floor question

[darmandude]

I've got this old fiberglass Harvey (1964 16'), and the floor in it seems a little weak. It flexes when you stand on it between the suppiorts. The boat has never had standing water in it and has only been exposed to the rain for about 10 years of it's life (tarp failed). I thought about using a hole saw and looking into the cavity but I think there is foam in there. There is a drain plug on the transom at the very bottom that is for this area (3/8 bolt), and it's been out with the bow raised while being stored. I don't think there is any dryrot the rest of the boat is in good shape, even the transom. I also thought about laying down another floor on top of the old one. I'm not sure what thickness of plywood to use, 1/2" should stiffen it up, but 1/4" is less money. Any thoughts?

 

[chargerboy]

Re: floor question

You won't gain any extra stiffness by adding 1/4 inch unless you really glue the two together. You have to ask yourself though: Was the floor supposed to flex like this when it was new? Probably not. So that means there's some rot in the existing plywood. You're better off to remove the old stuff, investigate for any other possible problems, fix it all right. You'll save some weight in the boat by not adding extra material, and maybe even lighten it up if the old foam is waterlogged (which it probably is).

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: floor question

Welcome to iBoats!!

First off Boats don't have floors, they have Decks or Soles! If the dec is soft it is because the superstructure below has failed. If you intend to keep the boat then you need to repair what lies beneath. There is plenty of instruction and help on this forum to guide you through what ever needs to be done. Even if you have limited abilities, if you have the willingness, the time and the money to take on the project you can and will be successful.
Post some pics. Check out my post on how to post pics and we can and will help you.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=410147

Good luck