Decking my ski boat

Dburch89

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I am the owner of my second boat, It is an 89 vip valiant sport . I got a good deal cause the motor was blown. Before I put my put my motor in I want to fix the soft spots in the floor. I tore up the carpet and about a 4 by 4 foot piece in the middle around the storage hole is rotted. It's half inch plywood glassed over, my question is can I build a frame across the middle and lay over it to omit the hole?
 

H20Rat

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Re: Decking my ski boat

Have you checked the stringers? I'm willing you got it cheap because the stringers are probably also rotten to the core. Although not impossible to have a soft deck with 100% solid stringers, that is fairly rare.
 

Dburch89

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Re: Decking my ski boat

The stringers do show there age but not gone a screwdriver won't push through them if I build a 2x4 frame in the hole the. Put like runners across could I attach the 2x4 frame to the stringers and seal the screw holes the Frame will have five foot 2x4s running with the stringers
 
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Re: Decking my ski boat

The stringers do show there age but not gone a screwdriver won't push through them if I build a 2x4 frame in the hole the. Put like runners across could I attach the 2x4 frame to the stringers and seal the screw holes the Frame will have five foot 2x4s running with the stringers

Sure, that will work. You'll want to glass all the wood you use so that there's no way whatsoever that water can get to it. If I'm properly envisioning what you're talking about you'll also want to allow for a path for water to pass through and get to the bilge, that would entail a round notch in the bottom, and that wood should at a minimum be soaked with fiberglass resin to waterproof it. The plywood you use should also be painted with fiberglass resin on the bottom and sides, and of course it will be glassed on the top with the glass extending out 2 or three inches onto the existing deck.

Now, with that being said, ANY boat I've ever seen that had soft spots in the deck also had stringer and transom issues, and most had wet foam as well.
 

Dburch89

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Re: Decking my ski boat

Ok can I just coat the treated 2x4s with resin, and the frame Is a box and goes from stringer to stringer so there is still the v underneath for water to go under. Also since I am omitting the ski storage do I need a vent in the floor, and the foam was bone dry when I removed the plywood. And lastly I am new to what things are called but the transom is where the outdrive comes out correct? It is solid at the back end of the boat
 

salty87

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Re: Decking my ski boat

Storage is a good thing when you have skis and boards around.
 

Dburch89

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Re: Decking my ski boat

It is but that hole is always nasty and I plan on adding a tower if everthing else turns out good
 
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Re: Decking my ski boat

Ok can I just coat the treated 2x4s with resin

Yep. I like to use laminating epoxy (i.e. West Systems etc.).



and the frame Is a box and goes from stringer to stringer so there is still the v underneath for water to go under.


Sounds good.


Also since I am omitting the ski storage do I need a vent in the floor


It wouldn't be a bad idea, that would give water a quick path to the bilge.



and the foam was bone dry when I removed the plywood.


Apparently you got lucky and caught it in time.



And lastly I am new to what things are called but the transom is where the outdrive comes out correct? It is solid at the back end of the boat


Yep, that would be the transom. It's probably a 1-1/2 inch thick marine plywood core encased in fiberglass. Marine plywood is NOT waterproof, contrary to a common misconception. Marine plywood is stronger than ordinary plywood because of the fact that any and all voids in it are carefully filled during the manufacturing process. You'll want to make sure that any screw holes or other penetrations into the transom are properly sealed, otherwise you'll run into problems.
 

Dburch89

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Re: Decking my ski boat

Ok I built a frame that sits on the bottom of the ski storage compartment, then I ran 5 2x4 runners across it that should be more solid than when it came out. I put a couple screws through the frame into the stringers to keep it from ever moving and I must say the screws went in the stringers very solid so I think I'm good there
 

Woodonglass

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Re: Decking my ski boat

The only way to know for sure that your stringers and transom are "Solid" is to drill into them and check the shavings. If the shavings from the drill are dry then fill the holes with 3M 5200 sealant and carry on, If they are mushy and wet, then restoration is needed.
 

Dburch89

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Re: Decking my ski boat

If they were wet and mushy they wouldn't have caught anything and I did the screwdriver test and it won't go through so I don't see the need to drill holes
 

Dburch89

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Re: Decking my ski boat

Ok there was one place on each stringer about a foot long where an aluminum plate sets on top each side for extra support for the seats the fiber glass was flaking there so I cut it off and about half an inch down there was solid wood again like they had a cap on them to make them tall enough and they rotted to that seam, however just that foot was like that beyond that they were solid and they aren't made from plywood it's a hardwood grain kinda looks like oak but idk?
 

Dburch89

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Re: Decking my ski boat

Anyways I think I can just recap them and reglass and save myself a lot of work in the future replacing the stringers, it it possible just to make this repair
 
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