Replacing partial boat floor

[Medea.glass]

Hi. We are replacing a soft spot in the middle of our boat deck. It is plywood with a fiberglass overlay. The rest of the deck is in strong condition however we aren't sure if we can just cut out the soft spot and replace it with new plywood...then overlay it with new fiberglass. My dad said we should just lay new plywood over the old deck. That it would be much easier. So my question is..can we just cut it out and measure a piece to put back in it? If that's okay then do we glue it back in and fiberglass over the top? Thank you for any help or suggestions you might have.

 

[CrazyFinn]

First of all, welcome aboard.

Usually, a soft spot in the deck in a symptom of far bigger problems underneath. So, yes, cut it out, and do a thorough inspection of the stringers, and anything else under the deck. My guess is that you won't like what you find. If it is, indeed, confined to the deck, sure, just replace what you need to. But at least then you will know.

Just putting new plywood over the old rotten deck will only make it worse, make your boat heavier, and it just won't end well...

 

[Woodonglass]

How old is the boat? Why do you think it developed a soft spot in the area it did? Many times a soft deck can be the pre-cursor to other issues. If in fact it IS isolated to this one specific area you can just cut out the soft area and replace it as you've described. Using cleats etc...It will be as good as new. I'd recommend once you get the bad out you do a thorough investigation of the underlying substructure.

 

[Medea.glass]

Thank you so much for the responses...and that was my thought too about just putting plywood over the old deck. I think it would look tacky! It is a 1995 VIP Vision. We are re-doing almost all of the interior. However we have to address the deck first. Will the fiberglass overlay fill in the cracks? Or can we use caulking?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Welcome aboard

hope your lucky, most likely your going to find a rotten mess under the floor. I dont think there ever was a "soft spot on the floor" thread that didnt end up as a full restoration.

I suggest reading link 14

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...r/295740-how-to-s-and-other-great-information

 

[Woodonglass]

If you end up only needing to patch the one soft spot, then fill the "Cracks" with thickened resin. (Add cabosil to the polyester resin until it's the consistency of Creamy Peanut butter) Then apply heavy coat of resin to the entire patch and finally lay down a layer of Chopped strand mat and follow up with a layer of 3-6 oz fiberglass fabric. Coat each of the layers with a light coat of resin making sure to "Wet Out" the fibers until they Disappear. (Go Clear). Careful to avoid any air pockets. After 2-3 hours sand and feather/blend the patch to the rest of the hull.