Aluminum flat bottom. Need ideas!!

[mottt]

I have this very old aluminum maybe steel hull that has a disgusting buttom. The old/original paint is chipping off and I want to change the entire inside. Are there any ideas with what I might use or change to cover this ugly floor?
There are coregated braces that run along the bottom from side to side. Spaced 12" apart along the entire bottom. Is this used for a deck or something?

 

[mottt]

Re: Aluminum flat bottom. Need ideas!!

New pic uploaded. Any assistance would be appriciated

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Aluminum flat bottom. Need ideas!!

Nice rig. To repaint/refinish the inside, you need to pull the seats, pressure wash the inside, leak test it by putting some water in the boat (2-3 inches), fix any leaks by bucking the rivets tight or by using Gluvit sealer, then sand the inside lightly and prime it and paint it. If you want to strip the old paint off first, plain old nasty spray-on oven cleaner works wonders...just follow the safety directions on the label...nasty stuff. Then rinse it, sand it, fix any leaks and prime and paint. You can put a plywood floor in there easily...cut panels to fit and coat/seal them with a good oil-based paint or epoxy resin. Do a forum search for painting aluminum boat and/or putting a floor in an aluminum boat. I've seen many threads on both while on this forum.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Aluminum flat bottom. Need ideas!!

Trust me on this......... it's aluminum

With a coat of paint that will last you forever. The Jon Boat design is timeless.

Welcome to iboats. Just keep in mind with a hull that size ..... weight issues need to be considered since smaller boats are tippy.......

 

[Bondo]

Re: Aluminum flat bottom. Need ideas!!

There are coregated braces that run along the bottom from side to side. Spaced 12" apart along the entire bottom. Is this used for a deck or something?

Ayuh,... Those are there to support the hull,.. Structure for Strength...