Floor in Aluminum Boat

[Arkman]

So I know this has been covered before but for some reason I cant search on my computer. I know it sounds stupid but everytime I do a search function it returns with an error. Says something about my search is too short. I dont know.

Anyways, I have a 17' Lund that has the standard three bench seats. I would like to add a floor between the bench seats and maybe in the bow of the boat. Take a look at this photo.

I dont know how to do the stringers. Right now there is no floor so I think I have two options.

1. Run the stringers the width of the boat and cut them to match the bottom contour of the boat. Then set the floor on top of that.

2. Fasten a ledger board of sorts to the seat walls and run the stringers between the seats. This way I think I could hold the wood off the floor a little to try and keep the water off. But I don't know if that is the best plan.

I've done a lot of looking through here, but its really hard when I cant search. Also, what kind of wood should I use for the stringers?

Thanks for the help. If anyone can point me to a thread that would be great, you dont have to write it all over again. Or if someone has an idea why I can search that would be AWESOME!

 

[sschefer]

Re: Floor in Aluminum Boat

Use method 2. Way easier and just as solid. Here's a link to a Tinny I finsihed in December.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=290215&highlight=14'+western

I pulled the seats out but if you want you can put yours back in. I recommend going with a full floor and if you want, put the benches back in on top of the floor. It will be so much easier. You can then convert the bench tops to lids with a piano hinge and use them for storage or leave them as is and fill them with foam blocks for floatation.

 

[Arkman]

Re: Floor in Aluminum Boat

Thanks for the info. Your boat looks great. I would love to take my seats out but they are the structure of the boat. I had a plan on how to do that but it will be too much work and too expensive. I lost a lot of my funding as I was unemployed for two months. So I had to cut down my budget a lot.

If All goes well, I will redo it in a couple years. But this is my first boat so I thought I would take it easy.

Thanks again for the info!

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Floor in Aluminum Boat

I made a floor for my boat from treated wooden slats. Stained it to match the wooden seats and then put 2 coats of marine varnish on it. See avatar

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Floor in Aluminum Boat

What I did in one Mirrocraft which had fixed benches much like yours, was to run a single 2x4 stringer down the middle attached to several ribs with aluminum L brackets. I then measured and cut my 5/8" thick plywood floor sections according to the width of the hull. The plywood rested on the outer edges on the ribs themselves, and was secured only to the single wood stringer down the middle with stainless deck screws. I painted each panel with epoxy garage floor paint with some sand on mixed in on top. I could remove any given panel buy simply pulling a few screws from the middle.
This worked well for cleaning, I could have all of the floor panels out in a matter of minutes for a thorough cleaning. I didn't carpet the boat since I fished and crabbed with it, it was rarely super clean but having the wood floors made it a much safer boat to use. It also added the very least possible weight.

I sold that boat last year but plan to do the same to the one I have now, a slightly older Starcraft.

 

[Arkman]

Re: Floor in Aluminum Boat

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think I will look at trying method two. I have an idea how to run the stringers between the two seats off the floor. I'll let you all know how it goes. It will be a week or so before I get to it.

Thanks again!