preventing soft hulls

there's lots of talk about soft hulls and repair options. i have a very old h16 that somehow has survuved all these years without any observalbe hull softening. this is purely by chance. i'm curious what needs to be done to prevent hulls from getting soft? any advice?

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getaway on long beach island, nj

Don't dance on the hulls. Most soft spots are the result of compressing the top (outside) layer of fiberglass against the foam sandwich material which in turn compresses the foam into a deformed shape. The fiberglass usually returns to its original position where the foam doesn't, thus the soft spot. On a 16 it usually happens on the fore deck, where on an 18 it is where the skipper normally sits (and bounces up & down). If you were to abruptly jump on the deck or hit it with a heavy object you could crack the inside layer of fiberglass and the foam making you think you have a delam, when you don't. I've seen this first hand, but to confirm this you need to be able to access the inside of the hull to visually check it.

1) Do what Rick says.

2) Keep the boat out of the sun when not in use.

3) Keep the boat out of the weather in the winter.

I would second all of what Rick had to say and add the following:

Do your best to be sure that you leave the hulls open after sailing to allow the moisture trapped inside to evaporate out.

If your boat does not have ports, i would add them.
(However, there are some that would disagree with that advice)

If you leave water in the hulls, it tends to wick into the foam sandwich and if you are in a climate where there are freeze/thaw cycles, that will break down the foam and compromise the integreity and strength of the whole thing. As has been noted before, it tends to manifest itself in the areas that get loaded with weight on a regular basis.

If you live in a warm climate the hulls get hot, the water vaporizes and then if the hull is sealed, the increasing temperature builds pressure within the hull, and that has a tendancy to "force" moisture into the foam sandwich area's, not only weakening the boat, also the foam's tendancy to absorb moisture can cause the boat to "gain weight" over the years.

Here in Colorado, we have seen boats that have absorbed water over the years in more humid climates actually "lose weight" when stored and cared for properly, because of our arid, low humidity climate.

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If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, maybe it is time to water your own lawn.