stringer pieces in place.

[Lenny]

So if these are foam filled how do they rot????? Pardon my ignorance this is all new to me.

[nestorpr]

It was to me too until we used some at work and got a lesson from a manufacturer. The older foams used to deteriorate over time, whether they were open or closed cell, no matter if they were wet or not, it was just their nature. Since most boat manufacturers fabricate boats for a 10 to 15 year lifetime, the foam usually lasted that long. Other, longer lasting foams were available but were very expensive and few builders used them.

The technoclogy has improved quite a bit since then and now most foams can stay in place for decades without much deterioration, of course, it depends on the composition and application, but the lifetime has been greatly extended. Make sure you use the best you can afford and follow the application instructions to the letter and you should have no problems. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[strick]

Botapeje is exactually right. It really stiffen's it up for little weight.

Of course it helps stiffen it up but that does not answer my question. How much longitudinal strength does foam add to the stringer system? I was hoping to lure in a a reply from one of our engineers that frequent this board.

strick