Boat Carpet

[Boobie Trap]

I am going to install new carpet in our Monterey 302 Cruiser. I think that they old stye berber is good carpet and the color is a tan/sand.

The canvas on the boat is navy blue and the wife wants to put matching carpet in. I am not sold on the idea of dark carpet. It seems to me it would be hot
and would show everything.

Anyone have any thoughts/ideas? Just trying to make sure that if I have all the possible comebacks and arguments for installing or not installing the blue carpet.

Thanks

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Boat Carpet

Wow .... tough question. I have not encountered any hot carpet since we really do not get that type of sunshine up here.........

I will yield to people who live in the South

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Boat Carpet

"Buff and Blue", good Navy colors. I remember back in the '80's Ford did a few Thunderbirds (the full size 2 door HT) in those colors and really looked cool.
Con:
Tan (Buff) will show everything.
Carpet Stays Wet.
Carpet has mass so it has weight.
If you fish and the fish flops around all over your carpet your boat will start stinking.
Pro:
Carpet easily conforms to variations in dimensions like deck to side and up under gunwales making for a really nice smooth eye appealing job.

Things don't slide around all over the place with a carpeted deck.....very desirable in a boat.

Thats a quick off the cuff.

Mark

 

[Stachi]

Re: Boat Carpet

Dark carpet WILL get hot in the sun.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Boat Carpet

dark colors do absorb the heat of the sun.

my boat is white (glass). i can touch the surface anytime w/o being burned.
my upholstery and carpet is lime green. it gets much warmer than the white boat. but is still touchable in the sun. but notably warmer. which is good on a cool day, tolerable on a hot day. my hardtop is also lime green (glass). it's always warmer than the white boat, but again touchable on a hot day, but much less so than the white boat itself.
i have a dark green (almost black) throw mat that i keep on board. it sits in the sun in ft. of the engine dog house. this dark color mat, on a hot, sunny day, will burn your feet. you won't stand on it for 2 secs before moving and yelping for getting burned. agian, it's nice on a cool day to warm your feet on, but on a hot day, ya won't step on it with bare feet (not more than once anyways).

dark colors absorb heat. depending on the color, to the point of burning hot.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Boat Carpet

I had navy carpet in my last boat. It was a nightmare. It looked great when clean but you step into the boat 1 time from the ground and it looked trashed again. Stick with light grays or browns.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Boat Carpet

I'm not a fan of carpet on boats. My Cruisers is bare gel coat in the cockpit and that was a big selling point for me. I just put some $5 washable throw rugs down when we are at the dock. We do have carpet in the cabin, but that comes out next spring to be replaced with some type of wood flooring.

A couple of options if you don't like the bare fiberglass. PlasDeck or Nu Teak synthetic teak decking. More expensive than carpet but it looks so nice and stays cool on the feet.

 

[Philster]

Re: Boat Carpet

What about SeaDek? Viable option or not?

http://www.seadek.com/

 

[Boobie Trap]

Re: Boat Carpet

Thanks for the response Texasmark. I do not fish unless you count "fishing" around the cooler for another brew!!

We do keep the bimini top up so the sun does not shine directly on the carpet. I am starting to lean towards a color that is lighter than navy blue but still blue.

We shall see.

Thanks again.

 

[Boobie Trap]

Re: Boat Carpet

Well, I guess it just goes to show you that difference is what makes the world go round. I could not imagine the cockpit area without carpet. Easier on the feet and it keeps you from slipping and it feels more...."rich" than just the bare floor.

Thanks for your input, I appreciate ya!!!

Merry Christmas!! (Love saying that when ever I can)

 

[Boobie Trap]

Re: Boat Carpet

Bob_VT,

You actually get sunshine that far north? Pulling your chain. Yea, it gets kind of warm here in the Dallas area. When it is 110, you need to have someplace to hide!! We have the top up almost all the time so we don't get direct sun but worried about it staying clean from just normal daily dirt.

Thanks for your thoughts and Merry Christmas!!!

 

[southkogs]

Re: Boat Carpet

Boobie Trap - I've had two boats with vinyl floors, and loved both of them. Current one is actually a darker blue, but surprisingly even in the TN sun it doesn't burn the soles of our feet off. Not as plush as carpet, but I actually feel as though I have a more firm grip on the deck. I forget the brand of the more "rubber" like decking out there, but take a close look at it.

Merry Christmas!

 

[ziggy]

Re: Boat Carpet

We do keep the bimini top up so the sun does not shine directly on the carpet.

i got a hardtop. the sun don't shine on my dark green mat all the time either. but sometimes it does. even w/ a hardtop.

there's also hydoturf that can be used in place of carpet too. no idea if it works good or not. but maybe another option.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Boat Carpet

i got a hardtop. the sun don't shine on my dark green mat all the time either. but sometimes it does. even w/ a hardtop.

there's also hydoturf that can be used in place of carpet too. no idea if it works good or not. but maybe another option.

That's the stuff!!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Boat Carpet

I have a light green carpet on my boat and it gets HOT so an even darker color would be almost unbearable unless you wear shoes all the time, I have gotten to where I will dip my feet in the livewell to have a cool spot to stand.

There is a very good reason why most boats are white inside with almost black navy blue carpet it would also actually raise the temp on deck so tell your wife it might look nice but that is all it will do, I gaurantee you will hate it the first time you go out and burn the bottom of your feet.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Boat Carpet

Bob_VT,

You actually get sunshine that far north? Pulling your chain. Yea, it gets kind of warm here in the Dallas area. When it is 110, you need to have someplace to hide!! We have the top up almost all the time so we don't get direct sun but worried about it staying clean from just normal daily dirt.

Thanks for your thoughts and Merry Christmas!!!

Yup, we get Sun and about as much heat as a 15 watt CFL bulb! (and that is only for a week or so!!)

I personally have a light blue/gray indoor outdoor carpet on the deck.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Boat Carpet

I'm not a fan of carpet on boats. My Cruisers is bare gel coat in the cockpit and that was a big selling point for me. I just put some $5 washable throw rugs down when we are at the dock. We do have carpet in the cabin, but that comes out next spring to be replaced with some type of wood flooring.

A couple of options if you don't like the bare fiberglass. PlasDeck or Nu Teak synthetic teak decking. More expensive than carpet but it looks so nice and stays cool on the feet.

Better research that ( cool) on the feet. Everything i read and have a boat next to mine have said it gets awfuly hot.

True, it looks nice and easy to repair with sandpaper.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Boat Carpet

Better research that ( cool) on the feet. Everything i read and have a boat next to mine have said it gets awfuly hot.

True, it looks nice and easy to repair with sandpaper.

I've been aboard one boat that I think had the synthetic teak (might have been real teak.) and it was pretty cool under foot. But up here in Wisconsin a hot day is any day over about 70?.

One of the companies "claims" to be cool.

PlasDECK has created the only synthetic decking that?s designed to stay 25?F to 30?F cooler than all other PVC decking material. CoolTEAK will not feel hot on bare feet, even in full sun.

 

[zopperman]

Re: Boat Carpet

Are you DEAD SET on carpet? I'd go with nautolex marine vinyl... personally I like the feeling of gelcoat with the sand...
I hate carpet on a boat more than I hate it in a house!
My old boat was BURGUNDY, almost a purple and it got so HOT!!