She's Officially Naked

[Shawn Acker]

My Question is do I need to do anything in the bottom of the boat. I want to replace the floor and Rhino Line on top of the new floor.

I really dont want to put in new foam for a bunch of reasons. But put simply i fish on a small lake. Looking in this boat i do not think the foam was any part of the structural integrity.
Let me know you all thoughts please.


Thanks for all of your help.

 

[wire2]

Re: She's Officially Naked

I believe boats (legally) must be capable of being swamped and still remain afloat even with passengers inside.
"A small lake" sounds innocent, is the depth over the head of a child you may have with you? Will you ever sell it, to someone who may take it on a bigger lake?

If you dislike foam, I'd at least stash a whole lot of capped 32 oz soda bottles or similar under the floor for flotation. 1 quart of trapped air will float 1 lb+ of weight. A tiny bit of foam from a can will glue them in place.

 

[SPUNWHEELS]

Re: She's Officially Naked

You could fit in a 2 x 6 treated timber as a center keel support. Somebody sooner or later will over stress or over power the hull. Aluminum fatigues easily, cannot be welded, after exposure to any kind of salt water, or just by age and work hardening. Hence the proliferation of the fiberglass boat.

I like the plastic bottle idea for floation. I have heard of using ping pong balls also, but don't like that idea. "Capped" PVC pipe jammed into the keel area and glued together might be easiest to produce the best result for floatation and keel support. Considering the VEE, different sizes of pipe could be used to completely fill the void and if done correctly, could provide support for a solid floor.

You can fit in using hot glue, those foil coated foam insulation panels to the sides and cover them with a thin plywood veneer, or some kind of vinyl siding, so they won't water log as much, if at all, being on the sides and may even provide some screw holding ability to mount the endless accessories available in the market today.

Hope this helps, Marc

 

[bassboy1]

Re: She's Officially Naked

Legally, foam is only needed in boats coming out of a factory. Once you own it, you can do whatever you dang well please.

I would definitely NOT put a 2 by 6 down the middle. First of all, it is said that treated wood will react with aluminum. Also, the boat was originally designed to carry the weight without it. If it needed the structure down the middle, whoever made that boat would have put that in the design. Sure, originally, the boat had foam, and that may have been taken into consideration, but I feel that that is mostly for rigidity of the deck. A thick enough deck, attached in the right ways, at the right places should cure that. If you so desired, you could add a bit of structure down the middle. A local scrapyard should be able to get you the right piece of I beam. You could rivet it in yourself, or pay them to heliarc weld it in. Yes, contrary to what has been said above, aluminum can be welded. A good wire feed mig welder will do it, and it should be structurally sound, but it will be sloppy. On the other hand, a good tig welder, set up correctly, with a skilled operator, will be able to make great welds, that look very neat, and are very solid. I imagine that your boat does have some welds on it already, even though it is riveted. Look around for them. Sometimes they are at the keel, or transom.

 

[Shawn Acker]

Re: She's Officially Naked

Just a heads up thanks for the responses. I can Tig Weld. Have a Tig Welder so im good there and i do have some Aluminum I-beam. This will probable be a good Idea. I plan to go with 3/4 Treated plywood, originaly had 1/4 inch in it.

I guess i dont understand the diffrence in leaving the foam out because i have an 18' jon Boat with no floor in it. never had an issue.
I guess my point is, Is the boat gonna fall apart hitting the waves in the lake.
it is solid. Has runners about every 8" from front to back.

Thanks,

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: She's Officially Naked

I plan to go with 3/4 Treated plywood, originaly had 1/4 inch in it.

It's your boat, but ACQ pressure-treated plywood (containing copper as the preservative) reacts with aluminum. If you've seen people working with it, you'll see them use a plastic sheath around any fasteners used to isolate each other, otherwise the resulting reaction would eat the fastener. I have a similar boat (Starcraft 19') and my floor was originally 1/2". I'll use the same thickness when replacing my deck. One of the benefits of aluminum is its light weight; 3/4" would just be extra weight, I think. Your choice though.

I guess i dont understand the diffrence in leaving the foam out because i have an 18' jon Boat with no floor in it. never had an issue.

