Yes that old foam is crap. The new Coosa https://coosacomposites.com/the-coosa-advantage/ and equivalents do not soak up water and are put together under tons of pressure.
From: Della Barba, Joe via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Sent: September-17-21 11:21 AM To: Stus-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: Della Barba, Joe <joe.della.ba...@ssa.gov> Subject: Stus-List Re: [EXTERNAL] Re: Balsa core history Typo Water migrates slowly through end-grain balsa but really tears foam up From: Della Barba, Joe via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 10:18 AM To: Stus-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > Cc: Della Barba, Joe <joe.della.ba...@ssa.gov <mailto:joe.della.ba...@ssa.gov> > Subject: [EXTERNAL] Stus-List Re: Balsa core history Time: I doubt anyone really thought through what balsa core would be like when it was 50-60-70 or more years old. A lot of things can go wrong with a lot of materials when past the half-century mark and headed towards 100.* Bad Builders: Some builders, mostly NOT C&C, were or are infamous for doing things wrong and having issues with relatively new boats. Bad Owners: One unsealed thru-hull can eventually do a lot of damage. * Our club uses Boston Whalers and we go through them. They eventually get saturated and weak, we send them to the dumpster, and get another one. Boston Whaler is a top builder and builds good boats, but decades of having the crap beat out of them eventually does them in, especially if any hull penetrations are not fixed ASAP. My Whaler is 51 years old and is still dry, it has never been a club boat and thus not beat like a rented mule by teenaged instructors. Note that the foam core in Whalers is MUCH WORSE than balsa once it gets wet. Water migrated through end-grain balsa, but it really tear up foam. I once went to put a thru-hull in a foam-core Krogen 42 and I got more than 50 gallons out of the core draining from the hole! That boat was essentially beyond repair, so it essentially got restricted to sheltered waters from then on. Joe Coquina From: Richard Bush via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 9:18 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: cscheaf...@comcast.net <mailto:cscheaf...@comcast.net> ; Richard Bush <bushma...@aol.com <mailto:bushma...@aol.com> > Subject: [EXTERNAL] Stus-List Re: Balsa core history Great info and research; so, how did balsa go from "wonder" material to; "bad stuff don't touch..."?
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