Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

[HighTrim]

Hey guys,

I have a live well, storage area, call it what u will, in between my 2 front seats, and around the edges of it the wood is rotting and sinking in. I plan on buying a new sheet of 4 by 8 plywood , cutting out the old wood exactly so i can fit a new sheet right in, the cut the livewell hole out of it. My question is, i have never seen below the floor of a fibreglass boat, and am unaware of any hazards i may encounter with the sawzall, lol. Any thing i need to be aware of b4 i start this? Id like to just cut the carpet neatly with a razor knife then drop it back down with glue and staples when im done, and i guess im suppose to treat the wood with poly resin? Any ideas would be great, tks

 

[mtnrat]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

Use a skil saw and cut only as deep as the plywood. Stay away from the edges until you cut out the centre and can see what you are cutting. Don't ask me how I know. That being said I can almost guarantee you will find a lot more rot than just what you can see or feel.
Keep us posted with what you find.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

Check the transom for rot before you start. Often they both go at the same time.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

My transom seems strong, only rot i can find (without yet ripping up carpet) is around the edges of the storage area/live well, about 6 inches around. TY again for your posts, I was just afraid of cutting into a fibreglass support of some kind, or the fuel tank at worse, lol. I have just never seen the support structure beneath a floor on a fibreglass floor and needed a heads up, so ty. I will stay away from the edges for now.

ps....any type of test other than visual to determine transom strength, i dont see any rot, or do you mean pulling up the floor around the stern of the boat?

 

[redfury]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

Thump test. Take a rubber mallet and start thumping your transom. You'll know if you are hitting a solid part and a part that has separated from the outer skin ( usually at the bottom or sides of the transom area ).

 

[i386]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

He may be in luck if it was just leaking around the livewell though the rot may extend farther than he thinks. You might core out a piece with a hole saw and take a measurement from there to set the depth of your skillsaw. I would not stop until I hit dry wood and dry foam in all directions.

 

[reload]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

High Trim there is a thread on here somewhere that shows a boat with the entire floor are removed. It might be worth seeing. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

Ty all for your tips and advice, that why i love this forum, gonna get at her so happy boating. Im hoping i dont have to replace too much of the floor or foam.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

Well i went and grabbed a sheet of 4 by 8 3/4" plywood, coated it for moisture and water, then pulled up the carpet. At first I thought I was going to be lucky. The rotting around the live well storage area was in itself its own section of wood. The rest of the floor has a fibreglass coating on it. I assume this was left without since it is the access to the fuel tank as I found out when ripping it off. The only problem is like you guys thought, there was more rotting than i originally thought. The walls of the live well are rotted, they are coated in a black **** and glass fab, but rotted none the less. I feel to do this repair "properly" I should really rip out all the wood in the boat and repair, but since i only wanted to keep this boat for this summer, then upgrade next, I feel like the job outweighs the pros. It would take me a good couple weeks to fix everything like it should. Im thinking of just dropping the new sheet of plywood on top of it all, tracing the hole for the live well, then pulling the carpet back over it all, and scabbing in some 2 x 4's for extra support. What do you guys think? At least I can repair my sending unit for the fuel tank now that i found it. The guage always reads empty and I have a feeling the float or sending unit is shot. Tks for the help.

 

[i386]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

I'd be skeerd to do that.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

What worries me is that after the 1 ft by 4 ft box for the live well, there doesnt seeem to be any other supports until you hit the outer walls. All of that seems strong though, it seems to be rotting from the center out, probably since the water is getting if from the exposed edges of the live well. I suppose I could re frame the live well, re black tar the walls, then drop the new plywood in flush with the old. I was just worried about having enough support underneath to hold it. At least if i laid it on top , it would have the support from the outer walls as well.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Cutting out section of floor and replacing...

If you are going to dump this rig at the end of the season it dosen't make much sense to spend much time or $ on it. I'd go a bit easy on speed or into waves of any size though.