Home made swim platform

[drewpster]

I am not a good carpenter, but I can build stuff. I am not a good fabricator, but I have had some good ideas. I am a lousy fiberglass man, but I get the idea.
I am looking for a good, somewhat simple swim platform design for the boat below. (anything to post pics) The hull is a fiberglass shell with wooden stringers, bulkheads and wings make up the support structure. The cockpit deck is elevated and supported by stiff legs and crossmembers. The transom will have to be reinforced to support the swim platform.
I thought of simply building the platform out of sheet plywood laminated with fiberglass but that seems real heavy to me. The idea that most appeals to me would to build a positive mold from wood and form a fiberglass platform from that. However there is definitely a learning curve there and I am not confident I can work with fiberglass well enough to build what I want. I would like to try vacuum bagging but I know nothing about that process except what I have read. But trying it is not out of the question.
Teak is just too expensive. I could probably build two fiberglass decks for what a teak one would cost. I considered buying one off another boat but the ones I have found either look cheesy or are too expensive. I am considering all ideas on this one folks so please chime in.

 

[mtnrat]

Re: Home made swim platform

I have no idea how this would work, but how about laminating a 1" thick piece of styrofoam sm between two layers of 3/8" plywood and glass that. Maybe use PL400 adhesive to glue the laminate. Use SS swim platform brackets to mount it.
I used a piece of coosa composite for mine, but it was left over from a total resto and would be pretty expensive to buy.

Here is a pic of mine

 

[azlakes]

Re: Home made swim platform

... hiya Drewpster,

i hear ya about jack of all trades to a point how about two standard swim up platforms mounted on each end. then adhere a home made platform across the steps of those?

contractorguy built an awesome one in his thread. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=253855&highlight=platform

the two platforms would provide you railings and a solid base.

my 2 cents

 

[bhammer]

Re: Home made swim platform

I met a guy at the cove that bought a sheet of unused Solid Surface counter top material. It was surplus light gray and he picked up the 3X8 X 3/4sheet for under $100. He then used a router to make it look nice by rounding the edges. He used SS rails at each end as handrails and used 4 SS standard swim platform supports for the underneath and added a ladder. It looked real nice and he didn't remember the weight but thought it was lighter than a standard platform. On the underneath side, he used the router to remove some material in a channel fashion about 1/2" deep about 4" apart running bow to stern, leaving about a 1" rim so you cannot see it unless you look under it. He did this for weight. He has had it for 3 seasons and no problems thus far. The only issue he has, it sits right below the waterline. When he took measurments for it, he forgot he had removed all gear and was real low on gas.

Now, it did show a lot of wear on it from scratches and dings from skis and boards. His plan was to sand it down this off season. With the Solid Surface, you just sand down that stuff as we have it for our counter tops. Just a thought for you...

 

[drewpster]

Re: Home made swim platform

I used a piece of coosa composite for mine, but it was left over from a total resto and would be pretty expensive to buy.

Rat the Minnow looks great! That platform looks better than factory. You sure had the right idea. Did you use 3/8 ply laminated to the Coosa? I looked at the Coosa website after reading your post. Is any reinforcement needed to strengthen the Coosa/ply board or is the unit strong enough on its own? Could you detail your process for me?

The counter top idea is good also. I have heard of the solid type stuff you mentioned. It may be difficult to find a piece that matches my paint color. I guess I could paint it.

 

[contractorguy]

Re: Home made swim platform

I thought of simply building the platform out of sheet plywood laminated with fiberglass but that seems real heavy to me.

Mine turned out to be 42 lbs (close to 50 w/ all hardware)...Not that bad. I think I might try the mold next time, but laying it up is easy. Just get a good roller and grind, grind, grind...

Nice boat Drew!

 

[drewpster]

Re: Home made swim platform

contractorguy, If I understand your process right you used a piece of 3/4 for the platform and doubled it around the edge using a second piece of 3/4. Is that correct? Then you laminated with glass and gelcoated?
Was there any flex in it when it was complete?

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Home made swim platform

Glass and plywood would be the most cost effective method and the weight would be the same or less than most other methods. Foam and epoxy would be the lightest, but costly, penske or coosa will work well, again it would be costly though. The only real difference in weight will be the core and it will take about half a sheet of plywood, figure out the weight of that amount of plywood and that would be more than the maximum amount of weight you can save. So we're not talking about a great deal of weight.

 

[mtnrat]

Re: Home made swim platform

Rat the Minnow looks great! That platform looks better than factory. You sure had the right idea. Did you use 3/8 ply laminated to the Coosa? I looked at the Coosa website after reading your post. Is any reinforcement needed to strengthen the Coosa/ply board or is the unit strong enough on its own? Could you detail your process for me?

The counter top idea is good also. I have heard of the solid type stuff you mentioned. It may be difficult to find a piece that matches my paint color. I guess I could paint it.

I used 1 1/2" coosa with a coat of epoxy, then paint. I have subsequently filled in the notch for the outdrive and moved the platform higher. The 1 1/2" coosa is plenty strong. Two layers of 3/4" laminated would be stronger, and cheaper to buy in a 4'x8' sheet. I used two SS brackets from west marine. Can likely get them cheaper here on iboats.

 

[contractorguy]

Re: Home made swim platform

contractorguy, If I understand your process right you used a piece of 3/4 for the platform and doubled it around the edge using a second piece of 3/4. Is that correct? Then you laminated with glass and gelcoated?
Was there any flex in it when it was complete?

That's how I did it... I was going to go double thickness all the way, till I tried to pick it up

There is no flex at all with the four supports. As I was building it, I would periodically place it between two saw horses and measure the droop with my 180lbs in the middle. It went from 1 1/2 in (raw wood) to about a quarter inch with all the glass.

I have some large... er uh...A large family. Strength and flex were big concerns... not any more!