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Author Topic:   How much weight can a Whaler gain?

OMCrobert posted 10-11-2013 09:19 PM ET (US)
We always hear stories about waterlogged whalers. How much water can the foam really hold? How much weight can they gain. I am looking at a $200 17 whaler and the owners says it is water logged. Water is 8 lbs per gallon. I can image the foam hold 10+ gallons of water.
Has anyone weighed a suspected waterlogged hull?
jimp posted 10-11-2013 10:14 PM ET (US)
Yup.
Lots of info on waterlogged Whalers.
See Cetacea Page 67 about my waterlogged Squall. Supposed to weigh 125-130 pounds, but when I got mine in 2002 she weighted 484 pounds!
She's been drying in the garage since then, down to just over 200 pounds now.
Find Tom W Clark's "Chainsaw Whaler" thread.
JimP
jimh posted 10-12-2013 09:30 AM ET (US)
I have a few pieces of Chainsaw Whaler that Tom sent me. They are bone dry now.
OMCrobert posted 10-12-2013 09:58 AM ET (US)
I am shocked that 40+ gallons of water can find inside a 9ft whaler Squall.
OMCrobert posted 10-12-2013 10:08 AM ET (US)
Chainsaw Whaler from Mr. Clark answered any questions I had. Very indepth. I was shocked by the amount of water the foam and absorb.
Was there any determination that early foam was open cell?
contender posted 10-12-2013 12:05 PM ET (US)
The foam becomes a sponge like a cars oil filter, and it holds more water than you think, and the problem with the whaler (to do it correctly) you can not get the water out unless you take the wet foam out, I for one are not a fan of a water logged whaler at any price...
Jeff posted 10-12-2013 10:47 PM ET (US)
The foam in a Whaler does not absorb water. It holds water that has been forced into and through it's cells by osmotic pressure. There is a big difference.
Judging the amount of water in a hull by weighing it is an imperfect science. That is unless you knew what that hull EXACTLY weighed when is roll off the line at the factory. Whaler openly admits that their published weights where an averaged guess because no two boats ever left the factory weighing exactly the same. Some hulls could have varied greatly from the published weights right off the factory floor.
Also, I would be willing to bet good money there is not a classic Whaler out there that has seen use on the water which would not show elevated moistures readings on a moisture meter.
I personally do not weigh hulls nor use a moisture meter. I would float the hull and see where the waterline falls. If it does not seem to be sitting low or off level, I would not worry too much about it. Especially for $200.
martyn1075 posted 10-13-2013 04:07 PM ET (US)
Can a Whaler at any age that has no bottom protection exposed to sitting in the water for several months attract water into its foam and therefore make the boat heavier?
Martyn
contender posted 10-13-2013 05:04 PM ET (US)
Bottom protection is not the problem, a hole in the fiberglass where the water can get in is the problem. Jeff is correct in a way, the whaler foam does not take in water as a sponge, but once the water is in the foam you can not get it out, I was stating that the foam of a whaler holds more water than you think, and there are just to many whalers out there to be dealing with one that has water in the hull...to each his own
Chuck Tribolet posted 10-15-2013 09:22 AM ET (US)
And a car's oil filter is not a sponge, it's a piece of paper.
Chuck

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Author	Topic: How much weight can a Whaler gain?
OMCrobert	posted 10-11-2013 09:19 PM ET (US) We always hear stories about waterlogged whalers. How much water can the foam really hold? How much weight can they gain. I am looking at a $200 17 whaler and the owners says it is water logged. Water is 8 lbs per gallon. I can image the foam hold 10+ gallons of water. Has anyone weighed a suspected waterlogged hull?
jimp	posted 10-11-2013 10:14 PM ET (US) Yup. Lots of info on waterlogged Whalers. See Cetacea Page 67 about my waterlogged Squall. Supposed to weigh 125-130 pounds, but when I got mine in 2002 she weighted 484 pounds! She's been drying in the garage since then, down to just over 200 pounds now. Find Tom W Clark's "Chainsaw Whaler" thread. JimP
jimh	posted 10-12-2013 09:30 AM ET (US) I have a few pieces of Chainsaw Whaler that Tom sent me. They are bone dry now.
OMCrobert	posted 10-12-2013 09:58 AM ET (US) I am shocked that 40+ gallons of water can find inside a 9ft whaler Squall.
OMCrobert	posted 10-12-2013 10:08 AM ET (US) Chainsaw Whaler from Mr. Clark answered any questions I had. Very indepth. I was shocked by the amount of water the foam and absorb. Was there any determination that early foam was open cell?
contender	posted 10-12-2013 12:05 PM ET (US) The foam becomes a sponge like a cars oil filter, and it holds more water than you think, and the problem with the whaler (to do it correctly) you can not get the water out unless you take the wet foam out, I for one are not a fan of a water logged whaler at any price...
Jeff	posted 10-12-2013 10:47 PM ET (US) The foam in a Whaler does not absorb water. It holds water that has been forced into and through it's cells by osmotic pressure. There is a big difference. Judging the amount of water in a hull by weighing it is an imperfect science. That is unless you knew what that hull EXACTLY weighed when is roll off the line at the factory. Whaler openly admits that their published weights where an averaged guess because no two boats ever left the factory weighing exactly the same. Some hulls could have varied greatly from the published weights right off the factory floor. Also, I would be willing to bet good money there is not a classic Whaler out there that has seen use on the water which would not show elevated moistures readings on a moisture meter. I personally do not weigh hulls nor use a moisture meter. I would float the hull and see where the waterline falls. If it does not seem to be sitting low or off level, I would not worry too much about it. Especially for $200.
martyn1075	posted 10-13-2013 04:07 PM ET (US) Can a Whaler at any age that has no bottom protection exposed to sitting in the water for several months attract water into its foam and therefore make the boat heavier? Martyn
contender	posted 10-13-2013 05:04 PM ET (US) Bottom protection is not the problem, a hole in the fiberglass where the water can get in is the problem. Jeff is correct in a way, the whaler foam does not take in water as a sponge, but once the water is in the foam you can not get it out, I was stating that the foam of a whaler holds more water than you think, and there are just to many whalers out there to be dealing with one that has water in the hull...to each his own
Chuck Tribolet	posted 10-15-2013 09:22 AM ET (US) And a car's oil filter is not a sponge, it's a piece of paper. Chuck