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Wet Flotation Foam


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Hello,

       I’m new to this forum community as well as being new to owning a boat. I have recently purchased a 1996 response. I purchased the boat in hopes of restoring it as the hull and paint did not look to be in to rough of shape, the interior wasn’t to bad either few seat tears and a few thin spots in the carpet from general wear and tear. To make long story short I have removed everything from the boat the engine, transmission, seats and carpet to start restoring the boat. After I removed the carpet the factory holes in the floor that are used to fill the boat with flotation foam that are glassed over after it’s finished, actually started to seep water up through the fiberglass covered holes, so I used a screw driver to poke through the thin layer of fiberglass to check and just like I thought the flotation foam is soaked so the question I have is I understand that Malibu made the floor as a one piece instead of multiple but had anyone ever removed the floor in a response to remove the flotation foam and reinstall with new foam? I searched through the forums and have not found anyone that has removed the floor in a response and posted photos or a how to, so I was reaching out to see if anyone in here has. Thank you for any help y’all can give 

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Can't recall ever seeing a thread on this. Wonder if you can cut out enough of the floor to pull that stuff out, then glass in a piece of starboard or something to replace. If you do, post lots of pics! 

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(Poly) Urethane foam will absorb water.  Not much, but over time...

A 96 Response will have a FibEcs  stringer system with foam injected on either side of the main longitudinal stringers.  Given the way the boat is constructed, it is likely water seeps in.  Not a big deal (unless there is a lot and it freezes of course). The easiest way to get rid of the foam would be to use a solvent like acetone.  Drill a couple holes, inject a solvent and pump out the slurry.  Of course that means you have no in-floor flotation.  The foam puportedly provides support to the floor, so that might become an issue.  In fact, most boats of that era have a sagging floor, especially behind the driver's seat, even with the somewhat supportive foam.

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