Re: 1/2
Re: 1/2
I have pour-in foam under my sole in two chambers per side, but not down the center, which I left open for drainage. You're absolutely right, it makes the floor as stiff as if it were sitting on concrete.
(Mine is a home-built 13' garvey hull, so the stringers and frames make an egg-crate structure like this #) All the egg-crate chambers, even those filled with foam, have drainage holes drilled in them so that everything drains into the center chamber and back to the motor well for easy pumping.
I used 1/2" Meranti marine ply for my floor, but I think BCX would be fine (b side up). First, make sure you give it two coats of epoxy resins to encase it in epoxy so the water doesn't destroy it. I then bedded it in epoxy glue as I said, then used thickened epoxy around the outside edges to create smooth fillets (transitions between the sole panel and the hull) on which to lay 4" woven fiberglass tape. This tape was wet-out with epoxy resin and placed all around the edges.
Next, I used a fairing compound of epoxy mixed with silca/microballoon mix to blend the tape into the hull form. Finally, after much sanding, prime with an epoxy primer (more waterproofing) and then paint. In the priming process, you can add non-slip additives to the primer if you want. You can do shapes by masking off the areas you want to be textured, and those you want smooth.
Got to be sure you prime and paint over the epoxy, or if it's bright finished, make sure your glossy coats have UV inhibitors in it, epoxy doesn't like UV- it breaks down.
