Do most old boats needs new floors?

[Zero Balance]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

Here is my big question the people ho say there floors are rock solid is why?
Was your boats kept dry, is the floor you have something other than wood.

I'd say a combination of both. I run a 35 year old Slickcraft. (Pre-Tiara) it was and still is a solidly built boat with 3/4" ply covered by gelcoat and a non skid finish. Never had carpet, never will. It's been stored indoors during the winter and covered between use through the spring, summer and fall. When I probed the structure during a pre purchase inspection I was amazed at what good shape the wood structure was in. Even a boat that was constructed with the best materials and workmanship can fall prey to neglect and ignorance. I've scavanged parts from other slicks that have gone this route and all I can think while pulling donor parts is that it's ashamed to see a boat go to it's demise this way. Now gimme that Teak!!!!

 

[rbryant1492_mfb]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

What gets me is the simple things people can do to keep their boats up they just dont do.
1) Dont put it under a tree to store it leaves in a boat = rot
2) Tilt the boat to drain any water
3) A cheap tarp is beter than a new floor

 

[dingbat]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

Here is my big question the people ho say there floors are rock solid is why?
Was your boats kept dry, is the floor you have something other than wood.

My boats been moored it's entire life and the floor is still rock solid as will be for the foreseeable future. The boat is built with a hand laid one piece fiberglass liner which is then fitted inside the hull. What that means is that my deck structure os completly encapsulated in fiberglass so I never have to worry about rotten floors no matter what the exposure

The only issue you hear about from time to time are the gas tank access panels. On the older models they used laminated wood access hatches. If you where not careful and your hatch seams leaked you could end up with a soft hatch after an extened period of time. That design was changed a few years back and that’s no longer a problem.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

I have had both boats that needed new floors and several that have survived the years with no problems. My Renken was stored out in the open by it's original owner with no real care,no tarp, no cover and the floors are fine. They do appear to be very well encapsulated in glass and there are no open edges to soak up water. I keep it covered and tilted way back. It's 24 years old.
I have two that I am in the process of doing now, one needs just a transom, the other both the floors and transom are gone. On both of those I can see how and why they rotted, both have a very poor design which funnels all water from the gunwales down into the hull and inside the transom. That flaw will be fixed when I am done. I have one boat that was stored all it's life in a boat house, in fact it rarely every got used, but it's floors rotted. I suspect that the bilge was always wet. The last owner paid a marina to redo the stringers and floor, it's an I/O and the transom was and still is fine.
I think once the bilge and wood get wet, the mold and fungus start to go to work. On my Renken, there is no way other than if the bilge was to fill for the underside of the floors to get wet, and the distance from the floor to the bottom of the bilge is over a foot, so it would take a lot of water to really soak the bottom of the floors.

 

[rbryant1492_mfb]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

My new floor is about to go in this weekend... yeah me...

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

Interesting that the Poll is almost even. Red is definately catching up.
Makes one wonder about the rest of the world, that is not on this Forum, and the shape of their boats. It looks like lots of projects or sales this winter.

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

I run a bunch of old "rat boats" two of which have experiences to demonstrate some points here.

My oldest is in very good shape, it is a 1959 "Sabrecraft", that is a near 'virgin' and still looks like it did in 1960. The floors are solid, and I have had to glass a few small areas in the deck inside the boat where some stress cracks developed, and I just fixed the keel for the first time since the boat was new, (where my kids pulled it up on the beach n' wore a hole in the gel coat). I bought it from an Eastern Washington farmer, (very dry over there) who kept it in his barn when not using it. The 1969 Merc 1000 short shaft is soooooo clean it looks brand new. I bought it in the mid to late 1990s and have always stored it under a tarp with the bow tilted up to allow the water to run out, as it rains on this side of the Cascades nearly all the time.

My next is a 1961 "Superior Plastics" that has been totally fixed, (new transom n floor in 1986 before I bought it), I had to fix the keel three times since then, and had some rot in an area on the inclosed motor well I just fixed again last year when I fixed the keel the last time. This boat has been moored in the Lake where I own property nearly every year since 1986 from early May to October and used HARD all the time. I stor it under a tarp with the bow high so she drains. She was very overpowered with a 1250 short shaft (that actually broke the transom and keel requiring the initial major repair when I bought it), and have used it alot from 1986 on and now has a Merc 1000 short that I just stuck on her, as my son held the ol' 1250 at WOT too long when he was hot roddin' in cold water and torched #3.

Bottom line: It rains about 100 inches per year on average where I keep these old girls. BTW: neither of these old girls have carpet to hold moisture, and I never allow leaves to sit on them. The farmer used to have a throw rug in the Sabrecraft that I tossed. If ya wash 'em up n' keep 'em tarped so they drain water you can get an increadable amount of service out of them. My $.02. JR

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

Great Post OMR. (as always)
My point exactly. You can't neglect them and a little concern for water goes a loooooooooong way in preserving the life and longevity of a boat. It pains me to see an owner just forget about 'em then **** and moan that "that" brand ain't worth crap....

