🧱 17. The Truth About Core Materials (Foam & Balsa)
🗣️ The Myth: "The hull has a closed-cell foam core, so it cannot absorb water like balsa does."
⚙️ The Technical Reality:
Both foam (like Divinycell) and balsa are used in sandwich construction for stiffness. While balsa literally rots to compost when wet, foam cores are highly vulnerable too. Foam blocks are scored (cut into grids) so they can bend to the hull's shape.
⚠️ The Hidden Risks:
If water enters through poorly bedded hardware or thru-hulls, it travels rapidly through the scored channels (kerfs) of the foam. In winter, this trapped water freezes, violently shearing the fiberglass from the core (delamination). The hull loses its rigidity completely. If the core is balsa, the water turns the wood into a black mush.
🔬 The Evidence Method (NDT & Analys):
We utilize ultrasonic testing and thermographic scanning to analyze core density and locate internal fluid and delamination inside the sandwich matrix without drilling a single hole.
⚖️ The Chairman's Verdict:
The core material dictates the vessel's survival. We never accept assumptions or broker promises about the structural sandwich matrix.
➡️ Verify your hull's structural integrity: