Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

[Old Yeller Boater]

So, I was working on my new-to-me 87 Larson yesterday. After troubleshooting a bad trim solenoid, I decided to pull up some carpet to check out a soft spot that I knew was there. Pics below are of what I found. :facepalm:

So....I'm currently debating if I'm going to keep this boat for several other reasons. If I decide to keep it, I'm planning to replace the transom, stringers and floor with all new materials. In the mean time, I'm planning to replace the board for now, but seal it up better to keep water out of the foam and underfloor.

Does anyone have any specific thoughts on what to do with it as a short term fix until I get to the transom and floor replacement?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

Short term fix until you start work is to wrap it up to keep the elements out of it until you start work... best.

It sounds like you already know not to use this boat in the rotten condition it is in, so I won't say anything about that.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

Looks a lot like mine,1985 Larson,140 mercruiser. bad floor. Problem is with mine someone fixed it before,with Osb! My winter project just got bigger by a lot. When I start the restoration I'll be taking lots of pics. I picked up the boat for $200 and it's a good runner so I will be fixing up right.

 

[emoney]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

We all "think the best" in these situations.....usually never plays out that way though. Just sayin'

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

Hi and welcome Old Yeller Boater,

Yeah, jigngrub pretty much summed it up...

We don't usually do any patch jobs around here, kind of frowned upon...we either get rid of 'em or restore 'em...not much middle ground...

I mean, you could throw a piece of wood and some sealant on it and go boating...but...

If you want to do what you want to do, then go ahead...after all it is your boat...but not many on this forum are going to give you band-aid type solutions...sorry, but that's pretty much how we roll...

Not to be disrespectful or negative, but this boating thing, while a million tons of fun, is no place to cut corners...kind of like an airplane in trouble...you can't just pull over...:redface:

When you decide to go whole hog and restore this boat, though...you can count on the vast knowledge base of super helpful folks here to help get you through this...

Have Fun and Best regards,
GT1M

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

thanks for the input and I definitely do understand doing it right. Other than this spot, my floor is in pretty good shape. The stringers under the gas tank cover are showing signs of age and rot. I'm simply trying to keep the boat usable for the remainder of this season while I fix some mechanical problems. After that, I plan to replace the floor and transom at one time. It may be sooner or later, just depends on what other problems I run into. But this "fix" won't be for more than a few more months.

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

Just closing out an old thread with final information in case anyone should wander through the search function and read this.

this past month I took the boat to a professional to have the transom replaced. The wood inside was mush and the guy said it had been repaired before....but very poorly. At the same time, I had him replace the flooring from the front of the bilge back on both sides. He also gel coated the bilge area and cleaned everything up nicely. I now have a composite transom, so should never rot again.

At the same time, I asked him about my stringers going forward near the gas tank under the floor. He said the stringers are going bad, but I could probably get another year or two of use before they would be a problem. He said the good part is that my boat was over-built very well and the floor is not sagging or weak in any way. He recommended not worrying about it for now. at least some positive news. As long as I take good care of it and keep the boat properly stored and dry, I hope to make at least 2 years. we shall see.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

Because people are Always asking... Would you care to share what you had to pay for the work??? What do you mean when you say you now have a Composite Transom. What did he use to replace the old one. If he used Plywood, Resin and Gelcoat it's not called a composite. Composite usually means Non Wood construction. Is this the case?

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

the total cost was $2000, but that included him removing and installing the motor too. He removed the old transom to the outer fiberglass, then used a composite material, then glassed over that. He showed me the material. It was relatively light, but hard as stone. You could see it was layered together and was about 2 inches thick. He told me that material will never rot.

 

[gm280]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

You now have peaked my interest. Is there anyway you could ask him for the exact material he used as to what it is called and where he gets it from? I am working a boat transom my self and would be very interested in it if it was the right material and cost worthy.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

Yeah, What he ^^^ said!!!!

 

[Peter Eikenberry]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

The comments on fixing the boat and not patching it are spot on, but here's a temporary fix for just that board. Buy some marine plywood, coat it all over, especially the edges with CPES (Clear penetrating epoxy sealer) Do not do this indoors. Be very careful. Wear gloves and a respirator. This stuff is toxic but will seal the wood so no moisture can penetrate it. After the CPES has completely dried then coat the entire piece with regular epoxy resin. Put on two coats. If you want extra protection put a layer of fiberglass on both sides. But for a quick fix, that really isn't necessary. This piece will now be better than all the rest of the wood in your boat.

I replaced the floor and stringers in my 1972 Sea Ray and that is the system I used. It will probably outlast the rest of the boat. New Boatbuilders Home Page - Projects - 1972 Sea Ray 190 Rebirth

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

I did not ask him what it was other than composite, but from a search on the net I found an ad for coosa board and that's exactly what it looked like. He told me he had it left over from a larger job, so he used the extra on mine.

I'll check in with him after the holiday to confirm.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

If it is in fact coosa board, then you got a heck of a deal on your repair.
Congrats!!!

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

I called the guy today. He said it was Penske, not Coosa. His opinion was that they are comparable products.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

If anyone cares to read further on Penske board I found this to be a good discussion on another forum...
Coosa vs Penske and what density? - The Hull Truth - Boating and Fishing Forum

 

[jbcurt00]

A shop makes good on previous repair errors....

A shop makes good on previous repair errors....

Sounds like you've gotten some good work done very reasonably. Congrats, good to see it get turned around for you after a bit of a rocky start.

To bad more places don't have staff who give a carp about the quality of their work.... Or that some people will do cosmetic repairs & pass a possibly unsafe boat along to someone else, who often has no idea the ugliness hidden behind new carpet....

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Excellent Floor Repair.....NOT!

Thanks. yeah, I was really pleased that this guy actually cared about the work he did. He charged me a pretty penny, but I do feel like I got my money's worth in his attention to detail. I guess the lesson is you get what you pay for.