New to Boating World - Need Help With Floor Replacement

[thenewguy]

Hi Guys,

I'm brand new to boats and just took on a 94 Bayliner Capri. I don't know a whole lot other than what I have been googling and can't seem to find a straight forward answer to my questions. Really hope someone can point me in the right direction..

This boat will be strictly leisure and I won't be using it every weekend either. I don't anticipate the flooring getting too soaked. Boat needs a partial new floor. I will be gutting it and pulling out the carpet this weekend, BUT before I start that I kind of want to get an idea of what I'm doing.
I figure if I'm going through all this trouble of gutting it I might as well cut out the whole thing (leaving a 2"border around the perimeter) and install new wood.

First question is do I have to use plywood? I read some thread on here about putting down like planks or 1 x 4 or 1 x 6 boards. It made sense to me since the small gaps between board will allow for water to dry out and ventilation etc. I kind of want to give that I try but again i don't know if its a good idea. And do I glass it to the 2" perimeter or leave a gap? paint it after? I have no clue what to do to be honest and I don't know anyone to ask all these questions..

Second, if I get the floor all sorted, what goes on top? I'm big time against carpet cause I feel like that just holds water and smells and its gross. Can I lay vinyl flooring? composite boards?

I'm sure I'll have more questions but thank you to whoever takes the time to help me out here!!

 

[bajansailor]

Welcome to the Forum TNG.
Your first task is to determine how much floor you have to take up - you might well find that you do indeed have to take all of it up.
Re replacing it, if you use marine plywood, and you seal it well with epoxy, especially the edges, and bond / laminate it to the hull with epoxy, and then paint it with a non skid paint, it should last many years.
Make sure though that you still have access to the bilge compartment(s) as per the original design.
And if you can improve the access, then even better!

 

[thenewguy]

Thanks for your reply!

Ye from what I'm reading, it seems like I may just have to do the whole floor. So you think I should stick with marine plywood? not any other boards?
And should I use epoxy or fibreglass?

 

[bajansailor]

Marine plywood is well proven for this sort of application.
When you mention 'fibreglass', I presume you mean polyester resin with glass material like chopped strand mat and woven roving?
I would definitely use epoxy with a suitable glass cloth (Fallguy on this Forum can recommend a suitable type) rather than polyester (or any of the other types of resins like vinylester).

 

[thenewguy]

by fibreglass i mean the resin and cloth. is epoxy the same?
And does the new plywood need to be glued down to the stringers or doesn't matter as long as its sealed to the edges of the hull?
so after the wood goes in, what paint exactly should I be looking for?

sorry for all the questions

 

[bajansailor]

Fibreglass traditionally refers to glass cloth with polyester resin. It is best used for building fibreglass boats.
Polyester resin is not an adhesive as such, whereas epoxy is.
And you need to use an adhesive to bond the plywood to the stringers, and for laminating a layer of glass over the new plywood deck after you have installed it.
Yes, you can cover it with glass and polyester resin, but this is false economy - it will invariably come back later to haunt you. Best to do it 'properly' the first time around.
You can glue the plywood down to the stringers using thickened epoxy - the WEST epoxy folk have produced this useful guide to using epoxy. Note that these instructions will apply to other types of epoxy as well (you do not HAVE to use WEST) but be aware that the mixing ratios of other epoxies will probably be different.
Epoxy User Manual & Product Guide - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy https://www.westsystem.com/instruction-manuals/user-manual-product-guide/
Make sure that you clean up the tops of the stringers first, and then abrade them to provide a 'key'.

After applying a layer of glass cloth and epoxy to the deck (note - you can get by with just a coat of epoxy resin, no cloth, but it will not be as durable) you might have to wash it and abrade it before painting, if the resin has already fully cured.
Re paint, you could use enamel paint with sand to give a non slip texture - or you could use a more heavy duty paint like a two component polyurethane or acrylic (the second component is the hardener to make it 'go off').
Using sand is a 'cheap and cheerful' way of getting a non skid surface. I paint a small section at a time and then drench it with sand before the paint has time to dry. Repeat this process as many times as required. Sweep up the excess sand which has not stuck to the paint, and then apply another layer of paint over the top.

 

[Blueknarr]

Hi Guys,

I'm brand new to boats and just took on a 94 Bayliner Capri. I don't know a whole lot other than what I have been googling and can't seem to find a straight forward answer to my questions. Really hope someone can point me in the right direction..

This boat will be strictly leisure and I won't be using it every weekend either. I don't anticipate the flooring getting too soaked. Boat needs a partial new floor. I will be gutting it and pulling out the carpet this weekend, BUT before I start that I kind of want to get an idea of what I'm doing.
I figure if I'm going through all this trouble of gutting it I might as well cut out the whole thing (leaving a 2"border around the perimeter) and install new wood.

