Jethrow
Super Anarchist
Except you would have to put some form of spacer between the "two hulls".
ETAP 21i?
- Thread starter Piginwater
- Start date
cms
Super Anarchist
Neat little boat with loads of cool features and sails well, but unthinkable foam core construction means if any moisture gets in, the whole core steadily turns to mush.
floater
Super Duper Anarchist
maybe, maybe not. depends where. I bolted through with no spacer for new handrails. but other parts of the overhead, I think yes, you might.
floater
Super Duper Anarchist
LeoV
Super Anarchist
Extremely rare to have moist foam problems on an Etap.
cms
Super Anarchist
Rare but not unheard of on late models, rampant in early ones ... The use of expanded foam is NEVER structurally good sense on a seagoing vessel.
billy backstay
Backstay, never bought a suit, never went to Vegas
floater
Super Duper Anarchist
for sure it's closed cell foam on the Etap. but I agree that it shouldn't be structural - after all, its not really bonded and cured to the skins. so it's not structural. For the most part, my Etap (an '86 30), does not have structural foam (the keel grid structure is filled with foam - I think - but heaven forbid that be structural lol). instead, its just big "tanks" of foam. that is, where you would expect big storage bins (like beneath the V-berth or under the cockpit sole - there are big blocks of foam (however, note that this is still hidden from view by a fully gel-coated skin). so all foam is hidden from view. even prying eyes, within virtually the entire boat.
the good: it insulates. its a very dry boat below in terms of low condensation and temperature is moderated and yeah - you also won't sink (in theory ;-). the bad: you end up with a lot less storage, still. I seem to have enough. the ugly: it does trap water from deck leaks in odd places and the double-skinned overhead makes tracking down those leaks next-to-impossible. However, there is no foam between the overhead skins that I am aware of. the idea is that if the boat is holed - or a seacock compromised - you will still be able to sail the boat and inhabit the interior. crazy shit. really. and my boat is not especially tender. it does just fine in SF bay.
the good: it insulates. its a very dry boat below in terms of low condensation and temperature is moderated and yeah - you also won't sink (in theory ;-). the bad: you end up with a lot less storage, still. I seem to have enough. the ugly: it does trap water from deck leaks in odd places and the double-skinned overhead makes tracking down those leaks next-to-impossible. However, there is no foam between the overhead skins that I am aware of. the idea is that if the boat is holed - or a seacock compromised - you will still be able to sail the boat and inhabit the interior. crazy shit. really. and my boat is not especially tender. it does just fine in SF bay.
Last edited:
LeoV
Super Anarchist
Etap changed from foam filled gun type of process to placing foam blocks, way before the 23i. Due to water absorption of that system.
Some kind of foam that was and still is used in a lot of boats structural to form a sandwich. But lightweight version of it.. no water absorption problems any more.
Some kind of foam that was and still is used in a lot of boats structural to form a sandwich. But lightweight version of it.. no water absorption problems any more.
37s definately has foam in the overhead / deck. 120mm from memory.
floater
Super Duper Anarchist
I can see how that would be nice from an insulation pov. but it has nothing to do with the 'unsinkability' of the Etap, as that must be placed below or near the waterline to be effective. so any foam in the overhead a completely different story. maybe you are just thinking foam cored deck. which is true.
lots of people seem to like these boats. and mine sails well. and has a nice interior (and all sorts of other great things like a gas well, chain locker, lovely Selden spar, and even a windlass hidden beneath a deck hatch). but I find the all the foam a bit of an odd choice - until I don't. I guess. lol.
billy backstay
Backstay, never bought a suit, never went to Vegas
That's nearly 5 inches in our Seppo Yankee measuring, and sounds unnecessarily, excessively thick, no? Most of our older homes, pre-1960, don't have that much insulation in our exterior walls!
.
Last edited:
I agree it adds little towards unsinkability (except in extremis I guess). I'm also unsure how structural it is, again from memory it seemed well bonded to the deck, but not to the inner lining. I replaced a vent and needed to tighten cleats up forward, so had a good look at that area.
Insulation properties were excellent, so perhaps that's the reason. We had conditions from ice on the deck to 40 plus degrees and found it comfortable below in all of it. For a certain measure of comfortable at least...
