Daysailor II foam in the seat and bow tanks falling apart

[JPM01100]

After a sail I open the two cockpit inspection/bailing ports, the positive foam flotation is disintegrating, very heavy because it soaks up water like a sponge and water is in the bilge.
That can't be good.
Anyone have any suggestions to fix this?

 

[Sunbird22358]

Re: Daysailor II foam in the seat and bow tanks falling apar

I'd remove as much of the debris as possible (shop vac may be needed?). most of the foam in my boat is closed-cell "Styrofoam" with expanding foam used to glue the blocks in place. However, the foam located up forward between hte bulkhead and the bow.... that is just a lot of scrap foam pieces, I suspect O'DAY just broke up any foam packing used to ship stuff to the factory... and tossed it in! Hey, it works and solves the problem of disposing of all that foam! The pieces that you are finding may also just be some foam pieces stuffed into the bilge by a previous owner. To dry things out, leave the inspection ports open for a while, warm, sunny days do wonders for eliminating the dampness from the bilges. Also, was it just wet foam, or did you find water? Drain the water out to help even more (either through the bilge drain in hte stern or by sponging/pumping out through the ports.).

Did you actually access the bow area? That area is not totally sealed off from the rest of the boat, but although water could drain between the bow and the rest of the hull, the foam chunks usually can't get out of the bow area due to the way it is all built.
I have explored that area and could post a sketch of how it is constructed if needed.

 

[JPM01100]

Re: Daysailor II foam in the seat and bow tanks falling apar

Thanks Sunbird22358,
To dry things out, I do leave the leave the deck inspection ports open for a while, and yes, warm, sunny days do wonders for eliminating the moisture from Loose Lucy's inner hull.
To answer your Q: was it just wet foam, or did you find water?
I find water, and do as you suggest, I drain the water out through the D/S II Self Bailer port, stern drain plug to drain inner hull, and sponge out the water in the inner hull through the two deck inspection ports astern the Cuddy Door opening.
When I soak up the water in the inner hull, I can fell the foam. I believe it's the original foam as described in the "DAY SAILER, OSPRAY and JAVELIN RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS":
FLOTATION
There is sufficient foam flotation (in block form) in the seat and bow tanks to support the crew and normal gear, should a capsize occur or the hull become punctured.

Inspecting the bow foam thru the cuddy bow inspection port, like your boat, is just a lot of scrap foam pieces, and they remain dry.
The original foam in NOT closed-cell "Styrofoam", it is falling apart into various sized small round pellets. I see the pellets when the water is exiting the stern drains.
A sailor told me he uses foam "noodles" for his positive flotation material, I like your idea better. Am I correct to think that if I use closed-cell "Styrofoam" with expanding foam used to glue the blocks in place, even thou the water would still find it's way to the inner hull, the foam would not absorb the water and the water would exit out the stern drains when out of the water.
Again, thanks for your assistance,
Ahoy!

John

 

[Sunbird22358]

Re: Daysailor II foam in the seat and bow tanks falling apar

The rigging instructions that you are quoting are refering to the older DS I, on the DS II the foam is blocks (the foam looks just like styrofoam cup material) glued by expanding foam to the underside of the seats and it isn't accessable without removing the whole deck. It is not impossible to add more foam, but... it would not be easy to get even pour-in foam to go where needed without mostly ending up low in the bilge (you really want it up high under seats or better yet under the side decks). I tried to insert a couple of pool noodles into the bilge of my boat...... no way to get them in, they won't fit through the inspection ports.
If you have foam pellets in the bilge water that indicates that the foam blocks are moving around and shedding pellets, not critical... and it may be that you are seeing residue that has just been accumulating for many years and is only now being removed by you. Any water in the bilge will wash out any foam pellets while sailing, eventually they will all come out as you bail. Again, vacuuming the bilge once dry helps a lot! This is pretty normal. You could check things further if you wish to, by taking some pictures of the undersides of the seats using a digital camera inserted through the inspection ports. (I've done this and will try to post some of my pics soon.)

You will need to either sponge out any bilge water thru the inspection ports or use the bilge drain plug in the transom, the self-bailer only drains the cockpit not the bilge.

O'DAY put more than enough foam blocks in there to keep the boat afloat if a major hull leak occurs, and in fact.... the cockpit actually forms a sort of "boat-within-a-boat" to further keep the boat afloat if the bilge were full of water...... I know, since my boat did develop a big leak the first season after a repair by the previous owner let go!

I post a scanned copy of the Rigging Sheet that came with my boat soon.

 

[JPM01100]

Re: Daysailor II foam in the seat and bow tanks falling apar

Thanks Sunbird22358,
I feel a lot calmer after reading your message.
I've spent most of the last 2 days googling for images, information of the construction of a DS II, with no luck. I would like to find an image or design drawing view of an O'Day DS II cut breadth or length amidship.

 

[Sunbird22358]

Well, unless some owner has created that drawing...... it don't exist. I might be able to sketch it though.

Any idea of what year your DS II was built? A few changes were made over the years and I would want to be sure I show the correct vintage.
If she is newer than 1972, there will be a Hull ID number on the outside of the transom, the last 2 numbers in that HIN will be the model year. If not sure, just tell me the HIN (12-digits).

 

[JPM01100]

Hull NO 25979

Hull NO 25979
Class NO 4576
You can see some pic's via the link.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/m66tl3v

 

[Sunbird22358]

Re: Hull NO 25979

That sounds like she is a 1971 model or maybe 1972.

I couldn't access those pictures, the web site told me I din't have "permission".

 

[JPM01100]

That sounds like she is a 1971 model or maybe 1972.

I couldn't access those pictures, the web site told me I din't have "permission".

https://drive.google.com/folderview...Ffc2Y0RTJiWDVmSkRnWEZZMUdKSl9oM00&usp=sharing
try this link

 

[JPM01100]

Re: Daysailor II foam in the seat and bow tanks falling apar

Please try this link, I believe she's a 72'.
https://drive.google.com/folderview...Ffc2Y0RTJiWDVmSkRnWEZZMUdKSl9oM00&usp=sharing