New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

Hello fellow boaters - new member here, and i've been finding a lot of seemingly solid advice here regarding plywood deck repairs and patches, but i'm wondering how different my situation will be considering that i have aluminum hull and stringers (and transom):

I have a 16" MonArk with a small soft spot between driver and passenger right in front of the bench (where a cheap plastic drain hole used to drain right into the wood).

This will be my first project, and it seems like something that could be patched, but i would rather replace the whole floor section if that's the right way to do it...

My concern about replacing the whole thing however is that the floor extends at least several inches under the back deck which is riveted on, and i'd rather not to make this a metal-working project too by removing the back deck, just to fix a small soft spot.

In that case would i create the new floor in two sections so i can slide it under the back deck? or is it better just to patch?

If anyone out there has experience to share or can point me to some links i would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks very much

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

Welcome to iboats. You are in the right place.

Got some homework for you to do

Take a look at this index of starcraft aluminum boat restorations and you will find all your answers (hint yes.... you can do the deck in pieces and it will work ) Read these http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=385090

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

Thanks very much for the links. Quite a wealth of information - I've been reading alot, but these last few weeks have been way more busy than I was anticipating, and I'm travelling from Austin to San Antonio to work on her on weekends. (My girlfriend's dad has a nice 4 car garage, whereas I have the 0 car type...) So I haven't had the time I would like to scour these threads thoroughly...

Anyhow - here is what I'm looking at:



I'm hoping I will be okay to just replace this part of the sole and not the rest which is under the aft shell (is that the correct term?)

I'm also wondering - if I'm replacing with marine plywood, do I still have to seal it, and if so what is the quickest way to properly do that? Seeing as how I'm travelling on weekends to work on this, I hate to think of wasting days on epoxy drying, but I'll do whatever I have to.

Also - is this rare that there is no drainage between the numerous stringers?
There didn't seem to be any rust or corrosion down there, but it seems very odd..

Thanks again

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

The picture did not show up ?????

Yes marine ply should still be sealed and same some money and use polyester resin and fiberglass. It dries faster I would use CSM (chopped strand mat) and the resin. Resin alone will not stay sealed so you need some csm or fiberglass cloth in the mix.

You can replace only what is needed for the deck. You do not have to do the entire deck.

There are usually liber holes or places under the aluminum for water to drain however, some designs have rounded aluminum braces which do not hold water while you are underway.

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

Is the pic still not there!? I tried again to attach (using the 20-something step instructions for non-photobucket people that I found somewhere
I can see it in preview mode...
Maybe I'm still doing something wrong...

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

I hope my picture showed up (I can see it anyways).

So, even if the marine ply is to be used only as decking (with carpet) on a bass boat that will kept covered and never used for swimming, skiing, etc., it would STILL have to be sealed with resin/glass??
Sorry to press the issue, but when I pulled the previous ply sole out it appears to be cheap, non-marine, and unsealed (unless the old sealant has just deteriorated that much). Considering that it had only a small soft spot of rot for 20 yrs old (she's a 1990), if there is an acceptable way to do it with primer or something that won't take days to dry/cure, I would much rather do that.

Just trying to get an idea of the costs, and time needed to do this since I only have precious weekends to do this, have to travel to work on it, and (here's the real reason) I'm just too anxious for white bass season and really don't want to miss too much action

thanks for the helpful advice

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

Check out my signature for how to post your pics

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

Thank you - that is the same guide I was using - I found it on another thread where you chimed in.
I tried it again, and once again, I can see the picture...
Sorry if it didn't work again - I don't know what to say

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

Well I found out how the hull drains - there are holes to the left and right of the hull center - there were blocks of foam wedged in there so I couldn't see, ha ha.
Of course they are well enough to the sides that I didn't even think to look there because it seems the drainage would need to be in the center at the lowest point, but oh well - it is a relief anyway .

I ended up coating the plywood for the sole with spar varnish - hope you guys won't look down on me too hard now...

I know without photos nobody cares anyways, but that's my other problem apparently:

Any ideas why the heck my photo won't show up?? I've followed woodonglass's instructions (several times) to try to edit the post and I can always see the pic on my computer but noone else can..
Do you have to be starting a new post, or can you edit previous ones to attach photos? I'm at a loss here, and I'm no IT expert but definitely not computer illiterate..

Re: New member question about replacing/patching deck on aluminum bass boat

Just do photobucket. It's great. Trying to host photos on iboats isn't worth the trouble.