Insulation

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WDWaldron

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I'm getting insulation in my front bilge on 2000 272. Does anyone know where it originates and how to repair the problem?
 
Is it crumbly like Styrofoam or soft like fiberglass?
Was the boat stored for the winter?
 
My "guess" is that it's some expanding foam that was sprayed/poured on the outboard side of the stringers. Possibly some squeezed past the joint between stringers and the floor of the cabin when it was originally done and it's just now been breaking off. You'll need to look into the access plate - at the "ceiling" and "sides of the ceiling" of the front bilge... Video... mirror on a stick... inspection camera.
 
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DennisG01 said:
My "guess" is that it's some expanding foam that was sprayed/poured on the outboard side of the stringers. Possibly some squeezed past the joint between stringers and the floor of the cabin when it was originally done and it's just now been breaking off. You'll need to look into the access plate - at the "ceiling" and "sides of the ceiling" of the front bilge... Video... mirror on a stick... inspection camera.
Click to expand...
It is styrofoam and i have removed buckets of it and have cleaned bilge pump many times. Do you have an idea how to remove what is removing?
 
WDWaldron said:
It is styrofoam and i have removed buckets of it and have cleaned bilge pump many times. Do you have an idea how to remove what is removing?
Click to expand...
Huh?

So it is white styrofoam? Maybe Grady used sheets of that for floatation. Either way, the same first step holds true as I mentioned.
 
I had this problem and had SQUIRRELS living on the boat near the rigging tubes. They chewed spray foam, wiring and plastic tubing. The foam pilled up in the bilge area.
 
That's why I asked about winter storage. Animals like to build nests in the winter and love boats.
It would have to be a big animal or a lot of little guys to make buckets of particles though.
It's time to do some inspecting and while you are at it, look for animal droppings
 
Part of the cleanup process is to make sure no foam has gotten into the tubes that pass thru bulkheads.
If you are seeing the foam in the fwd bilge, I would blast a water hose(or maybe air?:rolleyes:) from the stern to forward.
Don't try to push it aft, you might clog a tube.
 
If you have a live animal trap put it on board. That's what I did and caught the critter (squirrel). My boat is on a lift and I now keep a trap on it year round. Bait, I used peanut butter and peanuts just be generous with the bait (it's cheap). It's takes a long time to clean up the foam. It just keeps coming back every time the boat moves.
 
I had issues years back with nesting critters in my walk around cabin . Since the cabin is basically locked up, I wondered how the animals were getting in. To my surprise, it turned out that if you followed the underside of the gunnels forward, there were spaces near the seats as well as near the helm/cabin bulkhead that small animals could easily pass through. My solution was to cut tight fitting screens made out of that metal mesh they sell for radiator covers fronts. Not the stamped sheets but the twisted wire stuff. I suppose fine mesh chicken wire would work.
That did stop the critters from getting in but every now and then I find a screen that has been moved:) You have to keep an eye out.
 
seasick said:
I had issues years back with nesting critters in my walk around cabin . Since the cabin is basically locked up, I wondered how the animals were getting in. To my surprise, it turned out that if you followed the underside of the gunnels forward, there were spaces near the seats as well as near the helm/cabin bulkhead that small animals could easily pass through. My solution was to cut tight fitting screens made out of that metal mesh they sell for radiator covers fronts. Not the stamped sheets but the twisted wire stuff. I suppose fine mesh chicken wire would work.
That did stop the critters from getting in but every now and then I find a screen that has been moved:) You have to keep an eye out.
Click to expand...
Thanks to all who replied...i never thought about an animal in the boat but that is most likely the issue. I'll get him.
 
A trap is best but a chunk of rat poison can do the trick. You need to get them out so they don't die in a tough spot.
 
There are live traps and not so kind traps. If you go the live route, you need to release the critter far away from the boat. Otherwise they will go right back. There's no place like home!
Also note that critters chew for two reasons: To wear down their teeth or to build a nest. In the second case, it is possible that you might have babies and you don't want to have them abandoned.
 
Also be aware that they may have more than 1 litter a year. If your neighborhood has lots of them you may be overrun.
 
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