First question is do I have to use plywood? I read some thread on here about putting down like planks or 1 x 4 or 1 x 6 boards. It made sense to me since the small gaps between board will allow for water to dry out and ventilation etc. I kind of want to give that I try but again i don't know if its a good idea. And do I glass it to the 2" perimeter or leave a gap? paint it after? I have no clue what to do to be honest and I don't know anyone to ask all these questions.

Planking could be an option,but
Stuff falls throu the gaps!
It would need additional under framing
There is probably waterlogged post-catastrophy foam hidden under the sole (floor)

Second, if I get the floor all sorted, what goes on top? I'm big time against carpet cause I feel like that just holds water and smells and its gross. Can I lay vinyl flooring? composite boards?

All of the above have advantage and problems.
Carpet is relatively cheap and easy,hides a multitude of sins and is skin friendly wet traction. The other choices are more difficult to install and have less skin friendly traction when wet.

 

[thenewguy]

Thanks guys,
ok so let me get my steps straight..

Bottom line is I should be using marine plywood and I need to use fibreglass cloth and polyester resin all over the floor and the edges.
where am I putting the epoxy (glue)? I know bajansailor said to put it on the top of the stringers..

so after I glass the floor, I need to apply a heavy duty paint. I am planning to put something on top the floor so doing the sand process wouldn't be necessary.

Do you guys have any innovated ideas for substitutes for carpet? for some reason I just don't like the carpet idea.

 

[bajansailor]

I need to use fibreglass cloth and polyester resin all over the floor and the edges.

NO. You should use epoxy resin, not polyester.
If you are planning on adding an additional deck covering (instead of carpet) you could probably just coat the plywood with epoxy resin to seal it.
Ie you would not need to add glass cloth as well.
Re a covering, how about using imitation wood laminate strips glued down to the plywood?
Or something like this - a sort of 'artificial teak'? It is relatively expensive though.
Tek-Dek - Teak Boat Decking http://www.tek-dek.com/

Here are a couple of other brands of 'artificial teak' -
Flexiteek - The Original Synthetic Teak Decking For Boats | 2G | Isiteek https://www.flexiteek.com/

Permateek: Synthetic Teak Decking for Boats https://www.permateek.com/

 

[thenewguy]

o man..in your earlier posts you said

Fibreglass traditionally refers to glass cloth with polyester resin. It is best used for building fibreglass boats.
Polyester resin is not an adhesive as such, whereas epoxy is.
And you need to use an adhesive to bond the plywood to the stringers, and for laminating a layer of glass over the new plywood deck after you have installed it.

so I'm under the impression that epoxy was what I use as glue. Like on the stringer tops or joining wood. Then fibreglass (cloth and poly resin) all over the surface and edges. do I have this wrong?

sorry for my ignorance but clearly this is new for me. Either way I am planning to add a covering to the deck so just use an epoxy resin?

Thanks for the links. those are nice but ye the price can add up. you said the laminate needs to be glued?

 

[bajansailor]

Apologies for not explaining it clearly.
Forget about fibreglass (cloth and polyester resin) - just use this for building fibreglass boats with.
Epoxy is also a resin, and it is used for building fibreglass or composite boats with, in conjunction with suitable cloths. It has the advantage of also being an adhesive. Polyester resin is sticky, but it is not an adhesive.
If you want to add a layer of cloth over the plywood deck, use epoxy resin, not polyester.
Lots of people do put fibreglass (with polyester resin) over plywood, but the odds are that it will delaminate at some stage (because polyester is not an adhesive / glue).
Re sticking down a laminate or artificial teak floor on to the plywood, you could use epoxy, or an adhesive like Sikaflex or 3M 5200 - the latter two come in tubes, and you squeeze it out like the sealant you use around a bathtub.

 

[thenewguy]

ok thank you for clarifying.

so am I able to just put a coat or 2 of epoxy with NO cloth? or just do the cloth and epoxy? I'm looking for the easiest thing. I don't think I will be keeping the boat for more than 2 years.

Can you tell me why I need to glue the deck covering down?

 

[bajansailor]

In view of how you are not keeping the boat for very long, then it is probably not worthwhile doing a repair job that will last for 20 years.
Although you might like the boat, and decide to keep her longer.....
If you are putting an extra layer of deck covering down on top of the plywood, then I don't think you necessarily need to add a layer of cloth to the epoxy. But it is useful to paint on at least a couple of coats of epoxy resin to the plywood to seal it. It is worth doing this, as the most difficult part will probably be initially cutting out the plywood to shape and then bonding it down.
Re a deck covering, I guess you could just find a portable rug (or similar) the right size, and then you don't have to glue it down.
But all of the artificial teak products, and the laminate floor coverings, usually come in long thin strips, so they would have to be glued down.

 

[thenewguy]

Thank you bajansailor for taking the time to coach me through this. At least I have a much better understanding of how this all works

 

[bajansailor]

Thanks - just 'go for it' now!
And please do keep this thread running, as a blog of your restoration progress - and post photos!
As the saying goes, 'a photo speaks a thousand words'.
Can you post some photos now showing the dodgy floor that you want to cut out?