Inner Hull, how to access

[hb todd]

Hello all, I am new. I am the proud owner of an '04 210 Triumph. I am now working on the boat getting a feel for it and have read about the inner hulls filling with water. I would really appreciate it if someone can tell me how they fill up with water and how to drain them properly. Any advice will be sincerely appreciated! Thanks from Surf City-Huntington Beach.

[jebsr50]

Hi todd try the search there's a ton of info on about anything you would like to know. Good boating and good luck... James

[NCangler]

As Jebsr50 mentioned, using the search tool above will reveal many posts about the inner hull. I am not aware of any hull "filling" with water, however. There are some 210 and 190 owners that have reported inner hull water retention and many owners like myself have had their dealers install an inner hull drain just to provide a way for any water that may get into the inner to also drain out of it. Welcome aboard!

[OspreyVic]

hb todd, I also have a 210 CC, year 2005.

As to how water gets into the hull? Well my guess is that wherever there is a hole, water will find its way. We added a number of holes as we mounted “stuff” on our hull, and while we tried to seal the holes, water just seams to find any small opening we left.

Fortunately for us, plastic floats where fiberglass sinks. Our dealer also added an inner hull drain, and sometimes we do get a drop or two out, but never enough to fill a shot glass. Personally, I feel we get more water in the hull from washing the boat than any other way.

[Tallmantwo]

I have always had a question in my mind about the closed cell foam that is used in all boat hulls.
I had an old aluminum boat with the foam between the hull and wooden floor. The boat became very tong heavy, took the flooring out and discovered that the foam was water logged, removed it and the boat was several hundred pounds lighter.

Now you realize that over time the inter hull has to have some water seepage into it from various
sources but does not have the ability to evaporate, because of little air getting into the hull. Some drainage is possible but I wonder how much stays in the foam over time.

I had an inter hull drain installed and get several gallons of water out if I get a lot of splash over or rain, although I try to keep the boat covered.
Over all I LOVE my Triumph 210. CYa Mel

[NCangler]

I actually have some video footage that I shot at the Triumph factory of a test they've done for a couple years on how much water is retained in closed cell foam. It is really interesting as they have different cubes of closed cell foam that have been weighed before submerging in water. They have weights on top of the cubes to completely submerge the cubes in a bucket of water over time. And then they pulled the cubes out of the bucket and reweighed them to see how much water had been retained. It is a small amount that is quickly dissipated when no longer submerged.

It is a very interesting experiment. But as Vic pointed out, any time we drill a hole into the hull there is a chance that water can seep into the inner hull. That is why sealing any intrusion with RULE Elastomeric sealant is a must. And in my opinion, providing a hull drain is just a good way to allow any seepage to get out. When my boat is on the trailer I just open that plug and leave it open till the next trip. All I have ever gotten is a slow drip.


If I can ever get caught up on all the work I've got to do, I'll post that footage and/or add it to the DVD (which is still not done yet! ).

[hb todd]

Thanks for all of the great advice!! I spent the entire day wiring the new gps, radio, and fish finder. I had to drill through the T Top and fish the wires through, not fun but doing things right make you feel better. Not done but I am taking the day of tomorrow to finish the project.

[Swamp_Bear]

I have friends who own Boston Whalers, and this same topic comes up between them. Over the years, any water that finds its way into the sealed, foamed core has no way out and can add considerable weight, canceling some of the bouyancy benefits of the foam.

The inner hull drain provides peace of mind, if nothing else. It could be opened once per year, or after every trip. It's just insurance against the eventual accumulation that can occur over the years.

I have an experience on the flipside: One time I went out, I forgot to close the inner hull drain. You know what happened? Not a thing. I unintentionally verified that closed cell foam doesn't absorb water very rapidly. We traveled at full speed, rose on plane just as fast, and at anchor didn't sit any lower in the water - those pesky rear skuppers were just keeping even like they always do. I didn't even realize my oversight until I pulled the boat trailer up to the prep area. Enough water came out the open drain to fill one tall drinking glass. That's it.

[NCangler]

That is a great story Swamp Bear. That had to give you a lot of confidence in the boat.

[Martin Abshire]

Where are you putting the drain for inner hull drainage? I have a 215 with, seemingly, no problems. A drain would at least let me monitor the issue.

Martin Abshire