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Water logged Edgewater 155 strategies

Nucad

Regular Contributor
Hello, I have a 1999 Edgewater 155. It is a center console design, heavily built overall. I have a 90 HP Tohatsu direct injection 2 stroke on it, and with 2 adults it struggles to reach a plane.. I believe it is water logged, as the motor seems to be operating very well and pulls to 5300RPM once it gets up on plane. Is it straighforward to remove the foam on an old boat? If I separate the top section from the bottom does the foam come out easily, or is it sticking to the hull in many spots? If the foam is water logged, would it be ok to just put a pump in it's place? I am on a Lake rather than the ocean.

Tia.
 
If I separate the top section from the bottom does the foam come out easily, or is it sticking to the hull in many spots?

Ayuh,..... It depends,..... If it's of traditional stringer, 'n bulkhead design, ya the foam can be removed, though it's never Easy,.....

If it's built like a Boston Whaler, No, the foam is a big part of the hull's Structure,.....

What's the rated Wot rpms,..??
Simplest answer is to try the next smaller pitched prop to get on plane easier,....
 
Ayuh,..... It depends,..... If it's of traditional stringer, 'n bulkhead design, ya the foam can be removed, though it's never Easy,.....

If it's built like a Boston Whaler, No, the foam is a big part of the hull's Structure,.....

What's the rated Wot rpms,..??
Simplest answer is to try the next smaller pitched prop to get on plane easier,....

Thanks for the reply. I believe it is built like a Whaler as Edgewater was founded by ex Whaler employees. It is close to max RPM for the Tohatsu when wide open.
 
The foam is sticky and bonds to almost anything it touches. If there is someplace you can drill into the foam, especially straight down, after drilling if the foam is waterlogged, water will start to collect in the bottom of the hole.
 
1999 Edgewater 155...center console ... 90 HP Tohatsu direct injection 2 stroke on it, and with 2 adults it struggles to reach a plane.. I believe it is water logged, as the motor seems to be operating very well and pulls to 5300RPM once it gets up on plane. Is it straighforward to remove the foam on an old boat? ...If the foam is water logged, would it be ok to just put a pump in it's place?

Hull flotation foam is USCG required and it must be present in the boat, so you can't remove it and just have a bilge pump.

The specs for your boat shows it weighs 800lbs and a max 90HP outboard. Has the boat sat in water all it's life? If it's a trailered boat it seems odd the foam would be water logged unless there is a flaw somewhere.

Removing foam is NOT easy.....it can be done but it's not a quick project. I've done it and it required tearing out the floor. It is truly amazing how much a small block of saturated foam weighs compared to dry foam. As Bondo said, if it's part of the full structure you really can't change this.

It looks like you're in the operating range on the engine. According to Tohatsu a 90HP DI engine max RPM range is 5,150-5,850. However, your max RPM is 550 below the top rating for the engine which means you have some room to work with changing props. What is the pitch of prop you have now? Typically each 1" of prop pitch change will give you a 200RPM difference. So, lets say you have a 21P prop and you drop down to a 19P which should make your WOT RPM increase by 400 to roughly 5,700. The lower pitch prop will give you better accleration and quicker planing times too but you'll stay below the max RPM rating.

I would suggest trying a prop that has 2" lower pitch than your current prop. Do this, take the boat for a good test run, and report back here. My guess is you'll have a happier boating experience.
 
Boat has sat in the water since 1999. I phoned Edgewater and they said there was a problem with the drain on the front bait well leaking into the hull. Looks like a very big job to tear this boat apart. I'm tapped out with boat projects at the moment, so it will get farmed out if I keep this boat. At this point; I'd prefer to find an aluminum boat that will take the Tohatsu. Happy with this motor. 800 pounds?? I bet mine weighs a couple of thousand. Not sure of my pitch on the prop, but it will probably pull to 5400 or so if I wind it out.
 
Going to take it to an Edgewater dealer on the lake next week. They said over the phone that one solution might be to cut some holes in the boat and "hang it" for four months to drain out the water. Four months is our boating season in Canada, then we get the Freeze.
 
So Edgewater admits there was a design flaw? Is there any chance they'll help you out with this repair? i know it's a longshot, but if they say they had a problem you might get lucky and and they'll stand behind their product....even one that's 19 years old. My Ranger bass boat is a 1997 and has a lifetime structural warranty on the hull so there are some manufactures that will cover old models.

I don't really think hanging the boat for 4 months will dry out the foam completely. This is a closed cell material and once it gets wet it's pretty hard to remove the water. Just about the only tried and true method is to take out the floor, rip out the foam, pour new 2-part poly urethane foam, and install/fiberglass a new floor.

The 2nd best option that might possibly work will be tricky. After the boating season ends you'll need a heated garage for the boat all winter. Cut holes in the deck in the front and back. Next tilt the trailer up as nose-high as you can get it and find some way to drill a hole in either the stringer or transom as a drain point. Let the boat drain for a couple months. Now set up a dehumidifier (maybe a 2 or 3) to dry out the foam. You'll need to rig up a duct/pipe/etc. so the dehumidifier(s) only take in air from under the deck from the holes in the back and the holes in the front will be to let air draw in.

Let the dehumidifiers run for about 4 or 5 months then repair and reseal the holes that you cut and drilled. Oh, and also be sure to repair the flaw in the bait well.

Option 2 is just a suggestion and I have no experience to say it will even work. This is just a guess so take it for what it's worth. I'd first see if Edgewater will help you out. If not, you need to evaluate your options.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. 4 months heating a garage in Canada is a few thousand in heat unfortunately.Hopefully the dealer has a suggestion that is workable. Would you actually have to cut the deck off the boat to remove the foam? not sure how the top and bottom are joined under that rubber strip that runs around the boat.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. 4 months heating a garage in Canada is a few thousand in heat unfortunately.Hopefully the dealer has a suggestion that is workable. Would you actually have to cut the deck off the boat to remove the foam? not sure how the top and bottom are joined under that rubber strip that runs around the boat.
Usually under the rub rail there are aluminum rivets that hold the top and bottom sections together. These can be drilled out and, depending on how the boat is constructed, you can separate the top and bottom.

Just looked an image of your model of boat. It's possible the floor and upper deck are all one molded piece. If that's the case it may be possible to drill out the rivets and separate the top to reveal the stringers and foam. You'll have to let the Edgewater dealer fill you in on those details, but I would guess there may have been some kind of adhesive used in the stringers to bond the floor down.
 
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