Fiberglass boat Mods - carpet to fiberglas floor

[martyweir]

Hi all, great website. Please forgive my ignorance - hoping to learn alot on here.

I have a '82 15' troller skiff and I have noticed over the past 2 seasons that the floor is getting soft in a few spots. I have lifted the carpet and the floor is approx 1/2" plywood covered with a layer of fiberglass "mat" I would assume (random fiber patterns as opposed to the grid like appearance of fabric)

I would like to replace the floor, however I want to remove the carpet and install a fiberglass floor. What is the best method to end up with a smooth fiberglass floor? Should I lay fabric / mat directly on plywood floor, resin, then gelcoat? No clue here. Is this too much for a newbie to tackle? Lots of sanding involved I'm sure. What about skid resistance for a wet floor? Anybody have any experience with this?

Thanks in advance!

[martyweir]

Oh ya, forgot to add an important question...

The space between hull & false floor that I plan to replace - I've noticed the boat flexes a bit when I hit a wake hard (small boat, thin hull) I was wondering about stiffening the hull / added safety by installing a foam filler between hull/ floor.

Is there any product you'd recomend? preferably something like a sprayfoam type insulation? any input/links / suggestions are greatly appreciated!