Bilge

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garylinger

garylinger

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May 2, 2008
254
S2 9.2C 1980 St. Leonard (Chesapeake Bay), MD
I have a 1980 9.2C. There is a 'hatch' in the cabin sole just below the companionway stairs, in the center and between the head door and the galley. It looks like it should open into a portion of the bilge (forward of the engine area). It is filled with what appears to be a type of spray foam that is very hard. When the boat was surveyed 3 years ago, the surveyor said he had never seen anything like that. My question is primarily for other 9.2C owners but may be applicable to 9.2A owners as well - what, if anything do you have in that location (open bilge, structural foam, etc.).
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Gary ...i had no hatch in that location ...sooo i made one in order to get to the bilge pumps and futer shower sump box ...it is open all the way down to the bottom of the keel but just foward of that hatch is the balest ....and a fellow told me that had been to the factory when they were building theses boats that it was lead shot mixed with resin and pored in the keel ......hope that helps

regards

woody
 
garylinger

garylinger

.
May 2, 2008
254
S2 9.2C 1980 St. Leonard (Chesapeake Bay), MD
Thanks, Woody. I had tried to look into the bilge under the engine and from the little bit I can see, it looks like there is a 'manufactured' front - in other words, not going through to the area that has foam. I don't know if S2 manufactured 2 separate bilges or if I'm just not able to see clearly enough. It would be convenient to have that as an open bilge but I don't want to start removing foam if it is there for a purpose. I guess the safe thing would be to leave it alone but I am still curious as to what/why it is there!
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
garylinger said:
Thanks, Woody. I had tried to look into the bilge under the engine and from the little bit I can see, it looks like there is a 'manufactured' front - in other words, not going through to the area that has foam. I don't know if S2 manufactured 2 separate bilges or if I'm just not able to see clearly enough. It would be convenient to have that as an open bilge but I don't want to start removing foam if it is there for a purpose. I guess the safe thing would be to leave it alone but I am still curious as to what/why it is there!
Click to expand
does it look like woven roven in the area where you say you see foam??????....and is your cavity slanted some what in the open part of the bilge.....
 

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woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Gary i have posted pics of the hatch opening i made and you can see down in the keel hope this helps i will shoot more pics if it will help you ...just let me know....


regards

woody
 
garylinger

garylinger

.
May 2, 2008
254
S2 9.2C 1980 St. Leonard (Chesapeake Bay), MD
I'm not sure what you are asking about the slant. From what I can see of your pictures, the bilge area under the engine looks like yours. The forward part is filled to the bottom of the sole with the foam. I will take some pictures of it in the next couple of days and post them.
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
garylinger said:
I'm not sure what you are asking about the slant. From what I can see of your pictures, the bilge area under the engine looks like yours. The forward part is filled to the bottom of the sole with the foam. I will take some pictures of it in the next couple of days and post them.
Click to expand
that is the slanted area on the foward side of the bilge and it is coverded with woven roven and under that cover is the lead for the balest in the keel....

regards

woody
 
garylinger

garylinger

.
May 2, 2008
254
S2 9.2C 1980 St. Leonard (Chesapeake Bay), MD
I can't see it because of the foam. I'll get some pictures and then you will see (hopefully) my confusion.
 
Calypso

Calypso

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Mar 29, 2008
187
s2 9.2C NJ
We don't have the foam at all. Right below the small square hole are the speed sensor and the depth sounder. Sounds like that doesn't belong there. I haven't found foam anywhere in our boat except of course the fridge. I would dig into it and see how far it extends.
 
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Calypso

Calypso

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Mar 29, 2008
187
s2 9.2C NJ
on second read, we have a 7 inch hatch between the compression post and the starboard setee. That is where the sending units are. we have no hatch bet. the head and the galley.
 
BobM

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Regarding foam, foam is usually for insulation or floatation...there isn't a meaningful amount of flotation you could add to an S2, without filling the cabin, to offset 4000 lbs of ballast!
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Calypso said:
We don't have the foam at all. Right below the small square hole are the speed sensor and the depth sounder. Sounds like that doesn't belong there. There is no foam anywhere in our boat. I would dig into it and see how far it extends.
Click to expand
the only foam i found on mine was in the area where the water tank is mounted under the v birth it was put there to help hold the water tank in place when installed at the factory way back in 1979:eek: these are truly "GOOD OLD BOATS" opps and in the icebox area

regards

woody
 
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B

Bergovoy

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Mar 23, 2011
65
S2 9.2a Bradenton
my s2 has foam in teh bilge as well... the PO used the industrial two part foam system to fill in teh bilge area, for two reasons.. (neither are great reasons, nor would i have done it )

but, his first issue was 'access'.. there is no 'cut out' in teh sole for the bilge, so getting to the bilge pump was near impossible.. although i would have used a 'stick/pole' to attach to the pump mounting plate to pull the pump and switch up and out...

the other reason was the difficulty of pumping the water uphill.. and the check valve not holding well, so after the pump would shut off from the float valve being reasleased, the water would seep back into the bilge area and raise teh float swtich again and start up the pump only for it to repeat over and over again....

the foam is friggin' hard/dense.. it wont soak up water, at least it wont soak up much water... and getting it out will be damn near impossible with teh small arse access cover... I havent cut a larger opening yet, as i am still unsure how to support the cover to withstand 299 lb folks walking on it...
 
garylinger

garylinger

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May 2, 2008
254
S2 9.2C 1980 St. Leonard (Chesapeake Bay), MD
I took several pictures this morning. One of them is of the bilge under the engine facing forward. The rest are of the 'foam'.
 

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woodster

woodster

.
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
garylinger said:
I took several pictures this morning. One of them is of the bilge under the engine facing forward. The rest are of the 'foam'.
Click to expand
the 4th pic is how my bilge looks ...as for the foam in the other 4 pics i dont have that in my boat......it may be the factory way of making the cabin sole solid is all i can figure...it does look like the foam i found under and around my water tank.....i had to dig it out with a chipping hammer like the welders use and wasnt fun at all ....if it doesnt bother you and you dont need access to anything under it i would just leave it there.......

regards

woody
 
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