removing cap..

[peacekeeper6]

ok, i took my rub rail off to patch some of the places where it screws in as it was sagging. Now i noticed that my boat is "capped" but when i look all around it it looks like the floor is molded to the cap. Now question in point...are all floors like this? and that is why you have to cut them out because they are glassed to the stringers? or do i have a special boat that is magical and my floor will lift out with my cap?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: removing cap..

call a glass liner, some are full liners, some are like bowriders where the bow seats and floor are part of the cap, some are just the gunnel and consoles.

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: removing cap..

so can i just remove my motor and take the cap off to get to stringers? floor is in great shape. and stringer even look pretty good. But when i pulled the gas tank there was wet foam all around. What should i look for under the deck to see if i can pull the cap with the floor? i can stick my head through the bait well and see under the floor.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: removing cap..

i've never pull a full floor cap. don't know.

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: removing cap..

hum something to investigate.

 

[oops!]

Re: removing cap..

what kind of boat? open hull tri?

take this with a grain of salt as i have never done this YET

the info im giving you comes from 2 books i bought. runabout renovation, and the fibeerglass boat repair manual.

the "cap" (deck) is screwed/or joined to the top sides of the hull. the sterring console/passengers console in some boats. open bow. are all one peice. connected to the deck. they are lightly glassed to the floor.

after the rub rail is off you can see how it was connected. all screws and rivets must come out. some manufactures used a joining compound between the cap and the hull. with patients and a reciporcating saw. you can cut the joint at the compound.

to remove the floor the cap must come off.
after the carpet/uph is out you will see the glass joints between the floor and the consoles.
cut away the joints using a small grinder. be careful not to cut the consoles.
the cap should be ready to come off.

after the cap is removed cut the glass that joines the floor to the hull..
carefully!
then you can section the floor for removal.
they say this step is the uglyest lousyest thing you can do besides removing the transom with a chisel.
peice by peice remove the floor.
follow all safety procedures and wear a good resporator as figerglass dust will stay permananty in your lungs.

good luck

 

[tommays]

Re: removing cap..

I can tell you on a 16 and 18 ft Donzi the compleat middle of the boat lifts with the cap


The hard part was that after the cap was screwed they also glassed it and it had to be CUT inside to open





Tommays

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: removing cap..

its a 22 ft grady white, CC