Floor replacement - what I've learned....

[tmh]

I am mostly done with my floor replacement on my 19' BR. It's taken a long time due to winter coming and the boat being stored for a few months right as I was getting started. Also, i had no idea what the heck I was doing so I had to learn everything here then learn on the go doing it. So here are a few things I learned...

First off, it doesn't matter WHAT I learned because i am NEVER doing THIS job again!!!! OK, I guess just THAT knowledge is important. I think I lost about $15k in work productivity (I am self employed, fixing the boat instead of working pays me.....nothing). I spent a lot on tools and supplies also. I could have just bought a nicer boat with the money.

I learned epoxy resin is very sticky. I learned fiberglass sawdust itches like crazy. I learned how to pull splinters out of my hands like a surgeon. I now know that boats have NO square angles. I have a new-found appreciation for how nasty waterlogged foam is to deal with.

Well, that about covers it. I now have to carpet and put ALL the seats back in, etc. I'm sure that will be a learning experience also.

Oh, and yes, I did learn the feeling you get from doing a project like this with your young sons regardless of what a pain in the %$&#@ it is!!!!! My boys say they want to do another one some time......yeah, they can....with their kids someday!

 

[Matt86K5]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

My boys say they want to do another one some time......yeah, they can....with their kids someday!

Now that was pretty funny. Did you get lots of pictures? I love going back and looking at old pics of my dad and his dad doing things and my dad and I, and eventually my son and I (providing I have a son). Good memories for sure!

 

[klos]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

Hey you already bought all the tools, why not start anouther.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

I am mostly done with my floor replacement on my 19' BR. It's taken a long time due to winter coming and the boat being stored for a few months right as I was getting started. Also, i had no idea what the heck I was doing so I had to learn everything here then learn on the go doing it. So here are a few things I learned...

First off, it doesn't matter WHAT I learned because i am NEVER doing THIS job again!!!! OK, I guess just THAT knowledge is important. I think I lost about $15k in work productivity (I am self employed, fixing the boat instead of working pays me.....nothing). I spent a lot on tools and supplies also. I could have just bought a nicer boat with the money.

I learned epoxy resin is very sticky. I learned fiberglass sawdust itches like crazy. I learned how to pull splinters out of my hands like a surgeon. I now know that boats have NO square angles. I have a new-found appreciation for how nasty waterlogged foam is to deal with.

Well, that about covers it. I now have to carpet and put ALL the seats back in, etc. I'm sure that will be a learning experience also.

Oh, and yes, I did learn the feeling you get from doing a project like this with your young sons regardless of what a pain in the %$&#@ it is!!!!! My boys say they want to do another one some time......yeah, they can....with their kids someday!

Been there done that...probably lost more time than you or at least as much, There has been a few time's i have sworn i was going to just do a quick finish job and sell it off...........but it think not it has to much of my blood. I havnt told the wife yet but it has become my toy and it is mine...

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

Aye TMH.. it sux dont it ?

but.. one thing you can say is that you have "learned" what about 4-5 times in your post ?

Learning is what its all about m8..you probably hated the foam extraction the most ( it sux the most ) you have to appreciate why peeps like me bill out at 85-95 bucks an Hour man..if you calculate what you did mebbe you did loose some cash..but you also learned..and knowing first hand is very helpfull when you decide to let somebody else work you..ahem..i mean for you on your boat..

learn Everything..thats what is all about m8

peace YD

 

[tmh]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

YD, I don't disagree....and truth is, i think I could do the job in 1/4 the time now that I know how. Many hassles were self-made, but that's how it goes.

Final coat of resin goes on tomorrow, then all done!!!! Oh, of course I still need to put my boat together, but at least that's nuts, bolts and screws....things I know better.

I also re-did all the foam in the seats over the winter so it will be a better boat when I'm done. Some of the details (refinishing small teak trim pieces, etc. will be done when I get around to it after it is back in the water being used....maybe not until next winter.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

"Final coat of resin goes on tomorrow, then all done!!!!"


LOL at "all done" and "boat" in the same context.

