Have question on replacing original floor

[FLChris]

Hi Guys, I am new to the forum and I have some question maybe you guys can help me out on restoring my Aqua sport. I have a 1977 17ft Center Console Aqua sport with a 01 70hp Johnson two stroke.( Love the Boat) The Boat starting to need some work like the floor need to be replace, do that it is the original floor.  I have shop around for quotes for the floor to be replaced, but little out my budget right now, so I will just do it myself. My question is

•What should I use Marine Plywood or Starboard?
•Should I fiberglass the floor or Other opinion out there?
•And second can you fiberglass Starboard?

Thank very much

[Capt. Bob]

Welcome aboard Chris.

I don't think much sticks to starboard so that probably includes glass.
You'll receive a multitude of suggestions on the proper material to use. If it can be used for flooring, someone here has.

As usual, your post is worthless without pics

Good luck.

[RickK]

Welcome aboard FLChris  :!:  :!:
Ditto on what CB said.  There are several options on the decking but Starboard is not one of the them - at least not that I've heard - would definitely be heavy if you could find a solid sheet to do it in.  Would be mega bucks too.
I am getting a soft spot in my 170 floor too so I'll be digging in out in the near future also.  It'll be a full redo for me though (I think).

[LilRichard]

For the floor, I would recommend Marine Ply, Coosa or Nidacore.  Nidacore and Cossa will require you to either use backer bolts on anything bolted down to the floor, or you will have to overdrill all holes and backfill with resin mix.

I used wood for my first rebuild because it is more forgiving - but composites are a good choice too.

[FLChris]

Thank u for the information. What brand of paint would be recommend for the floor? I know there different brand and quality out there.

[dbiscayne]

good advice all around, for the paint most 2 part marine paints hold up well, you'll need to do a coat with some non-skid mixed in too.  Or you could coat the deck in something like Kiwi grip, a little more $ but gives you a really tough non-skid surface.  Prep is where the real work is, skimp there & nothings gonna last.

I've used regular exterior grade plywood for decks in the past, this is just what I use & was told to me by wooden boat maker - give the wood 1 coat of thinned resin making sure the edges get coated well, then 1 coat of straight resin, & 2 layers of 1208 or 1708 glass on top, no glass on the bottom side at all.  If you have to drill any screw holes in the deck be sure & seal them up with something like 5200 when you put the screws in.  Still have a boat I did like this in 1994 with 5/8" exterior grade plywood, just cut a hatch opening in the deck last year & the wood looked great, everythings still solid.  Much cheaper than some other alternatives.  Shop around & you can find epoxy resin for about as much $$ as polyester blends and it's a much better product expecially for waterproofing wood.  I've been getting mine from Glue Products in west palm beach, pay $39 for a gallon kit.

[gran398]

Dbisc, you were given good advice by the old-timer. Bunch of folk believe, myself included, that breathability is better than full encapsulation. That is, to leave the bottom unsealed.

Might have some swellage, delamination on the plywood, but to me is better than rot. When you seal it up completely, then put a few screws in....forget the 5200, the water is getting in, especially on the aft deck where one side or the other will always hold a bit of water. But then the moisture is held in from the bottom. no dry-out. Heavy rot, quick rot.  Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

I'd rather go natural on the underside, when using marine ply, or any other type of wood-derived deck material. Let the moisture have a place to go, with seepage and gravity, let it dry out.  JMHO.

Dbisc, good post.

[Circle Hooked]

For me,weight would be an issue,i did a floor in my 14ft boat with the nidacore,besides filling mounting holes with resen,which is a pain,it weighs half of what wood does and should last forever,come up to Fiberglass Services in Sarasota they will steer you right.

[dbiscayne]

it is heavier no doubt, on a really small boat i'll agree with ya you're not using that much decking & the boat is affected more by the weight difference.
when I used the wood I did consider lighter alternatives but in the long run, with a 20 to 23 foot boat, the weight savings were only about 150 lbs - like having the skinny kid on the boat all the time.  But the $$ difference is pretty big, got myself a few nice reels to go with my heavy boat instead  

my old 19-1 had 3/8 ply for the decking, seemed to work pretty good for 30+ years.

[Capt. Bob]

See what you started Chris,
And it ain't over yet.

I doubt, like Rick said, you'll get any recommendations on the use of Starboard.

Good luck with whatever you choose and post up pics with your progress.

[FLChris]

OK. Thank you. I will go with plywood to save a little money.

The plan
1. Cut away floor 1" away from side.  Or should i go a little longer?
2. Fiberglass and Lay floor
3. Maybe a custom maded Bait Well molded in console
4. Paint floor and interior of boat
5. Put new leaning Post in

Q: Where is the best place to get a basic custom leaning post with rods holder frame maded (24H 34W 16D)? I try a place in the cape but just want to much money for it.
 

Will have pic shorty Before and After

[dbiscayne]

whatever you've got left of the old deck (1"?) will need to have the gelcoat removed so the new glass will stick to something solid.  I cut along the sides of mine with a circular saw, with the narrower side of the blade guard right up against the side of the boat, seemed to leave about an inch of the old deck there.  Be sure not to cut too deep or you'll be fixing the outer stringers.
Don't expect whats left to support your new deck, let the outer stringer take the weight.
You'll have to shim the new deck up to get it to the right height so it lines up with whats left of the remaining 1", in my boat the factory used a light weight grout like stuff but theres better options out there.  I set my deck about 1/8" higher than what was left so now there's a little drain trough running along the sides, opposite of how it was originally done with a raised edge.

On the plywood, knock down the sharp edges before the resin goes on, a sander at 45 degrees is good enough.

[slvrlng]

I would cut it back about 2 inches rather than the 1inch. If the wood is okay then you will have a much sturdier base to lay the new on. This is an attachment to limit the depth on a small grinder which I like for this job. A circular saw can be tough to get close and this thing really helps. I am going with coosa on mine 1/2" 26. The 26 comes from the weight, a cubic foot weighs 26 lbs. A cubic foot of wood weighs 40. Like Capt Bob says a pic is really helpful!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=45921

[rmcjr]

Here's how I would do my 170 when the time comes....
uncap the deck from the hull and flip the deck over and cut out all the plywood and reglass marine plywood to the underside of the floor and totally encapsulate it with fiberglass.  Use 4 inch square blocks of plywood (it will lay down better with no voids).
This way you're able to keep the original nonskid finish and won't have to paint.  Plus, you'll be able to inspect your stringers for possible reinforcement if needed.
I did a V20 Wellcraft this way and it worked out great.
This is standard manufacturing procedures on any boat with plywood underneath.