Weak Spot in Floor

[trenchdog]

I am new to boating and to this forum. I just got a 1992 Procraft Fish/SKi boat. I think its about 17-18 feet. It has a 115HP Merc on the back. It has been sitting for about 7 years. There is no gas in the engine ad very little oil. I am having a tech look at the motor. I washed it off and it cleaned up pretty well. I only have a few concerns. There is a soft spot in the floor right where you step down off the front deck. Its pretty soft. Any ideas on the best way to fix it. The carpet is in good shape but it is coming loose around the edges and corners. How hard would it be to replace the carpet in a boat like this. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: Weak Spot in Floor

first off welcome to iboats!

Take a look through some of the build forums and you will see what you are up against.

If the deck is soft, i can almost guarantee that the deck and stringers are completely rotten. If you want you can take some core samples. Take a drill and drill into the deck about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. look at the wood shavings. If they are wet, the deck needs to be replaced.

Usually this is a good indicator that the transom might be rotted as well. take some core samples of the transom as well and see what kind of shape it is in. When taking core samples, make sure to do 8-10 of them in different spots.

Post up some pictures, and it will also give us a better idea how to help.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[trenchdog]

Re: Weak Spot in Floor

I can definietly do that. Can you be more specific about some of the other places to drill? I am very new to boating so I am not sure exactly where the transome is. There are no other soft spots in the floor anywhere else if that helps. If it is all rotten what does that mean?

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: Weak Spot in Floor

The transom is the rear of the boat where your outboard is hanging.

You want to take your core samples of the transom from the inside of the boat. Just drill in multiple places high and low on the transom and see how the wood shavings look.

The soft spot on the deck. If you are lucky the rest of the deck will be ok. But 98% of the time when you start to tear into the soft spot, you find that the rest of the deck and stringers are rotted as well. I would take some core samples of the rest of the deck. Once again look at the wood shavings. They should be dry.

Be careful with the drill though, go slow with it and don't go through the deck. You don't wan to put a hole in the bottom of your boat.

Once you have taken the core samples, and if they are dry. just fill the holes with some 3m marine filler, or some silicone.

 

[trenchdog]

Re: Weak Spot in Floor

Ok. That makes sense. In the floor of the boat right between the two seats is a door that opens. This area is carpeted but looks like the area where the stringers are. It also seems to be a drain area for water that gets in the floor. This area seems solid. I have not drilled anything yet. If I reach up as far as I can towards the front of the boat I can feel the underside of the soft spot. I pulled the carpet up and the wood doesn't look rotten but it is hard to tell with the capret glue all over it. I can't get to it until this weekend. I looked at the posts about restoring a boat and I am not sure I want to go in that direction. I thought about building a small box and putting carpet on it to place there to have something solid to step on. The boat was given to me and I don't really have to money, time, or even a place to start taking the entire boat apart.