1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

[schaefer123]

As of today my floor is plywood covered with blue carpet. This boat will be used as a fishing boat. Options: replace marine plywood, epoxy paint. Install snap- in carpet.2: Instead of carpet, after paint, applying some kind of non-slip surface. If my ideas are all wet so to speak or you have different and or better options, please help. Also, where is the best place to purchase any of the fine ideas.

 

[zopperman]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Why does the floor need to be replaced? Is it rotted? Are the stringers and transom core sampled and OK?

I used gelcoat and a fuzzy roller... easy to clean and non slip. you can also add sand or a non slip additive... i personally think carpet is great for your house.. not your boat.

 

[schaefer123]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Thanks for the reply. Yes the floor is soft on the edges where the carpet was loose . I have inspected the stringers and they sound good. Should I drill some test holes to make sure? before the gel coat with a roller, do you paint the plywood first. Top and bottom or either? And gel coat, any special kind or type and best place to purchase? My goal is to have a fishing deck. Thanks

 

[zopperman]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Thanks for the reply. Yes the floor is soft on the edges where the carpet was loose . I have inspected the stringers and they sound good. Should I drill some test holes to make sure? before the gel coat with a roller, do you paint the plywood first. Top and bottom or either? And gel coat, any special kind or type and best place to purchase? My goal is to have a fishing deck. Thanks

I think gelcoat is perfect for killing fish... it's very durable.
I would ABSOLUTELY drill out some core samples.
I glassed my underside and topside deck. I would do 1 layer 1.5 oz CSM + Poly resin on bottom... 2 layers of 1.5 oz CSM on top with 6" of 1708 tabbing to the sidewalls of the hull. I also filled the gap between the new deck and the sidewall with thickened resin (PB) I got my gel from US composites.
I think marine grade ply is great stuff -- just not worth the money. I used ACX arauco from lowes. 30 bucks a sheet ( i got it on sale for less) I just 1/2"

 

[schaefer123]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Thanks again, I think that is the way I will roll. I don't understand all lingo (i.e. one layer of this and two layers of that and tabbing and CSM and left handed smoke turner and what not). I take that I will be using fiber glass mat and resin and six inches(wide) heavy on the edges and then gel coat with a roller.

 

[zopperman]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

1.5 oz mat = chopped strand mat that weighs 1.5 oz/sq ft.
1708 = 17 oz woven roving + 08 oz CSM backing.
Precoat wood with a coat of resin... then apply mat and resin with a roller.
The 1708 tabbing on the hull is a heavier fabric for tabbing the deck into the hull so it becomes more structural. You use cabosil and chopped fibers to make thickened resin.
uscomposites.com has everything you will need.

How big is the boat.. what engine/drive?

 

[schaefer123]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Once again, Thank you, Sea Ray list her as a 195/IO. She is 18' 6" 228 305 GM. Mercruiser outdrive. Serial numbers are missing so I think it is a Alpha but not sure. There are a few scratches and one I would call a gouge about six inches long. The keel is untouched.I planned on using a gel patch on the blemishes and getting the color as close as possible.I do have an issue with the outdrive. When I push on the outdrive left to right there is some slop that will have to be addressed. up and down just a tic of movement. The hour meter if accurate reads 584 hours and I do have an extra motor, outdrive and every componet for parts. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[zopperman]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

No problem bud

Well, I'm no IO guy... I would imagine the slop would be the bellows or gimbal housing needing to be replaced?

What do you mean by gel patch? Marine tex?

Can we get some pics? esp. of the gouge?

 

[schaefer123]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Thanks, I will get some pics in the next day or two.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

It really sounds to me like you need to get the deck out and core sample the stringers AND the Transom. You could be in for some Serious restoration on that boat. Here's some pics of how to do things.

Click the pics to enlarge

Stringers




Decks



Transoms






Basic Starter Shopping List if you are doing it all.

10 Gallons of 435 laminating Resin
10 yds of CSM
10 yds of 1708 Biax Cloth
Gallon of Cabosil
1/2 lb 1/4" Chopped Fibers
Bubble Roller

Tools

Respirator
Goggles
Tyvek Suit
Gloves
Circ. Saw
4 1/2 " Grinder with Backup pad and 24 grit discs
Chisels
Pry bars
Putty Knives
Paint rollers

 

[schaefer123]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Thanks woodonglass, I will pull the floor and get some core samples this weekend . I will post some pics as well.

