"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:14:38 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:10:00 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:01:52 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:35:20 -0500, HK wrote:

I have no objection to modern materials in the hull, but I'd not buy
any
boat with foam in between the hull skins.

Why?

I've read that pounding eventually destroys the foam's
structure/strength, leading to excessive hull flex.
Yep. That's what I remember reading.

I've heard that before, but I'm not at all sure that it is true with
closed cell foam.

I saw a 12 year old Ranger 318 VS when it was being cut up and the
foam flotation looked brand new.

I'm not up on the techniques used to core hulls, or the materials, but
when I was reading up on it I concluded my preference would be solid
FRP hull.
With a sailboat like a Mac 26X/M you get that, and "unsinkable"
flotation elsewhere.
The Carolina Skiff and Boston Whaler have the flotation in the hull.
I see on the CS forum that some owners have delamination problems,
and in a recent post the problem was so bad an owner started taking on
water. They sometimes get their boats replaced under warranty and
CS seems to be a stand-up outfit.
But I'm starting to have second thoughts about owning one.
I haven't heard about Whalers having these problems, but haven't
really tried looked at them hard.

--Vic

Cored construction and foam floatation are two different things.
The way a Whaler is built (and some other manufacturers now-a-days) could
be considered a extreme meld of both I suppose. There have been cases of
Whalers becoming "waterlogged" due to cracks in the hull leading to water
saturation of the foam.

I agree with Harry regarding cored construction. Solid below and just up
over the waterline, then non-balsa coring (closed cell) is ok above.


Eisboch