cousin.

Btw, I'm about to start on another similar project, starting with a 15 foot 1972 TERRY , for which I'm paid 75 bucks. -It will be powered with one of my refurbished 40HP "Johnnyrudes."

BEST WISHES on your project.

Yours, tex

Hello Tex,

Let's just say the purchase of the boat and trailer was Free! I am not new to boats as I previously owned a sailboat and grew up on motorboats. Matthew is taking care of the trailer upgrades and the motor. I'm in charge of the cosmetics and rebuilding the inside of the boat. We are enjoying the project so far.

Thank you for your response. Good luck with your boat projects!

Cheers,
Jen

TMN78247 wrote: JKeating,

IF you have NOT already figured this TRUTH out yet, there is no such thing as a FREE BOAT. = They are ALL costly, in one or more ways.
(My old 1970 CRUSADER bass boat was "FREE FOR THE TAKING" but I ended up spending nearly 1500 bucks on the remodeling job. - Nonetheless, I ended up with the boat that I really wanted for my purposes. = I'm an ADDICTED "perch jerker", i.e., a crappie fishing NUT.)

When I rotated to Latin America, I gave the "crappie special" to my cousin.

Btw, I'm about to start on another similar project, starting with a 15 foot 1972 TERRY , for which I'm paid 75 bucks. -It will be powered with one of my refurbished 40HP "Johnnyrudes."

BEST WISHES on your project.

Yours, tex

Truly a man who knows what good pan fish are. I'm with you. Sitting quietly, drowning a minnow and enjoying some bottle bass.

63 Sabre,

IF you happen to visit South Texas, contact me & we'll get you out on the lake & onto one of my "crappie HOT SPOTS", that are made of bundles of discarded CHRISTMAS TREES, weighted down with concrete blocks. = There are some SERIOUSLY BIG crappie here in the South TX region AND we also have a great many HYBRID STRIPERS that like to hang out near the same underwater cover that crappie like..
(My crappie rods are made out of 9 foot flyrod blanks. - Hang a BIG hybrid striper or a BIG channel cat on one of those long/whippy rods & you'll have "a rodeo".)

Yours, Tex

JKeating,

Inasmuch as I paid 75 bucks for the old TERRY bass boat, already own a GOOD 40HP Johnson OB, have a suitable piece of good indoor/outdoor carpet & a suitable used trailer, this will NOT be a "high dollar out-of-pocket project".
(BTW, have you PRICED any BRIGHT RED paint lately?? - I may change my planned color scheme for the boat to FOREST GREEN & WHITE, because of the paint cost. = RED PAINT is THAT expensive.)

What I cannot find at a reasonable price is an EZY-Glide steering cable for the "old-school" stick-steering system. = Most people, who have them, seem to think that they are NATIONAL TREASURES & price the cables as if they were made of GOLD.

BEST WISHES on your "free rig" project.

Yours, Tex

Thank you, Terry. You have put my mind at ease a bit. I made the very nervous decision to remove the rest fo the floor along with the foam earlier today. Will take that leap this weekend.

Cheers,
Jen

Will do! Thank you, Tex.

JKeating,

ImVho. ONE good thing about remodeling/repurposing/restoring "old glass"is that it removes "eyesores" from the environment & prevents the historic watercraft from being cut up & filling up our landfills.
(My GUESS is that I will have MUCH less "out of pocket cash" invested in the '72 TERRY, when it's made into a Crappie Special, than just a new/cheap "tin johnboat" would cost me. - MAYBE another 500.oo. Btw, I paid 100.oo for the 40HP Johnny at an estate sale & 40.00 for the trailer at a church-sponsored garage sale.)

Btw, I LIKE your green runabout. =====> May I suggest that you use MDO for the flooring, as that plywood is made for sign-painters (The green signs that are on Interstate highways are made from MDO) & lasts a LONG, LONG, time with just primer & paint.
(FWIW, I get my MDO as "scrap"/"discards" from a professional sign-painter in Waco, TX at 6.oo a 4x8 or 6x10 sheet. - As it will be covered up with carpet, NOBODY will know or care that it was intended to be a highway sign that was "messed up".)

yours, tex

I recently went through this and posted lots of pictures under 2 threads; coosa for transoms and in projects '64 sunray. the original foam was holding water and as you can see in the picture, multiple blind pours through a hole in the deck left voids. I pulled it out and used both sheet foam in the rear and poured in new foam towards the bow. gave it a haircut to level as previously suggested using a mult-tool blade and then sealed the cut cells with resin. On another note. Could you please post a picture of your holsclaw trailer plate? Model number, year, etc. I have one that is getting prepped to be blasted and that plate is missing. Trying to find a match so I can register the correct model. Thank you, Eric

Nice work on the foam. I've run across many of them with the spot pours, big name brands too.
Nautilus has a neat way of leveling those foam pours that doesn't get too messy. Where possible use an old band saw blade if you have one that you can cut, pad some hand holds and saw right through. Nice clean even cuts.

Here is the trailer plate. Hope it helps.

Hello Terry.

When I rip out this foam am I going to find that it goes all the way to the base of the hull? It seems to be framed in. But I'm thinking there has to be a gap under it in order to allow any water to get to the bilge.

Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and pictures with me.

Cheers,
Jen

perfect - Thank you!

the foam in my custom craft project did. there was still water dripping from the foam and it had been mostly under roof for years.

The way I do boats is to strip everything bare and replace the stringers and all secondary framework. All framing is given two coats of CPES. The stringers are bedded in 3M 5200. I hold the stringers down in place with old batteries or anything else heavy I have sitting around. I use PVC pipe that I run through the framework for routing wires and throttle/gearshift cables. I seal the holes I cut for the PVC with 5200.

Then I pour foam everywhere it's supposed to be. I cut the foam level with the framework using a piece of a 1" band saw blade. Pull to cut, not push. After that, I cover with 3/8" marine meranti plywood. Finally, all wood is covered in fiberglass mat. I go up the hull sides about 4". If done right, this seals the bilge from water intrusion.

Replacing the stringers and getting them cut to proper shape and height is damned tricky. I have a way to cheat that insures I get them right. If you ever want to discuss things in detail, give me a call.

Jan Hadley