 

[oops!]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

i am a big fan of gellcoat for the deck floor......as well as snap in carpet.....unless the boat is strictly a fishing rig....

people don't like rugs in boats because it is impossible to clean fish guts off it.....and it holds water, thus....stepping up the rotten deck process.
but gellcoat between the deck fibreglass and the rug totally stops this.
gellcoat is a really fantastic product......if it was cheeper......we would be using the stuff in stead of paint for our houses !

as far as the slop in your drive. this could be the steering pin. its a real pita to get at....do some investigation....a gimbal bearing wont cause the slop you seem to be mentioning

 

[schaefer123]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Thanks oops, I think gellcoat the topside is the way to go. Is there a roller or a stamp you can use on the gellcoat or the resin pre-gellcoat to have ridges for better non-slip qualities. Also yhis weekend I am going to test her stringers and transom. I will know if I am going to pull the motor or I will have to work on the stealing ARM from the overdrive forward. Can I cut a hole above the gamble housing to get at the stealing ARM from there? Thanks again

 

[schaefer123]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?


I have attached a few pics of the scratches and gouges. I will have to work on the floor next weekend because I have been working on my J.O.B. from dark to dark. I am also building a structure to be able to work on the boat all winter. I plan to have it ready in the spring for some salmon slaying.

 

[oops!]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

i found it.....

those scrapes in your pics ARE NOTHING. dont worry about them now......after you get done glassing your deck.....and possibly the stingers.....you will have the skills.....reading here at iboats will give you the basic info you need.

click the link in my sig and check the index for basic gelcoat repairs.

the non skid in the gelcoat is as simple as adding sand or a special sand like product to the gelcoat surface.

the first step.....is to tear out the deck....forget ripping up the rug rite now.......just cut thru it.....it will save you tons of time and really hard work.
the sides of the carpet should come off the walls quite easy after the main section is out.

don't think about replacing the deck next weekend.....you aren't at that stage or any near it.......thousands of things have to happen before you replace it.

cutting out the deck is about 2 hours.......

take a circular saw, (skill saw) set the blade depth to just over 1/2 inch.......then, stay away from the edge of your hull 3-4 inches....and just start cutting.....
cut all around the perimeter.......don't worry about a template for installing the new deck.....if you get one from the old deck....if you don't. that's fine too.

after you KNOW that you have cut thru all the wood without any corners that are kinda still there and only half way thru......then take a wonder bar (pry bar) and start pulling up the deck.

you are going to be pulling screws thru the top of the deck, or out of the stringers.....so this is going to be a real work out....if you get stuck.....just take your circ saw and cut out around where the screw is......you can use a sawsall between the deck and stringer later.
you will know where the screws that are giving you trouble are because the wood of the deck will be stuck at that point.....the screws will only be into the stringers....or on the cross frames...
so those areas where the deck gets stuck are very isolated.

after you get the deck up.....then we must start doing some investigating........but one job per day for right now......if you can put some lights on the deck .....it can come out in an evening, after work.....or even 1/2 hour after work...cutting one side at a time..and your deck will be up in no time.

getting into the habit of doing a little on the boat each day is very important.. it is too easy to let the boat sit for a week or so....before you know it.....its spring and the boat is hardly touched, and the hull sits ripped in the prime fish killing time.

post back with pics of what is under the deck......its going to be dirty and messy under the floor.....there will also be standing water....dont panic....just take some pics as soon as the deck comes up.....then do a quick vacuum and get rid of the saw dust and take more pics.

post them here......and we will have you on to the next step.....

cheers
oops

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

schaefer....you will do yourself a huge benefit by reading through Oops' thread on his hull extension project....it covers vritually every aspect of how a boat is build...

 

[schaefer123]

Re: 1980 Sea Ray new floor ?

Thanks Guys for the advice, I have been working on the building project before the snow starts. I hope to have it covered this week. Then I will pull the outdrive and block the boat and pull the trailer. Then hopefully I can get at the floor. I will post pics of the progress. After reading the info on this site, I actually think I can do this project and do it well.