Pool noodle flotation
 

I have seen mention of people using pool noodles for flotation in their boats. Any idea how many it would take to keep a 20 center console from rolling if full of water?

Michael

I am certainly not an expert here...but my understanding in order to keep the boat from doing the turtle, flotation has to be above waterline... like in the gunnels and under the deck, not an easy thing to accomplish.

My thought is the pool noodles would be pressed up tight under the deck as the boat filled and be very close to the water line. I guess any flotation is better than none. Coming from a Boston Whaler background to a boat with 0 flotation has made me ask the question. I know a fully foamed boat in a SC is out of the question.

Michael

Buy a plb for 275 clams and call it a day.

thats right, and its almost impossible to find enough volume under the gunnels to give upright stability. If you boxed in the gunnels and filled with foam, you might get close to upright flotation


When I rebuilt my 23SC I completely filled the outside of the stringers. There was enough foam to float two boats :) BTW, there is a good amount of reserve buoyancy in those trapezoid stringers

It would be nice to be able to retrieve the boat after your rescue and you could have cold beer while waiting for the CG.

Michael

OUZO - where are you? You are the master of using the pool noodle for adding floatation!

Upstate NY south shore of Lake Ontario. No pool noodle exp but like the concept and would always have water toys for quest.

Michael

I did this. I'd have to look it up. I filled the tank area with foam and put tanks in the console. I also inserted many pool noodles. 20? More? I have an excel spreadsheet. I also filled the MASTER ANGLER cap with foam to resist turning turtle. It takes all that to float a 20 footer. At least my math says so.

I also put plastic fencing in the bilge so the noodles don't keep the bilge switch arm from floating.

Here is a PDF of the spreadsheet. And a ZIP of the same.

I have foam under the cap and in the 5 foot long fuel tank area. I say the fuel tank is full. But it just floats due to the lower specific gravity of gasoline.

It isn't a perfect analysis, but it shows how much foam I added to get it to be about neutrally buoyant.