Congrats on the new floor though!

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

Yeah, yeah, yeah.... You SAY you'll never do it again. BUT, you know you'll be driving along some time next Fall and you'll see IT. You don't know what IT is yet, but you'll know when you see it. It'll be tucked behind someone's garage and you'll just catch a glimpse of it. Weeds will be grown up around it. It'll be full of old tires and leaves. But something will click inside you and tell you that you HAVE to have IT. And then your kids will get their wish to do it all over again... I know, because it has happened to me. Twice....
- Scott

 

[croSSed]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

"LOL at "all done" and "boat" in the same context."

iwombat, that is REALLY funny! LOL!!!

You mentioned epoxy resin, tmh. Another thing you probably learned is why 95% of all boat manufacturers don't use it when building a boat: $$$$$$! It would price boats way out of reach of the typical buyer!

TG

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

THM, at least you're about done. Although projects are never "done" per se. I learned, (we've all learned) something from a project boat. "Never Again" was what I took my lesson to mean.

Rebuild 101

 

[tmh]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

Nova, saw your link and read what it says about foam. I totally agree, foam is the devil!!!!! I used a combination of soda bottles and pieces of foam under my floor, not pour in or expending foam. The bottles actually fit in great, had to partly "deflate" a few to make it a very snug fit under the floor.

We always wear life jackets and never go into water too far from shore as we boat on smaller lakes. The soda bottles/foam chunks will have some noise control/vibration effect as well as maybe help for a few min. if we go under! I GUARANTEE you all these older boats with foam are going down much quicker with 300 lbs of soaked foam in them!!!

Overall, the truth is it is not a hard job to replace part of a floor - once you know what you're doing, that is. A dirty, nasty job, but easy enough.

 

[Robj]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

I'm in the same boat as tmh. Replacing floor and stingers, The worst job by far is the grinding and all that dust. Afterwards the boat looks like it was in a snow storm. You guys who do this daily, you deserve every penny that you make, it is not for me. Maybe when it is done I will look at it differently, but at this point it is not much fun.

 

[crashonmyhead]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

Having owned a few small tri-hulls a long time ago, and just having picked up a 18' Capri that I just ripped the floor out of to re-build with the help of my son, I found the article "Rebuild 101" to be a refreshing look at the world of older boats. Kudos to Nova for that one. Same mentality as we have on the Camaro Drag race car we built the wife. Enjoy it then pass it on....

 

[wayno]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

I think almost everyone here kows exactly what you are talking about. The foam, dust, resin wow. And this is probably one of the few places where you find people who will completly understand. I also had some fun with my boys (age 8 & 5) they didnt do to much but they sure learned alot.

The feeling i got when i fired my boat up last weekend (in the driveway) was awsome; cant wait to launch this weekend.


Congrats

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

I like the idea of soda bottles!
I wonder what else might work the same?
Nearly every boat I have had to deal with rot whether it be just the floor or all of the stringers and transom had foam. I just pulled the floor up on an old aluminum boat and it had something that looks like foam packing peanuts under the original floor?
They look like mini ping pong balls. When I finally cleared the floor boards, I pulled up the first panel and they went everywhere in the wind. They weren't wet, but they blew everywhere.
The boat was built in the late 60's and I doubt it's been redone before. Someone did add a layer over the already bad floors, but the base layer looked original.
The bottom layer was 5/8" the top layer was thinner. They didn't even pull up the old floor covering or matting. They just covered it up. They did go far enough to remove the seat pedestals, I found the 12 drilled out molly bolts in the bottom.
I was surprised to see that the wood stringers added ontop of the aluminum ribs are made of what looks to be either cedar or redwood and is still in good shape.

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: Floor replacement - what I've learned....

Reelfishin, probably styrofoam packing material. Styrofoam won't hold water, hence it was not wet. However, gasoline melts styrofoam into oblivian. The USCG mfg regs states that the floatation material must be impervious to chemical y for x periods of time. Since a P.O. redecked the floor, I doubt that the mfg. would have used that.