Repairing rotten wood on bass tracker deck!

[bgouaux]

I have a 2006 bass tracker that has a rotten wood issue the deck drain near the seats.
What is recommended to repair this issue? Should I replace the area that is rotten or the entire walk area?

 

[jbcurt00]

Not thinking big enough: dig in, likely need to replace all of the deck.

 

[bgouaux]

Not thinking big enough: dig in, likely need to replace all of the deck.

Haven’t gotten too deep into this project. Would the floor be fastened to the hull or would there be a foam layer I need to worry about.
Bass tracker pro 175

 

[gm280]

Until you actually get into the removal of the "rotted" wood section, you basically haven't got a good idea of the total rot yet. Don't plan on a simple little removal area and then find out there is much more to this then first thought. Rotted wood is the tip of the iceberg. Once you start getting into the rot, you most certainly will find more. It is how boats work... But don't despair, this is the best place to get help, ideas and suggestions...

 

[bgouaux]

Until you actually get into the removal of the "rotted" wood section, you basically haven't got a good idea of the total rot yet. Don't plan on a simple little removal area and then find out there is much more to this then first thought. Rotted wood is the tip of the iceberg. Once you start getting into the rot, you most certainly will find more. It is how boats work... But don't despair, this is the best place to get help, ideas and suggestions...

Ok. Ripped out the carpet. The only area that is soft is around the floor drain. No more than a 6x6 area! I think that this is the area that stays wet after fishing when cleaning the boat. Probably didn’t dry over time and just started getting soft. All other areas of the floor area is solid.
Since id is such a small area, could I simply get a 1/2 inch marine plywood to lay on top to sure you the floor and cut out another drain hole.

I don’t go fishing a lot to justify spending a lot of money but don’t want to screw up the boat or weight either.
I am thinking that if I treat the old wood and the drain opening, treat both sides of the new sheet of plywood and lay it down then apply durabak it should work! What am I not thinking about?

suggestions are definitely welcomed

 

[todhunter]

This is the restoration forum of the iBoats website, so you're mostly going to get advice from folks who have a "long view" on repairs. Putting a new sheet of plywood down over a rotten or rotting deck may get you another season or two, but it's a bandaid at best. It won't stop what's going on underneath. What are you considering treating the old and new wood with?

 

[bgouaux]

I planning on applying durabak non skid paint on the top wood.
Not sure about the bottom.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I planning on applying durabak non skid paint on the top wood.
Not sure about the bottom.

I strongly encourage you to NOT use Durabak. I used it in my restoration and it was a huge mistake. Durabak sucks. It is NOT durable and once you apply it, you're really screwed. When it begins to wear thru, and it will, in just a few seasons, you will be faced with a very difficult decision of how to get rid of it and replace it with something that actually is durable. I wish I could go back in time and avoid the mistake of using that miserable stuff.

 

[GSPLures]

They are correct, a deck over will only get you by while possibly making your issues worse. Decks are usually the last thing to show rot. If you are lucky you caught it fast enough as long as you know what the cause is and correct it. Not finding the source and correcting the issue will destroy any repair in short order even if done correctly. I would do a good inspection of all the wood. deck, stringers (if wood), and transom.

 

[bgouaux]

I strongly encourage you to NOT use Durabak. I used it in my restoration and it was a huge mistake. Durabak sucks. It is NOT durable and once you apply it, you're really screwed. When it begins to wear thru, and it will, in just a few seasons, you will be faced with a very difficult decision of how to get rid of it and replace it with something that actually is durable. I wish I could go back in time and avoid the mistake of using that miserable stuff.

Any suggestions on what I can use to get rid of the carpet.
I want to be able to pressure wash the dirt and or have it outside without having to worry about rain or mildew!

thanks for the thoughts

 

[Scott Danforth]

Any suggestions on what I can use to get rid of the carpet.
I want to be able to pressure wash the dirt and or have it outside without having to worry about rain or mildew!

thanks for the thoughts

if you want to leave it outside, suggest a cover. even if you used coosa board and line-X XS-650 on the deck. UV will make a mess, and the flotation foam will be gone in a few years.

A cover over the boat at a minimum will allow you to put a wood floor and carpet back in and allow you to keep it nice and keep dirt out for years.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Any suggestions on what I can use to get rid of the carpet.
I want to be able to pressure wash the dirt and or have it outside without having to worry about rain or mildew!

thanks for the thoughts

Better options (in my opinion):
- gelcoat (rolled on), with nonskid pattern
- paint, with nonskid
- vinyl covering, e.g., Nautolex (several guys here have installed)

Pretty much any deck covering you can imagine would be superior to Durabak.