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Listing to Starboard

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KS Ski Bum View Drop Down
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    Posted: January-20-2021 at 3:38pm

Greetings Everyone,

I am brand new to this forum but I’ve been around boats and skiing a long time (this year will mark my 60th year skiing).

I own a 1997 Ski Nautique that had been babied by the original owner for the first 10 years and has been since then by me.  Love is a strong word but I “love” my boat and actually prefer her over a brand new one because the technology is of a vintage I can still work on.  She is in excellent condition overall with 750 engine hours and the original interior still intact and in good shape, except for the carpet which is looking pretty tired.

I retired from a 40-year engineering career last fall and have started putting together my list of “keep me busy” tasks.  One of the tasks as soon as it warms up just a bit is to re-carpet the boat.  

I have reason to believe I have waterlogged floor floatation, and especially so on the starboard side. I say that because she seems to be putting on more and more weight each year (seems to be setting lower in the water)  and lists to starboard at least 3-4 inches when sitting still without driver or passengers and totally unladen.   I have not yet pulled back the carpet to inspect the condition of the fiberglass floor nor the junction of the floor with the side of the boat. 

I have done a fair bit of browsing and searching this forum and the Web in general on the topic of removing / replacing the foam under the floor.  I did look at “KRoundy’s 1993 thread” which was helpful but didn’t answer all the questions I have.

I would appreciate any guidance as I begin to tear into this project.  Specifically, once I peel back carpet, will the location of the stringers (which I understand are fiberglass in my ’97) be obvious?  Based on the reading I’ve done so far, I believe the “floor” isn’t really decking material supported by the stringers but instead is a relatively thin fiberglass layer over the top of the sprayed-in foam which was trimmed level with the stringers in the factory.  Can anyone confirm this? 

Is it practical to remove the original foam by cutting “hand holes ” about every 2-3 feet along the length of each floatation chamber, scooping out the old foam then re-pouring with modern closed cell expanding foam?

Also, I’m trying to figure out how water got into the foam to begin with.  Is it most likely that the junction between the fiberglass floor and the sidewall is broken in places? 

And perhaps the most fundamental question, “is it practical to undertake this process without yanking the engine?”  I don’t mind undertaking a project, but I may re-think if this process requires yanking the engine and running gear. 

Again, any advice will be greatly appreciated even if it just of the form “search for this thread” or something to that effect. 

100 days till ski season and counting 😉

Doug

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67 ski nat View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 67 ski nat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January-20-2021 at 3:46pm
Welcome. You have a great boat
We love your boat too

I took out all my foam with motor in
My foam was tired and had water too
Used a sharp knife to slice down stringer sides and then a flat pry bar and big chunks popped out
Have a vacuum handing
You will glad it is out

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Gary S View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gary S Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January-20-2021 at 4:06pm
Welcome Doug,sounds like a big project. First thing you might want to try is see if you can get the build record from Correct Craft. While 3-4" is alot mine left the factory with a 1/2" list which was noted on those records. Don't know how often Kevin is on anymore but he has pictures of the internal structure from cutting up that '93. Completely different from a wood stringer boat that Daryn references. Here is the one picture I had from him. Maybe if you pm him he will eventually see it.

Notice the double floor  and the aluminum plate  




69 Mustang HM SS
95 Nautique Super Sport
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KS Ski Bum View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KS Ski Bum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January-20-2021 at 4:21pm
Thanks Gary.  I will contact CC as you suggest.  I've owned the boat since 2010 and did not notice any significant list to starboard initially, but it may have been there and I may have overlooked.  

I honestly think it has taken on water gradually over the years.  I suspect  that the culprit was 1) leaking through the original starboard pitot tube screw holes which were not sealed when a replacement was installed and 2) a small crack between the floor skin and the starboard sidewall.  I also think there may be a hole in the floor skin where a slalom ski may have been stepped on and the fin poked through the floor.  I say that because when the carpet is completely dry if I stand in just the right place some water squirts up in that area.  

I'll tear into it when it isn't so cold outside as my off-season storage is in an enclosed but unheated barn.  
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Gary S View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gary S Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January-20-2021 at 5:03pm
My point was that even if you could get all the foam out it still may never sit level. But if you are seeing water come out when you step on it in combination with that much list then you do have to check. Might want to take a hole saw in that area carefully remove plugs from there and take a look. The foam in my Mustang was like digging into a watermelon
69 Mustang HM SS
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