Flotation Chambers

I know I started a thread a long time ago. The topic came up on another site, and I wanted to reference it from this site ! I can't find it.

So I will share it from the Bear Mountain site.

http://buildersforum.bearmountainboats.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4350

Thanks !

Jim

Jim, This showed up in the "trending content" so I looked... the above link does not seem to be working but here's your original post on CTN

Gamma1214 said:

This showed up in the "trending content" so I looked

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I have zero idea why the OP would have been trending. Must be a bug in the algorithm. Jim's original thread was interesting, however. Thanks for locating it. Now this thread may actually trend.

Glenn MacGrady said:

I have zero idea why the OP would have been trending. Must be a bug in the algorithm. Jim's original thread was interesting, however. Thanks for locating it. Now this thread may actually trend.

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Speaking of flotation chambers...

We have a Swift Prospector 13 that we had built without flotation chambers, mainly because I don't like having to think about installing/removing the tank plug. (According to Swift's owner's manual you have to make sure the plug is removed during transport and storage, I'm assuming that's to avoid having a chamber overheat and expand too much in the hot sun.) I'm pretty good at remembering things like that but sometimes during shuttles I'm not the one loading our canoe on a rack and so may not realize the plug hasn't been removed. The canoe could easily be exposed to the hot sun for many hours; plenty of time for the air in the tank to get pretty hot and expand.

Our first canoe showed signs of this happening when I picked it up, although Bill Swift thought it was mostly due to the resin coat schedule they were using early on. He said it's not a problem now and they haven't seen that happen since. Nonetheless, I decided to leave the tanks out on the rebuild. It does have a foam core and I believe the Kevlar/carbon gunnels float so it won't sink. We didn't get around to seeing just how low in the water that canoe will sit without tanks because we got the replacement canoe in November and it got cold shortly after. It'll be one of the first things we check next summer.

I'm planning on gluing in some tie-downs so we can lash in small flotation bags or dry bags that will serve as flotation tanks if we use the canoe on quick water or are out for a multi-day tour. We tend to paddle flat water and stay fairly close to shore or are on small slow-moving streams so retrieving the canoe shouldn't be a problem. One of the big advantages of not having end tanks, especially for small canoes, is there's a lot more room for paddles.

tketcham said:

Speaking of flotation chambers...

We have a Swift Prospector 13 that we had built without flotation chambers, mainly because I don't like having to think about installing/removing the tank plug.

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It's not been an issue for me in the boats I have, but none of them are Swifts, and out here much of the worry is up and down in elevation (4-6K feet isn't uncommon). If you don't have float chambers, you could just carry small end airbags and inflate and use them when you think it might be necessary. You'd need some way of getting them tied in and keeping them in place. When you don't need 'em, deflate and stow them away. Just a thought for an easy "fix," even if you don't do the sort of paddling that might require this. No obligation. Happy paddlin'.

Nick Pending said:

If you don't have float chambers, you could just carry small end airbags and inflate and use them when you think it might be necessary. You'd need some way of getting them tied in and keeping them in place.

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Hi, Nick,

Yup, that's what I was referring to in my post (below). I usually have tie-down patches and lashing straps in my canoes but have gotten lazy about getting them installed. This Prospector 13 will motivate me to get it done. "Now get to work!"

tketcham said:

I'm planning on gluing in some tie-downs so we can strap in small flotation bags or dry bags that will serve as flotation tanks if we use the canoe on quick water or are out for a multi-day tour.

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Sorry, got sidetracked by the phone and missed the bottom paragraph of that post of yours, came back and responded ill-informed. You're on it. Do it. And have fun.

I've never removed the air tank plugs from my composite canoes that have them. Tanks that are filled with foam don't need plugs. Tanks that are hollow might, but some of those plugs have pinholes in the middle to let air pressure suck in and out while still being waterproof. If you can't find those on the market, there are a variety of solid and hollow small rubber plugs available into which you can just drill a very small diameter hole.

This thread may also be informative: