Using floatation foam to keep a dingy inflated

I've got a small problem with an 'De-flatable' dingy holding air and as possible solution, I've come up with an idea to inject or have floatation foam injected into the damm thing.

Question. Has anyone heard of this being done before.

I figure I've got one shot at getting it right as far as getting the foam into the air chambers before it expands and hardens.


Thanks
Phillip
joe.merchant@eudoramail.com

 

Structurally strong enough foam will be at least 6 lb/cu.ft. . It will add a lot of weigh to the dinghy. Also it will become loose with age; foam collapses with impacts. It should float though.

 

Dont do it! The chances of filling the tubes evenly are nil. Try using expanded polystyrene beads instead(the type that is used for bean bags or cavity insulation in houses) I have successfully used these in the nose section of a Rib. Getting them packed in is a bit tricky, but heres the system; remove the valve, and deflate the tube completely with a vacuum cleaner.Put the beads in a polythene bag and sellotape a short length of pipe to the neck of the bag ,sealing the bag around it.
Put a filter over the nozzle of the vacuum (I used a scrap of nylon stocking) then put both the pipe from the bean bag and the nozzle of the vacuum into the valve hole and seal it all up using sticky tape. turn the vacuum on and if you're lucky it takes just a few seconds to pack the beads into the tube.
Use the nylon stocking to cover the inside of the valve and replace.

I hope you can understand all this, it does work and it is cheap. A tube of repair glue and a patch is a better option IMHO!