Divinycell hull core

[johnseattle]

I am thinking of buying a 1979 fiberglass sailboat with divinycell as the core material in the hull. I have heard of balsa cores and airex but divinycell is new to me. I've googled it but does anyone have any first hand experience either building with it or maintaining it? Is it still in use? Does it hold water if osmosis is occuring? I'm afraid I don't know which variety/weight/density of divinycell was used. Any help much appreciated. Thank you.

[gtod25]

Divinycell closed-cell PVC insulation above the waterline. That would be good enough for me.

Is all of the hull cored or just from the WL up? I would prefer a boat with a solid hull from the WL down.

[CaptainForce]

Divinycell is the best in my opinion. I wish my core was divinycell instead of wood Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[johnseattle]

I'll try to find out if the divinycell starts at the keel or at the WL. It hadn't occurred to me that the core may not go the whole way down but it's an interesting point. Thank you.

[sailingdog]

Divinylcell is a rigid PVC foam and an excellent core material. As pointed out above, it is a closed-cell foam and doesn't absorb water. However, I prefer Airex for below the waterline applications, as it is less likely to result in a hull breach in the case of an impact, being a ductile, shock absorbing foam—rather than a rigid one like Divinylcell.

Divinylcell is better used for decks and cabintops or hull topsides, which are relatively simple curvatures and do not need the impact absorption necessary below the waterline.