HELP with laying new section deck, couple questions

[Lukelona]

**How do I remove back to back lounge seat base thats glassed in? HELP!**

I have a 93 maxum and the seat base on driver side is rotten and breaking.
I'm trying to find replacement and they all come with plastic base.
Mine are fiberglassed in, how do I remove them? If I cut them out will there be a hole in floor? Or can I just cut them as close to flush as possible, then sand it smooth?

I also was thinking of just putting regular seats in, but don't know how strong they would be with the added leverage from a pedestal.

Other idea was to build a base about the same size and just ad two folding seats facing back to back. Since these are a bit cheaper and locally available.

Also, I'd like the easiest ways to do this as I use the boat regularly and don't want it apart for very long. I'd like to do it in a day or two max.

Thanks in advance! Happy boating!

 

[Lukelona]

 

[Lukelona]

 

[Lukelona]

 

[Lukelona]

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would start by removing the carpeting, then cut the seat base close to the floor, grind back about 8" for tabing in the new seat bases, then build up new seat bases and glass them in.

if you want to go to pedestal mounted seats, then simply glass in backing plates for the pedestals under a piece of 3/4" plywood.

once your glassing is done, re-gel if needed, and then reinstall the carpeting.

 

[jbcurt00]

That plywood around the ski locker looks like its laid over the carpet, and doesn't appear to have been fiberglassed.

Your seat base maybe a small part of a larger problem

 

[Lukelona]

Thanks Scott. I'll be looking into it today. I appreciate it.

In curt, the plywood at the locker was put there by the p/o. It's poly on it and is waterproof.
But I think there was a soft spot where he put it. I'm not sure though.

 

[Scott Danforth]

But I think there was a soft spot where he put it. I'm not sure though.

Hence John's comment on small part of a larger problem

 

[JASinIL2006]

That's what jbcurt is suggesting... that plywood was placed to cover a problem. Soft spots in the floor are often the tip of the iceberg... with bigger problems lying beneath.

A plywood patch is often used to conceal the extent of those problems, which can include soaked floatation foam and rotted stringers/bulkheads. It is possible there was simply a problem with the floor, but often a soft spot in the floor is the least of the problem. Hope that's not the case with your boat, but the condition of the seat bases would encourage me to at least look beneath the plywood.

 

[Lukelona]

Ok, ugghh all day of cutting grinding and scraping...floor was rotten ONLY in the center where the seat based are. The back and the front floor look like they've been replaced recently. They left the hardest part for me apparently lol

This is more than I wanted to do right in middle of season but once I got started I couldn't stop lo
There is foam between stringers and it's not wet belive it or not. And the stringers are excellent shape.
So looks like I'll be putting new floor in the center section before replacing seats.

My questions now are about the edge of floor where it goes at a 45? angle, how do I repair that part?
I'd like to not put in New carpet, but rather put a non skid floor material. Suggestions on this would be great.

I can use all the help I can get guys! Thanks

 

[Lukelona]

 

[Lukelona]

 

[Lukelona]

 

[Lukelona]

 

[jbcurt00]

Um, Luke, your pix dont seem to agree w/ the spot under the seat being the only problem area.

This looks like an area thats higher then the surrounding deck:

and the foams appear to be different colors:

off hand, I suspect the previous owner did some work to this boat and came up w/ the pedestal that created this step up area between the seat base and the side of the hull:

But let some other fellas take a look, maybe they'll have a different take. What boat make/model/year?

 

[Lukelona]

Thanks jb, to start, yes I found that one spot you see in pic that's above deck level. It is the side storage area. The rotten seat base extended it up to the side storage a little bit. I'm trying to figure that out also.

The foam appears different color on the left is where the deck was on it, so it has kind of a "skin" on top. The lighter colored part is the foam from under seat base. I was starting to tear it out where it stuck above seat level.

And no doubt someone did some deck work before I got it. But the seat bases appear factory. It looks like they avoided this section because it was the hardest.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Did you do any sort of core sample to see if the foam is wet at the bottom? The stuff on top can be dry as a bone, while the foam below is saturated. I hope yours is dry, but better to check.

 

[Lukelona]

Yes I dug into it in a couple spots. Only spot was wet was on the edge by the seat base. Which that foam was removed anyway. The rest seems solid.

 

[Lukelona]

By the way it is a 1993 Maxum 1700 bowrider. 3.0 Mercruiser I/O.

Do you guys see the big open hole where the gas tank is....when I put my new deck sod down how can I brace and support that spot?
I think it's too big for just the 3/8 or 1/2" floor to be strong. Seems like it may flex. There is about 3" between gas tank and deck level.

Also the spot at edge of hull where it angles up a little...I'll be cutting it out when I finish removing seat base. How can I rebuild that angle?