soft flooring

[C&R]

1986 18' open bow f&s; 2nd owner last 12+ yrs; floor has a soft spot in middle of floor just behind the front seats. Hasn't taken the boat out of service yet... Can't tell how extensive rot is without ripping it all up. I'm handy and up for the challenge. Would like to get an expert to quote it before I take it on. any recommendations for expert repair is appreciated. Might be worth having boat back on the water before I can. I've been researching replacement but am open to tips, suggestions, comments, etc.. I'll check stringers and use marine plywood,stainless screws & fiberglass/resin. Questions: How thick plywood & who carries it? Would CDX work? Any comments on floatation foam? Any good options besides carpeting? I Plan on keeping boat for awhile. Thanks in advance.

[Has Been]

I have a 16 alum bass boat . It had soft spot in the floor so I ripped up tthe carpet & used a piece of Press Treated ply 3/4"left over from a job and put the carpet back down . Cheap & it worked. Water on wood no good.

[FSNmachine]

I had to fix my gas tank. The aluminum tank split along a weld. I replaced the floor with 3/4 " plywood and a coat of fiberglass to seal it all up. As a bonus i got a hold of some vinyl and got rid of the carpet which is no good for fishing. And the one piece of vinyl wraps up the sides of the boat so any water has no place to go except the bilge unlike the carpet that would soak through to the floor.

[C&R]

If I'm lucky its just one section of plywood like in FSN's picture that needs replacing. I'm assuming non-slip marine vinyl with waterproof glue was used.

[FSNmachine]

If I'm lucky its just one section of plywood like in FSN's picture that needs replacing. I'm assuming non-slip marine vinyl with waterproof glue was used.

Yes waterproof glue and non slip dot vinyl flooring. You ar pulling your floor for a different reason than I but you can likely use the same method. Set your skill saw to the depth of the plywood and cut a hole in the area that is bad. I made multiple cuts till the extent of the tank was exposed. In your case to the extent of the bad stringer. Hopefully its limited to an area that was getting or staying wet and not too extensive.

[ray koziatek]

just redid my 22 ftr the crap floor from cabelas (new)) is like paper, i recived some color not listed on site beigh not blue ,,,bottom line go to overtons and get the good stuff...

marine plywood is not that much more than treated go for it.

home depot 15.00- 50 alum rivets,,,,

Do It Best stores---same brand of rivets 7.99 for 50 and the do it best store was the ONLY place i could find the 5/8 reach rivets needed for 1/2 in ply.

[snyder]

Bristol Valley Hardwoods sells marine fir plywood. 1/2" is about $78 a sheet. http://www.bristolvalley.com/catalog.asp?prodid=296585 You would be safe just replacing it with whatever thickness is already there.

Is your boat aluminum or fiberglass? If its aluminum than your stringers will be aluminum also. I doubt you'll need to deal with the flotation foam unless you have to do some stringer repair. A great place to buy fiberglass supplies is Mertons.com. Good Luck

[Has Been]

Saw a3/4 " 4x8 sheet of Azek on the job. 100 % PVC. wonder if that would work. Got to be somthing better than wood. All kinds of composite decking out there , some 100% PVC. Water on wood no good Marine ply or not.Sounds like floors only last about 15 years or so by past posts when exposed . Got to be a better way.

[ray koziatek]

I did use the treated 1/2" dispite the chemical reaction that supposed to happen the boat is 23 yrs old and the new floor should do well enuf for me .

now that ive done it once its only a 2 day job ..but i did let the whole area breath for a week before installing new floor. Yea HB i thought about other material too ,crap there is a plastic mfg co just 20 miles down the road never thought of them till just now. In helocopters they use a honeycomb aluminum for floors really light and that stuff was tuff as nails crips the span was at least 30 in between ribs and it held jeeps weight hmmmmm where is the nearest airfield im shure they use the same floor in transport planes...any one know anyone in Cherry Point N.C. where they referbish a/c ??

[C&R]

Its a fiberglass boat. I appreciate all of your comments. I'll be taking a look this weekend to see how extensive the rot is. Does anyone know if there is anything out there like the truck bedliner stuff that can be applied instead of vinyl??

[snyder]

C&R,

You can mix cabosil with your gelcoat and roll it on your floor will give a nice non-slip surface. Its cheap too...A gal of air dry gelcoat with wax added is probably around $60, then add tint to make the color you want and cabosil to thicken it up. A gallon of gelcoat goes a long way.