How serious is a soft spot in deck?

[harpjames35]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum, but from the looks of it, it is very great. I have a question, as I am fairly new to boating. I bought my first boat. It's an old 15' fiberglass fishing boat. The deck seems to be pretty sturdy, except for two spots at the very back of the boat, kind of around the bilge pump. They are not THAT bad, but do flex a little when you walk over them. They are however at the very back of the boat, so they can be easily avoided.<br /><br />My question is how serious are these soft spots. It is an old boat that isnt supose to look pretty. And I can't afford to fix it, nor do I want to spend hours and hours trying to do it myself. Is this SAFE? and should I be more worried?<br /><br />Thanks everyone

 

[andrewkafp]

Re: How serious is a soft spot in deck?

Do you mean the floor is soft ?

 

[catfish1]

Re: How serious is a soft spot in deck?

soft spots are a sign of moisture & wood rot. moisture carries weight, and many times the foam under the floor will be saturated as well. but probably not in your case, from what you described. if you cant afford to fix it right now, then dont! its no big deal unless its your transom, or if its in a high traffic area.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: How serious is a soft spot in deck?

The floor being soft is only part of what you should be concerned with. The transom, floor, and the support stringers underneath the floor are what distribute the forces from the outboard. If the floor is rotted, then it is a fair bet the the stringers may also be rotted, as well as the transom. If the floor flexes a little bit, you may still have time, but when you end up falling through the floor, that is an indicator that the floor has lived its usefull life. If you are not concerned about looks, and just want to not think about those soft spots you could always lay a layer of 5/8th ply down, painting it on all sides, and screwing in to the floor using good marine sealant and just go with it. You need to determine the condition of the transom. One way is to raise the motor and lock it, and push down on the lower unit with all you weight. If it does not move, or moves a tiny bit, you still have some life left in it, but if it is moving a good amount, than the transom is done. You can also tap around the entire inside of the transom with a small hammer. Dull thunks mean water saturation and rot. There are shortcut ways to extend the life of the boat, like pieces of steel or aluminum mounted between the motor and transom to help stiffen it, and the before mentioned floor bit, but it is all temporary. Repairing all of it the right way isn't as bad as it seems, but in my mind, you have to really love the boat or are doing some sort of conversion or modification, otherwise, there are plenty of other boats out there. Good luck....

 

[andrewkafp]

Re: How serious is a soft spot in deck?

Sorry. when you wrote "Deck" I thought of the top surface, but obviously others also think "Floor" and "Transom". If you go through Project boats on here, there are some good quick fixes as well as some full restorations. You can choose what level of repair you are comfortable with.

 

[harpjames35]

Re: How serious is a soft spot in deck?

Thanks for your responses. I have already had a boat shop look at the transom when I put the new motor on. They said the transom was in great shape. Its only the two spots on the floor in the back of the boat. I am not going to mess with it. For what I paid for the boat, its not worth it. But I am wondering if the boat is done for, or if it still has some life left in it AS IS. Other than those two spots, the boat runs and floats great. I am just wondering if it is safe the way it is now.

 

[BrianFD]

Re: How serious is a soft spot in deck?

Harpjames35,<br />If it floats & runs ok, and there's no danger of falling through the floor, you should be ok. I mean, you haven't had to call for the salvage company yet, correct?? Everything's just temporary...some things only have a little more time than others. Enjoy your boat. That's what you got it for, right? Besides, if it gets too bad, you can always depend on this site to give you an abundance of information on repairs... These guys & gals are GREAT!<br />Happy Boating,<br />Brian

 

[JB]

Re: How serious is a soft spot in deck?

James.<br /><br />It is really annoying to spend time answering a question then find the same question on a different forum.<br /><br />Please do not double post.<br /><br />Moving to Project Boats.