 

[bouttime007]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

Interesting that the Poll is almost even. Red is definately catching up.
Makes one wonder about the rest of the world, that is not on this Forum, and the shape of their boats. It looks like lots of projects or sales this winter.

Actually, if you think about it the poll shows alot of floor problems. If the floor was already replaced then there must have been rot beforehand, that makes the poll almost 75% floor problems, and a little over 25% no floor problems. Alot of unkemped boats out there.

 

[rbryant1492_mfb]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

I think the poll tells us that if you are not carefull that new used boat you buy just might need a new floor. A lot of the boats sold on craigs list in the lower price ranges tend to have a soft spot in the floor

 

[woodrat]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

My bell boy seems to have a super solid floor, although it does have a thing layer of carpet on it, and after reading thread, I am going to pull it out. The plywood in this boat is 3/4" and coated with paint or something.

My parts boat, a 69 silverline, not only has rotten 1/2 " plywood floors that break through from standing on them, but the glass is all falling apart too. I've never seen such a mess. As soon as I get all the harware and outdrive off, that thing is going straight to the dump, rusted out trailer and all.

 

[Rocky4052]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

I've been holding off replying to this thread until I finished scraping the loose paint from my floor. Guess what--rotten wood up in the storage space in the bow. I had taken off the windshield to prepare for replacing it, {the plexiglass}and found that the weatherstriping was all shot. Also the pins that come up from under the fiberglas that the windshield bolted to were not sealed. The last owner had not used the boat for 5 years. So--- it must have been leaking - and it stayed wet because the life preservers were stored under there, holding water. Will post a pic tomorrow.

Going to start cutting and see how far it goes. [does not seem to be serious]
I wish my MFG was one of the earlier models with an all fiberglass floor!!

My wrist that I had broken is coming along now {info for those who read my earlier post} and I'm very carefully trying to get some work done on the boat.
Dan

 

[i386]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

Proper care and storage is important. Extra care is needed with carpeted boats.

Maybe I missed it but I didn't see any mention of properly bedding screws. I think installing new stuff like fish finders, rod holders, battery boxes etc... that require holes being drilled cause a good bit of the problems when the screws are not bedded properly.

 

[rbryant1492_mfb]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

I seems that most of the projects that people undertake are floor related. As I looked for a boat the owners 4 out of 5 times said yeah there are a few soft spots in the floor.
Another thing I noticed was how the owners were quick to say how easy it is to replace a floor.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

I seems that most of the projects that people undertake are floor related. As I looked for a boat the owners 4 out of 5 times said yeah there are a few soft spots in the floor.
Another thing I noticed was how the owners were quick to say how easy it is to replace a floor.

"If it's that easy, why haven't you fixed it?" said the potential buyer.

 

[JB]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

OKay. I have waited long enough.

No boats need floors. . .new or otherwise.

A lot of neglected, abused and cheaply made boats need new DECKS.

 

[dirtyoldman]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

OKay. I have waited long enough.QUOTE]

I bet that took a lot of self restraint. I'm impressed.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

I have a neighbor down the road while looking at his old pontoon boat he said "I have replaced the floor in this boat 5 times". Then he said "this winter I am going to put an aluminum plate down for the floor". The boat was sitting out side partially under some trees and wide open to mother nature, he even had missing parts off of it were he noticed someone was snooping and stole some parts. Neglect comes to mind in the above true story.

My deck on my 1978 15ft Challenger bass boat seemed alright until I seen my father walking on it during the time he was helping me work on the boat today then I seen that it had a little give to it in a spot or two not major and he weighs 225lbs. When you walk on the deck it sounds like your walking on a patio deck I noticed sort of a hollow sound or walking with heavy boots on as I do, so it's telling me that the floor is still good. Of course I'm not fixing to jump up and down or go dancing on the boat deck to see how good it really is. Probably just the thickness or lack of (I should say) the plywood causing the give from walking on the deck. My brothers boat a 1975 17ft Stryker bass boat (if I'm not mistaken), has a good deck in it and I believe it's original. When I get the money up I might have my boat deck covered in bear grip liner, and invest in a boat cover for sure. It'll be a while before I build a pole barn like my brother built for his boat.

 

[escapade]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

i'm currently replacing my deck in my boat, became damaged due to the Ice Storm that hit eastern ontario and quebec (canada) in 98, boat was left ever since then

 

[tinyrogerd01]

Re: Do most old boats needs new floors?

I have an 81 Robalo...It don't need no Stinking Floor!!!

It all depends on whether or not the boat is left in the sun and weather for floor rot... or moisture in the hull because of bad drainage problems.