Boat Floor construction

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by Brennan Poskitt, Jun 22, 2018.

  1. Brennan Poskitt
    Joined: Jun 2018
    Posts: 2
    Likes: 0, Points: 1
    Location: Nj

    Brennan Poskitt New Member

    Hi I’m new to this site and I came to a dead end working on my boat. I have a 1979 17 foot center console. I am redoing the entire thing basically because of a really soft floor. I cut out the entire floor and don’t know where to go from here. I know I need to make a new stringer in the middle, but how to I go about making the new floor and attaching it to the sides? Also how do I make a two level floor ( like two different heights, my bow had a step up to it. )? Anything helps thanks. CAE60FC2-4C83-42AF-8080-CDCADB15A09A.jpeg 7BE2C88E-6407-4658-B32B-63D6918B9FD2.jpeg F69BE0E5-256D-406D-B2CC-A44E3D875C63.jpeg
     
  2. gonzo
    Joined: Aug 2002
    Posts: 16,786
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    Location: Milwaukee, WI

    gonzo Senior Member

    What is your plan for the finished product? How will the interior look like?
     
  3. Brennan Poskitt
    Joined: Jun 2018
    Posts: 2
    Likes: 0, Points: 1
    Location: Nj

    Brennan Poskitt New Member

    Well I know I’m going for a simple center console. I have a console that I already restored and I have a two person seat to go behind it. I’m just going to have a standard deck with the bow being elevated Just a bit. It’s going to be like how it was before, if you can tell of how it used to be in the picture
     
  4. Blueknarr
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,447
    Likes: 411, Points: 83
    Location: Colorado

    Blueknarr Senior Member

    Welcome to the group

    How I would proceed:

    1 remove debris in bilge
    2 measure thickness of plywood needed (the gap between the remaining perimeter flanges)
    3 protect the lower flange as this will eventually support plywood
    4 install stringers so that top of stringer is even to lower flange and will support middle od deck
    5 measure thickness and carefully cut away top flange while removing color coat for many inches above
    6 drop in fully sealed plywood
    7 cover with as many layers of glass as needed to equal thickness of top flange. Feathering the layers up the side

    As to the forward step up:

    1 allow plywood to extend forward
    2 2x2 wood cleat on forward edge of deck
    3 plywood kickfece of appropriate height
    4 install forward platform in simular fashion as base deck

    Note. Kick riser is probably angled. So it and cleat ripped at matching angle

    Best of luck

    Edit
    If the fiberglass floor you cut out is still basically in one piece, it can be reused, saving much time money and effort.
     
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2018
  5. fallguy
    Joined: Dec 2016
    Posts: 7,578
    Likes: 1,667, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: usa

    fallguy Senior Member

    1. Make sure there is no core in the boat. That is important. Basically if you bang around on the hull and it is bouncy or feels like it is separated; the boat is junk. Not weak; mind you, but delaminated. It would feel like two layers, if that helps. Lotsa 70s boats had it; not all.

    1a. Check the transom for rot. Remove thru hulls and or tap test it. If it is rotten; ask back here. A rotten transom changes the approach a bit as you'd do the transom first.

    2. Clean it up.

    3. Use the existing floor flange as a place to glue down the new floor. This is same as blueknarr's advice I think. You'll be raising both floors 3/4".

    4. Remove the stringer carefully.

    5. Sand off gelcoat or paint? from floor flange and up the side the width of a sander. Use 40 grit.

    Build stringer to that height.

    Templates can be made from cardboard to make things work easier and not ruin material.

    The stringer can be douglas fir; mostly clears.

    When you get the stringer template cutout of cardboard. Come back and ask about installing it with photos of rest of prep.

    Pretty straightforward with cardboard from appliances.
     

  6. fallguy
    Joined: Dec 2016
    Posts: 7,578
    Likes: 1,667, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: usa

    fallguy Senior Member

    Remove all rot. Leave no rot in the boat. If it is rotted firther up the sides; you have to cut it away as well. Like a dentist fixing a bad tooth. Putting a cap over decay is a rapid failure.
     
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