Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss water logged paddle boat

Hello All:
So, paddle boats, peddle boats...whatever you call them. Dad's got one and is complaining that it is riding really low in the water (and he's a tiny little guy, i'd expect it to ride low when i jump in ). This is a new development this season.

Lots of company coming for the summer, and the paddle boat has always been a favorite in years past.

I am aware of the plug to drain it out, and we already tried that, tipped it up on end and only a little water came out.

Dad's diagnosis (officially hearsay, i'm not there to see it) is that the boat is filled with some sort of foam, and that foam is water logged.

1) does that sound right to you?
2) is there a way to solve that problem? standing the boat on end and letting it drain for a few hours didn't remedy the problem - should we try again and give it a few days to drain?
3) any other solutions other than dropping 800 bucks on a new 4-person paddle boat?

Thanks in Advance!
SB

I never had a paddelboat but i'w had a number off dingys made of fiber glass foam filled so familiar with the problem.
If you can't hear/feel the water movng inside the weight off the boat should tell you iff its soaked(foam) and not just sitting inn chambers.
I'v had to split the inner and outer liner to dry it and even split open it took quite some time to dry but it did dry.
So unless you can split it to dry my experience is that you need a new for the season.
Also i'w ripped out the foam, because it tends to soak water fairly quick again once the foam has lost its reistence to water.

the "top" (deck?) and "bottom" (hull?) are obviously made of 2 seperate materials, i wonder how hard it would be to take them apart and let the foam (sits in the 2 pontoon-shaped portions of the hull) air dry.

Good to hear that someone else has an inkling of what i am talking about. Thanks for your help, andedammen.

-SB

Thats what I would do.
The foam might be suporting the pontoon so if you rip that out you need to replace it so the fiberglas? dosent get wobbely, it strengthens the constructione as well as it serves the boyance purpose (stay a float when punctered)

Rock on. Thanks!

I figured the foam had the dual purpose of buoyancy and structural integrity. Makes me wary to tear it out.

Can anyone else confirm the idea that once it has been soaked it won't resist soaking as well as it used to?

It might be a hard sell to Pops to have it replaced - if i do take the foam out to replace it, what kind of replacement foam should i be looking at? do they sell this stuff somewhere?

-Skinny

I have used waterproof expanding building foam (insulation)
Spray inn the hull it stics to the fiberglass then when harden or dry the day after I cut a way so I can fit the inerliner back in.
Styrofoam??? I think the name is in inglish I know you have it but not shure of the name
It expandes extrmely so you need a open end for it to expand, or it will bust the hull.

I used to maintain one for about 6 years for my HOA. A Pelican like they sell at Costco now. Ours finally wore out, after almost everything on it broke. But it never got waterlogged. It did fill full of water internally but from what I understand all of that foam is encased in plastic of some kind so it never comes in contact with water. I had to drain both pontoons quite a bit. Both had drain plugs above the waterline at the bow. I work a lot with boats, rebuilding, fixing, even DIED's had foam in it, and that stuff almost can't absorb water.

Good news on that front, he and JHAP tooled around many hours with a constant stream of doh's and ohhhh's. I did not know if I was listening to porn or the Simpsons. Boat might have had less than a cup of water in it and that could have come from the coontail they were catching instead of 2" lunker GSF.

If you want my opinion, it ain't waterlogged. There is nothing on a paddleboat that can log water.

I don't think this is a matter of opinion, it's a matter of material.
Iff the boat is buildt with foam inside (sanwditch) fiberglass, its a time question when this foam is gona start getting logd with water.
Older boats with older tech, starts soaking quicer then newer or more modern tech.
The foam inside have two purposes suport the integrety off the construction (sthrengten) and give a safety boyance (keep boat afloat) if the hull is destroyed craked..........
The foam used is not suposed to be exposed to water the outer skin (fiberglass) is protecting it.
Time will still do it's thing and eventualy the foam loose it's integreaty (breaks down/smolder).
My oldest dingy I inherated from my older sister, and it was used when she got it so it'S from 1963-1967?
It's fixed 5-8(?) times for this problem and now it's gona be my youngest son (3) dingy to learn how to row a boat.......
A part from this spesific dingy I have had numores boats (fiberglass) that have been condemd by others do to the fact they have been waterlogd in the floating elements(moste often foam of some sort)
Modern constructions like sprayed fiberglass are much harder to fix than old fashion fiberglass sheets polyester plywood and foam(or hoolow chambers).
Any how you can tell by the weight off the boat iff its filled with water.
Iff it dosen't drain out thru a drain or drilled hole in the hull it's soaked in the foam or wath ever floating material in the hull.
once the material has lost it's abillety to resist water it will soak again so you might as well replace it instead off drieing it is my experience and my exeperience is long on this matter.
The last 5 boats has been aluminum (Buster) but they to have the same floating (foam) material that looses it's original abillety to stay water soaking resistant over time.
Hardyer (new tech) but still it's a matter off time exposed to water before it will disintegrate or loose it's integrety.

Almost all of this foam is the same cheap safety required buoyancy type. Same as all of the benches in aluminums. It is never exposed to UV because when it is it degrades badly and crumbles into dust. But it is actually water repellant. And boy does it float. The better material is used for docks and high end hulls of pleasure boats. The only any floatation foam becomes waterlogged is if you trap it with water longterm and it loses it chemical properties and integrity. But I have had water in that paddleboat hull for over six months and it just drained right out. The hull seals do crack and weather, allowing water in. But every Spring I would just tip it up on it's end slowly and drain all of the water out from the hull through the two forward drain holes. It never became waterlogged. I went rhough three rudders, since been reengineered, two rudder shafts, 1 steering handle and lost the canopy, and hatch covers to kids and abuse. Also 1 out of 4 pedals. Paddles themselves were bulletproof. If the HOA was not hurting in the economy they would go straight to Costco and buy another. I visit another lake community where they have at least 100 pedalboats from every manufacturer there is. Have yet to see one get waterlogged. They just die a slow UV death.

Well, in the now the only option is to tip it up for a few hours (like 24 of them) and drain it. The kids and everyone else that will be there this weekend will want to use it....so taking it apart is out of the question.

however, i do think the foam is water-logged, since we have done this before, and the problem has persisted. I think it will be time for dad to drop the cash to buy a new one.

-Skinny

Costco $499 for a brand new EC improved Pelican. That is all the rental places use around here. If by some chance it is waterlogged, leave it with the hull facing the sun standing straight up with the plugs or drain holes both open. Draining it won't help. Still, seen hundreds of these things for 4 decades now, never seen a waterlogged one. Even the abandoned dead one in one of my ponds, when pulled out for disposal, was full of water over 1 year and still not waterlogged. I didn't think that could happen. And no, you cannot take them apart without ruining them and never obtaining a proper watertight seal like from the factory. I rebiuld a lot of boats, soem you can, these you can't. But my latest rebuild/refurb project is Imperial Kamado, vintage from Japan.

Right....kinda my point exactly, buying one is his best option. Not exactly sure what kind of features he wants, but he was saying he saw one he really liked for around 700 bucks.

Well on thurs morning when i arrive @ dad's house i'll throw it up against a tree and see if it won't be a little better off on friday.