Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

[jayard78]

I have a bass boat that I want to carpet b/c it is black and the sun will cook my feet. The body of my boat is similar to this pic Im uploading but my boat is a fixer upper. I am also going to be using this boat to fish of course.

So here is what I need to know.

1. Can I use outdoor carpet or should I stick with the marine grade stuff?

2. Should I get glue all over my boat to attach this carpet, and if so, how hard will it be to remove the glue when the carpet needs replaced?

3. Will fish flopping around this boat (Salt water fishing is messy) ruin this carpet and be a pain in the arse to clean up occasionally?

What I want is a comfortable boat that does not burn my feet and easy to clean when it needs it. Any opinions or self experiences to point me in the right direction?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

Any indoor/outdoor carpet will work as well as the marine grade. I custom ordered some teal carpet from Home despots for a few dollars for my speedboat. It looks like a million $.

You need to use indoor/outdoor carpet adhesive to attach it. They have oil and latex, and I do not think either is better than the other, except you do not get high using the latex stuff. Have some mineral spirits around to clean up any spills.

The carpet will pull out when you want it out, with little mess. It will hold up to fish guts and slime pretty good, but you will want to clean it up ocassionally with some laundry soap and water mix.

You will likely get a bunch of "don't install carpet in your boat, it will rot your deck" advice, however, if your deck is sound, it will be fine.

 

[dh2009]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

Thanks Chris for the advice. I was told carpet holds water and water rots boats. But, I hear that using Interlux non-slip paint was the better option. I looked at the Interlux website and it's fairly cheap. I just don't know how much paint is needed for my boat. I may end up spending more money on the paint.

 

[SeaVue]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

The only thing you need to watch out for when you are using Interlux non-slip paint is your boat floor. As somebody mentioned in a different post, if your floor looks like crap prior to the Interlux paint, then it going to look like crap after you add it. Carpet, on the other hand, covers everything up. If you had a crappy floor, it will look much better after you throw on carpet. It?s mainly up to you. If you want the cheapest and fasted job, go with carpet. With carpet, what it comes down to is, how well you?ll take care of it.

 

[Sharkfighter]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

The carpet will pull out when you want it out, with little mess. It will hold up to fish guts and slime pretty good, but you will want to clean it up ocassionally with some laundry soap and water mix.

You will likely get a bunch of "don't install carpet in your boat, it will rot your deck" advice, however, if your deck is sound, it will be fine.

Just my experience. I had a bayliner fish and ski that was built more as a Ski boat although i used it 90 % for fishing.

The Carpet was VERY difficult to keep clean. Now maybe my friends and I are slobs but spilled squid and bleeding sharks flopping on the deck did not make the carpet "nice".

The floor was structurally sound when I deployed to Iraq on my last deployment but had large rot patches when i returned 14 months later. The boat sat mostly exposed and unused while I was deployed. (Only problems I had after first deployment was mildew on the vinyl.

Personally I would Avoid the Carpet or get something You can replace in 4 or 5 years if you are going to fish it hard.

I have seen some mats that they make for decks. Comes in little squares that snap together. I know I saw them at boaters world but can't remember what they were called.

Do you often fish barefoot? I think that is why my old bayliner had carpet cause it was nicer for barefeet but since I used it almost exclusively for Fishing I dont think i would get anotther boat with carpet.

Rob

 

[Mark42]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

I have carpet in my MFG Niagara put in new about 5 years ago. We boat in salt water and the kids are always dripping water on the carpet, bringing in shells and rocks and what-have-you.

I'm going to rip it all out soon because it smells very bad. Even after being stored with moth balls all winter, half way through the season, it is stinky.

 

[gstanton]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

Why not put it in with snaps? Mine came that way and I simply remove (un-snap) the carpet and take it out when I need to.
Granted, underneath the carpet is non-slip.

 

[Boss Hawg]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

Did mine with outdoor .60 a ft from Lowes
Glued with the yellow fomica glue-
Have no problem cleaning so far but it's only been in a month

 

[This_lil_fishy]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

I bought (well traded for) an old 1976 fiberglass with the carpet in it. It was stored outside so a had quite the mustiness to it.

I had to steam clean the carpets in the house so I rented one of those machines at the local grocery store and got the furniture attachment for it as well....well..it was a nice day so proceded to steam clean the interior of my truck, and got to thinking. Next thing you know I'm out there with the steamcleaner going to town on the boat. I swear to god it looks almost new (the carpet) and the smell is gone. Give 'er a try!

That said, as I mentioned in another thread, I am very much anti-carpet in a boat. Nothing more agrivating then trying to get your lure outta the carpet in heavy chop!

Ian

 

[jayard78]

Re: Carpeting Boat - Need Advice

Hmm, well I like the idea of a mop and bucket and wa la a clean boat so maybe I should rethink this a bit. Since my driving factor is that fact that the paint is this black sparkle crap and definately will get super hot in florida, maybe I should consider painting it white. If I go this route, what is a good paint that is not too pricey? Could I use spray paint from walmart or am I thinking about doing somthing that is way too permanent here? The one thing about carpet that appealed to me is that is is not permanent.