Removing foam from benches

[Tim321]

Hi all, new here, thanks for the add!

I’ve got a 1991 Lund V-16 with 3 full benches and I’m replacing all the bench wood at the moment. The benches themselves are filled with spray in foam. I’d love to carve some of it out and make some storage, and move my batteries forward. I understand this is for flotation.

My question is, the newer lunds have split benches in the rear and center, so obviously there is not as much foam and it’s considered safe? I have no floor (will be adding later on), but the newer ones also have no floor, so there is no added foam under the floor.

I’m figuring it’s ok to lose some foam?

Thanks!

 

[Ray Clark]

I removed some foam, OK, a LOT of foam, from the benches in the course of rehabbing my 1979 Lund S14. But I also put a fair amount back in in places that didn't have it before. I, too, made storage in the benches and moved batteries into a middle bench for better weight distribution. I also added decks. Those decks provided me a place underneath to add a fair amount of foam and the casting deck up front also provides space for foam underneath.

I used 2" extruded polystyrene 4X8 sheets from the home improvement store. It's inexpensive, easy to work with, and doesn't make a mess.

Foam is important for a couple of reasons.

- First, if something happens and the boat begins taking on water, it helps maintain buoyancy, giving everybody on board a little more time to deal with the situation.

- Second, if the boat does sink, the foam makes for easier recovery of the boat.

Of course, a lot of the foam used in boat production has the annoying habit of retaining water over time. That sort of kills the safety aspect of having it in the first place.