Gaskets required for floor panels?

[Terramar]

I have a 2001 Logic 186 Bay. Pulled the long gray panels off the floor to check for standing water. Discovered some water but the cavities do have drain holes half-way up the sides to prevent too much buildup.

This boat originally had black gaskets under the panels. Early in the boat's life I had to take it to Travis Boating for warranty work since the gaskets were coming out. On my current inspection I found the Travis guys did not put gaskets back in. They simply used tons of clear silicon caulk, not elastomeric. There are remnants of white elastomeric -- from the original assembly I guess. It has hardened.

I suspect I will find the center panel also lacks a gasket.

Questions:
1. Do the later 190 models have the black gaskets?
2. Have some folks had success sealing the panels w/o the gaskets?
3. What about filling the compartments with foam (like Great Stuff) so there's no place for water to stand?

I plan to double the number of screws when I put the panels back down.

Thanks

[unkl jessie]

Terramar,

well, that black material was not gaskets. not sure what it was. I have a 186 (now the 190) and the best thing to do is to get a bunch of elastomeric tubes and a good caulking gun. take up the gaskets, clean out the clear goop, and 'let the good times,err elastomeric flow'. put the gray panels back down and as you said 'put double the number of screws down'.

never have figured out why they built these beauties this way. at least yours has a drain tube. the old 186's don't. and if you don't get'em sealed right, you'll hear and feel the sloshing of water under the panels

good chaulking.

unk

[fishingfool]

terramar, I have a 2001 186 but, mine do not have the drain tubes were yours
done at the factory or did someone put them in? I resealed mine with a ton of
rule and doubled the screws plus I put a four inch access cap at the back of each
panel so I can open them up to check if I'm getting any water. The caps are just
like the round one in the floor to access the bilge.

[Cincinnati]

I've never touched those panels and have no plans to pull them up. Any water that gets in there goes into the bilge on the 190's (mine is a 2002). So I just don't worry about it. And yes, my 2002 has the black gaskets.

[MolarBoater]

My best guess is that that "black" stuff (which I hate) is similar to roof shingle adhesive. Comes in tubes like cualk. I can only guess that it is easier to remove the grey panels from it verses elastomeric.
Pull them up, remove all the black stuff, make sure the drain holes in the wells are clear and big enough for complete drainage then seal them down with elastomeric. Use a countersink and add another screw exactly between the existing ones and seat them with elastomeric.
You'll never have to pull the boards again.