Thanks,

For what it's worth, that foam weighs next to nothing, so you're really not at a penalty for having it there. Anything can happen out there, I'd just hate to think of a boat (and engine, and gear, and people, etc) sinking like a rock when it could have stayed semi-bouyant had there been foam down. That pink house insulation from Home Depot would be super cheap, and easy to work with. And then, when you go to sell it, would you be liable if something happened to the new owner? Maybe, maybe not. Again, it's your boat.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: She's Officially Naked

see pic below, GREEN i would run 1x4 around the perimeter, screws to ribs, RED 1x4 cross supports, screwed to 1x4 and center supports, then deck with 1x2 exterior ply good one side, paint all side 3 coats oil base paint. no pressure treated. 45 years of boating. clik on picture to see details.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: She's Officially Naked

The hull is not going to fall apart. Being an aluminum boat like that, not as much strength is in the deck as a fiberglass boat. The foam will add the strength in the deck, as it is supporting it completely (it is strong stuff)

The extra supports are not going to help the hull that much - it is strong enough to support whatever the capacity plate says, with what it has. But, it will make the deck stiffer since you have no foam. Since you have a TIG welder, and if you feel proficient using it, I would make it out of that, as opposed to the wood T-daddy mentioned. also, I don't you need all the supports that T-daddy mentioned - just enough to hold the deck up. I would say 1 stick of aluminum channel, or tubing down each side, like tashasdaddy's green pieces, but maybe 2 red ones. Extra welding that won't gain much.

I have seen many boats with that stringer design, that don't have problems.
Don't use any pressure treated wood (I know you have heard this many times) Use regular ply, but paint it WELL, and/or apply some sort of water sealant, usually used on decks and such.

 

[iwombat]

Re: She's Officially Naked

Do you need to do anything to the bottom?

Yes, you need to clean it all out and put in a healthy coat of gluvit. Other than that, nothing needs to be done.

 

[Shawn Acker]

Re: She's Officially Naked

I had no idea about treated wood and Aluminum. Thanks for that post.
Im curious if i use gluvit in the entire bottom of the boat and then use untreated plywood can i coat the plywood in gluvit then paint the hell out of it.
Would this be sufficient. Maybe if i use the gluvit i can foam it and the foam will stay dry. What is yalls thoughts on this.

Lastly the rivets? What are the rivets that are solid? special and do i need sometype of special rivets gun?

Thankyou guys you are all a ton of help for this is my first boat restoration.
Many trucks and 4 wheel drives just wanted to try something new.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: She's Officially Naked

i have used stainless bolts with rubber washers, they make a solid air craft rivet that works well. gulvit is the aluminum boats best friend, buy don't know about wood. i usually just 3 coat the wood, all edges & sides, in an oil base paint on all sides after dry fitting. i've done 4 aluminum boats this way, and just touch up the deck each season. the finish coat i just mix a little play sand in the paint.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: She's Officially Naked

For rivets, you need a special tool. It is powered by compressed air, and is very similar to an air chisel, but it is variable speed, like a drill. Then, there are special ends that go in it, that fit each different type of rivet. You then need the backer bar (forgot what it is called)

You can get some great deals on ebay for these things. Often, you can get lots with every imaginable rivet die, and 6 - 8 backer bars, but there are also quite a few auctions that have reasonable amounts, of like 3 or 4 dies, and one or two backer pieces. Look around for yourself.

 

[Shawn Acker]

Re: She's Officially Naked

Excellent a new reason to buy more tools. Yeah!!!!!!

Going to see what i find ill give you guys some more pics by friday.
Getting ready to start going back together.

 

[Fish n Geer]

Re: She's Officially Naked

So you guys are saying to just use plain plywood when I replace the rotted wood deck in my aluminum boat? I would have automatically thought or bought marine grade or wolmanized,deck wood.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: She's Officially Naked

exterior grade plywood, solid one side. not just plain ply if you can get 5 ply 1/2" and brace it like i said it will be fine. the cross members at 16 inches on center keeps the bounce out of the floor.

 

[Fish n Geer]

Re: She's Officially Naked

Got ya! Basically the deck on both sides of main floor from consoles back are solid.Iits just the middle piece that was rotted.When I used to fish in it all the timeI remember water from the livewell would splash out a bit there in that spot.What my plans are is to just remove the old pieces use them as a template and replace it all while I am this far.Boat never leaked too my knowledge.Grateful its a Crestliner and there is no darn rivets to worry with.
So just get exterior plywood treated on oneside should do the trick?The bows wood deck seems real solid so far.Know more once I strip the carpet.I have discovered another problem.Cant find the drain plug.Called Dad he claims he laid it up in the transom ledge.Well guess the pesky Racoons that made it their home must have run off with it lol.Hope it isnt gonna be hard to replace given the boats age.