# Flotation in your boat?



## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

How many of you know what your boat would do if it filled with water?

Would it float? Would it float level? Would it sink? Would it partially sink?

Recent events really make you think about it, or at least it made me think about it.

When buying a boat, new or used, is it something you have ever considered during the process?


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## bludog (Apr 15, 2011)

I have a 70`s era Lund 14 footer and noticed they put styrofoam blocks underneath the bench seats it might keep it from sinking all the way to the bottom but i hope to never find out. I have been looking to upgrade to a bigger and more modern boat but never probably would have asked, good suggestion.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

The only bass style boat I've ever seen truly advertise the ability to stay afloat when full of water is Ranger. If other boat brands had the ability, you'd think they would jump on that advertising bandwagon...

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Bad Bub said:


> The only bass style boat I've ever seen truly advertise the ability to stay afloat when full of water is Ranger. If other boat brands had the ability, you'd think they would jump on that advertising bandwagon...
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Here are a few I found with a quick search.

The Skeeter is interesting, that would be tough on a rough wave day.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

just remember, in waves none of those are probably going to be sitting upright like that. Wouldn't take much to start them swirling I'd imagine.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

MassillonBuckeye said:


> just remember, in waves none of those are probably going to be sitting upright like that. Wouldn't take much to start them swirling I'd imagine.


That is actually not true. I know of at least a couple instances of Rangers being swamped from the back from big waves on Erie, filling with water and staying afloat and upright during the entire process.


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

Good question. I ASSUME that there are regulations requiring boat manufacturers to provide sufficient floatation to maintain buoyancy at some level for safety and recovery.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

ohiojmj said:


> Good question. I ASSUME that there are regulations requiring boat manufacturers to provide sufficient floatation to maintain buoyancy at some level for safety and recovery.


Yes there are regulations for boat below a minimum length.

I guess this is something most don't think about when purchasing a boat but I think it might be a good to have some idea what your boat would do if swamped prior to being in that situation rather than finding out when it happens.

I know there was a member here that had his older boat sink in Alum some years back when he was swamped by a boat wake.

I in that video the skeeter doesn't sink but not sure that is the amount of boat I want to still be floating if it was my boat. The Ranger, which is a somewhat similar style boat stays much more above the water. The Lund stays well above water line but is a different style boat.

Just some food for thought.


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

I have been wondering that myself. Will these boats stay afloat with the added weight of a kicker on the back if they are swamped in rough conditions? Not sure, but I haven't seen any threads on here that say "my boat was swamped, stayed level and we were all safe".

Perhaps we could ask the multitudes to see if any one has had one float level?


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Here is what happened to a Ranger with a full tourney load with kicker, tackle fuel in rough water. This happened during a tourney and both guys made it off without issues. 

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1460508/Re_Streiffs_Storm_sunken_Range

Say what you want about our glitter boats, rangers build a hell of a rig and I for one have the piece of mind I could sit in my boat and wait for help.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)




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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

I saw that salvage take place drove right by it on my way to Kelly's to fish


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

i wonder if you have to take into consideration about how much water your foam is holding from getting wet over the years ?


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## Sculpin67 (Dec 11, 2007)

I thought that boats had to have level flotation? But I was told that since the flotation foam is low in the boat, it wants to be above water, which is why you see boats that are floating upside down.

I agree that foam may be water logged....


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

The regulation is for LEVEL flotation, UPRIGHT, to a certain hull length. Boat manufacturers do use or are supposed to use a close cell foam that absorbs very little water by design. Over time maybe it becomes compromised, I don't know but I want to know.

You do not see flipped over rangers when swamped, they just float level right side up. You can find a few pictures and stories with searches. I can't find any stories when searching for Lund boats sunk or swamped, although I'm sure they exist. There are a few of the Tracker Tundra all doing the same stern under with just a little bit of the bow remaining above water like in the video above and REPORTEDLY the way the one was found this past week.

I guess the purpose of this topic is that so many fisherman take certain aspects of their boats for granted or never think about them at all. The difference of knowing what your boat might or might not do in an emergency could mean the difference of living or not. I know I sent off a e-mail to my boat manufacturer asking for some detailed information about my model year boat. If my boat is subject to doing what some of these boats have done when swamped, I want a different boat.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Lundy said:


> That is actually not true. I know of at least a couple instances of Rangers being swamped from the back from big waves on Erie, filling with water and staying afloat and upright during the entire process.


That's impressive. Superior engineering. I'd never buy a tracker for other reasons but this adds to it.


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

In the 1970's, my Grandpa was a Starcraft and Mercury dealer. He learned a lot from them, then went on to start his own fiberglass boat company in the early 80's. He built 25 or so boats, then, just as things were really taking off, he died of a heart attack at the age of 58. Regrettably, nobody had the ability to take over the company, so my Grandma had to sell the molds, tools, and everything. I sometimes think back at what a missed opportunity that might have been.

Anyway, part of the Coast Guard certification was cutting up one of his boats and trying to sink it. It had to float level, just like Ranger and the rest of them. They put it in the water, then loaded in concrete blocks for weight. I've got pictures of the process somewhere. He used a picture of the boat floating with him and my uncle standing in it in his sales fliers. If memory serves me correct, the CG mandates at least 8 pound density closed cell foam in all new boats. It is water resistant, but will absorb water over time, but it takes a long time. How your boat will float after swamping depends a lot on how you have it loaded, which is beyond manufacturer control, but, does explain why some boats seem to have wasted storage space. They leave it intentionally to kinda help distribute the weight of the things you might add. Also, there is no wind or waves in the test tank.


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## Fishman2025 (Aug 14, 2009)

I actually swamped my ranger 621 during the 2010 MWC on Lake Erie. I was out 25 miles from sandusky in canadian waters east of pelee island. 

I went up one wave the next wave was 2 close and it went right thru the wave. (4-5 footers)
Was doing about 15mph at the time. 
Boat was as stabil as can be filled and overflowing 8 - 12 inches over transom. 
It took about 30 minutes for the 2 1000gph bilge pumps to finally pump out all water. I ended up with a few stitches from the windsheild shattering. The mercury engine stayed running.

I feel safer now in this boat than I did before it happened knowing what it does full of water.


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## EB1221 (May 24, 2012)

Fishman, do you know what kind of batteries you are using. I was always worried that if I swamped my batteries would not work and I could not even call for help. Pretty impressive that the bilge pumps worked.
EB


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## Fishman2025 (Aug 14, 2009)

I run all interstate batteries. 1 Group 27 (27M--XHD) for motor and 3 group 29 (SRM-29) for trolling motor. Wet cell batteries.

They have a really good amp hour rating for trolling motor lasts all day.


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## Fishman2025 (Aug 14, 2009)

Battery spec sheet.


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## EB1221 (May 24, 2012)

Thanks for the battery info. Fishman.
EB


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