I just replace the plastic aft cleats on my 97 26X with some solid stainless ones. When I put the 5” ports to gain access to the back side of the cleats I found the seat backs are only about half full of flotation foam. Has anyone else who has replaced the cleats found lots of space and little foam? Is this normal?
When I installed a forward ballast tank vent the lower bow flotation chamber was fairly full. I did repack the foam in the bow carefully. Then I was able to add approximately an extra cubic foot of foam.
Maybe I am paranoid but the more flotation the better, as long it is balanced and high enough to keep the boat right side up.
I always had a problem with right side up on my Hobie. That is how I got my nick name.
Capt Capsize
2 Things I have to say is:
1. I took all foam out last year sealing off leaks and running wire and some other mods. I can tell you on my that I am not the original owner the foam was stuffed in there tight and all space was filled. I had a hard time geeting it all back in even with 6 access ports that I installed underneath the cockpit on the ceiling of the pizza oven berth. I even adden one on the outside by the stern light to help out.
2. Let me make this perfectly clear I will never ever sail with you or even sail buy you with my wife around. Because if you live up to your name on a and my wife sees it I will have to sell my boat.
Road Soldier, Thanks for the reply. I thought it should be packed with foam, and it will be when I am done. Additionally one of the cleats was installed using drywall anchors . You know the kind that expand at four points when tightened. Due to the dirt and age of the caulking it looks like OEM work to me. My boat must have built on a day when they were low on foam and lock nuts. Fortunately the port side was installed correctly. I love my boat but some the manufacturing details leave a little to be desired.
On another note I have never capsized my Mac, and only heeled to 45 or so degrees. Any more than that she rounds up nicely, but quickly. The Hobie on the other hand, I love to fly the hull, a little to high a little too often .
On mY 2008 26M I found open space in the aft rear top corners only because I guess the large 4"x6" and 6"x8" foam blocks would not fit in their so when I removed them to install my washdown pump & bilge blower I cut the blocks down to a smaller size and reinstalled them in these empty spaces so no floatation was removed
When I put my cockpit locker in I did not have to remove any insulation to fit this in, the pieces were a combination of blocks and flat pieces about 1 inch thick, 8x12 inch rectangles. There was some empty space in the coaming. Im the original owner of the
To some degree, you will have to take the amount of flotation in your boat on faith.
How about you live up to your name and us the trial and error method with heavy on the error by capsizing your while someone video tapes it and puts it on You tube. I promise I will watch it and you can become a movie star LOL. Then guaranteed on this board we keep that post alive for months discussing everything you did from what sail trim you used, to did he or didn't he have ballast full, to how good your floats when flooded. Trust me this would happen here. Instant stardom for you so much so advertisers would want to pay you to put there ads on your video.
I totally agree with Russ on this one but if you capsize your to point it fills with water all the way and get it on video for you tube you will be famous. We have seen still pics around here of the aftermath of this happening but no as it happen videos so trust me when I say you will get a lot of hits on that one. Advetisers will be hunting you down. Now if you want to wait til the water is warmer in your area before doing this I will not think you are a sissy. Having fallen through the ice on the Mississippi River in Minnesota I completely understand. However once the water warm up I expect to see something from you or you should change your cool name to something more fitting a sissy. Yes it can be a rough crowd around here or at least until the real sissy domain Nazis step in.
The 'real sailing board' poo poo flotation hulls, but, in many venues (and almost all the ones I sail in) spring and fall water is deadly, if the boat sinks.
When I brought our Ericson 32 back from Cleveland in May2002, my sailing partner looked at me and said,
" We are surrounded by Hydrochloric acid"
We were the only ones on Lake Erie, 5-10 miles from shore, and if we sank, by the time someone had heard our VHF and reacted, we would have been done.
that I am not the original owner the foam was stuffed in there tight and all space was filled. I had a hard time geeting it all back in even with 6 access ports that I installed underneath the cockpit on the ceiling of the pizza oven berth. I even adden one on the outside by the stern light to help out. 
. You know the kind that expand at four points when tightened. Due to the dirt and age of the caulking it looks like OEM work to me. My boat must have built on a day when they were low on foam and lock nuts. Fortunately the port side was installed correctly. I love my boat but some the manufacturing details leave a little to be desired.
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Having fallen through the ice on the Mississippi River in Minnesota I completely understand. 