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I'm building a 14' ply yellowtail sailboat and the plans call for sealed sections filled with "buoyancy material".
The plans don't elaborate as to what material should be used.
1. Is this really necessary?
2. What stuff can I use?
3. Would polystyrene packaging do?
Cheers in advance,
Watnee:)
You may find this article useful
Buoyancy – Is “Low Density Polyethelyene” right for you?
Polystyrene is fine, but best to use Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), rather than the more common Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).
Most packing materials are EPS. So OK if it is a dense one, not the one that looks like beads glued together.
Whatever you do DO NOT use the liquid, mix-together Polyurethane foam that is designed to fill cavities, as this defintely does absorb water and break down over time.
Personal experience...sadly.
EVA foam is also OK, like the stuff pool noodles are made of. This is also cheap, if using pool noodles, as they are often for sale in packs of three or four for a few dollars each. Cut a few in half lengthwise to fill the gaps.
Judging by their use as pool toys, a single 4' pool noodle supports around 80-100kg.