Yet another floor question

[sheboyganjohn]

I have a 1963 fiberglass Alumacraft runabout that I am in the process of restoring. Looking at the floor it appears to be one solid mass, not the standard stringers with floor mounted to them. In the back of the boat where the drain plug is located there is a shallow well cast into the floor for the drain point. The rest of the floor in the boat is cast solid with the sides. The carpet is just layed in the boat and can be picked up and removed. Towards the front of the boat it follows the curvature of the hull. Now my question, this type of floor, is it a solid glass floor or is it a foam or wood core floor? I see nothing wrong with it at this time, but just want to know what I am working with.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Yet another floor question

If what you're discribing is a fiberglass liner with a mold finish on the inside of the boat, then it can still be any of the three you asked about, and it still may have stringers under the floor. Post some pics and it'll be easier to tell what type of construction it is.

 

[Marcq]

Re: Yet another floor question

YES, pictures please

Marc..

 

[sheboyganjohn]

Re: Yet another floor question

I should be able to get some picks in a few days (working 12hr days this weekend), I will post them up then.

 

[sheboyganjohn]

Re: Yet another floor question

Finally was able to get some pics. I was out on a camping/ fishing trip with my son and looked over the boat some more. It definately has something between the hull and the floor. The rear section of floor the fiberglass is seperated from the substrate. It is still very solid, just seperated where you can feel it bend up and down sort of like a thin bubble. Here are the pics of the floor (bear with me this is my first attempt at pics)

One last question. I removed the old locator items from the back of the boat and installed the transducer for my new locator. When I drilled the holes for the new transducer it was damp wood coming out which I know is not good. The transom has no flex at all and from the feel of it , its solid. I will not be able to tear into a full transom replacement until next year, so I am assuming I am o.k. running it as long as it still feels solid. I am assuming the old transducer which was right next to it was leaking at the holes .

 

[sheboyganjohn]

Re: Yet another floor question

bump

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Yet another floor question

It's hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like a normal floor, glass over plywood. The only way to tell what it's made from, or what's under it, is to drill a hole and see. As for the transom, you may have found the only bad spot, or you may have found the best area when you drill the new holes, more places need to be checked to see if it's good.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Yet another floor question

before JB, gets you that's a deck, floor is in the house.

 

[sheboyganjohn]

Re: Yet another floor question

I thought a deck was behind the house? ;-) Well looking at the deck the outer 5" is part of the curve where the bottom meets the sides (more technical terms I know). How is that connected to the bottom of the boat? The best way I can describe the way the whole floor looks is that it is a cast in bathtub liner with no seam. You cannot tell where the floor ends and the hull starts. I had an old I.O. runabout that had a floor and under it was open area for drainage. This floor has no opening into it, but cast in solid. I don't want to start punching holes if I don't need too.

As a side note, I have a few major household projects this summer, along with working on the motor. The boat hull will be next years project so plenty of time to plan.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Yet another floor question

The splatter, or speckled finish (plus dirt) makes it very hard to see if there's a glass fiber pattern in the surface, or if it's smoother, with maybe a soft non skid finish. The only way to tell what the construction under the floor might be is to dig into it, or find somebody with the same boat that already has.