Install deck in V hull 14' ?

[BlueGhost93]

Just wondering the best way to level out the bottom of my 14' sea nymph V hull. Id like to make a shallow deck to just get rid of the U shape bottom. Not sure how to make a frame or make supports to distribute weight. Using wood. Needs to be removable. If I have to drill into anything I want to drill into the seats not the floor or sides of the boat.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

plywood with a single wood strut along the keel line. don't attach it; you want to be able to lift it out. Maybe a couple of sections with the gaps under the seats. Cut notches for the ribs so it stays put. Leave the back open so you can get to the plug and to bail.

Paint the top with deck paint but not the bottom so it can breathe. Don't worry about the material; it's easy enough to replace in 10 years, but you don't put pressure treated against aluminum. Never use red oak in a boat, either.

 

[BlueGhost93]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

plywood with a single wood strut along the keel line. don't attach it; you want to be able to lift it out. Maybe a couple of sections with the gaps under the seats. Cut notches for the ribs so it stays put. Leave the back open so you can get to the plug and to bail.

Paint the top with deck paint but not the bottom so it can breathe. Don't worry about the material; it's easy enough to replace in 10 years, but you don't put pressure treated against aluminum. Never use red oak in a boat, either.

Im kinda confused as to what you mean wood strut and the a couple of sections with the gaps under the seats? Any way to get a drawing or pic of a drawing? I also was going to seal some wood and then put low cut marine carpet over it on the top. Don't mind replacing it in 5 years or whenever. Its also garaged when not in use.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

OK if the boat is 14' long you probably have about 12' of floor to cover. Assuming you don't want a 12' long piece of plywood there, you have to use sections. Instead of three 4' sections, cut the sections so they touch each other ("gaps") under the seats (2, right?).

Now if you just flop a piece of plywood down, when you stand on it, it will bend. So you want a piece of wood under there to prop it up. It goes the length of the boat, not the width. It is attached to the bottom of each floor section. It is as tall as the distance from the boat's floor to the bottom of the floor section. You may have to cut notches in it to accomodate ribs, and perhaps to allow some drainage and breathing.

When you flop your piece of plywood into the bottom it will hang up on your ribs unless you cut notches in the sides to accomodate them. Those notches also serve to secure the floor section.

Carpet does not belong in a boat. It will cause lots of problems and serve no purpose. Skip it.

 

[BlueGhost93]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

OK if the boat is 14' long you probably have about 12' of floor to cover. Assuming you don't want a 12' long piece of plywood there, you have to use sections. Instead of three 4' sections, cut the sections so they touch each other ("gaps") under the seats (2, right?).

Now if you just flop a piece of plywood down, when you stand on it, it will bend. So you want a piece of wood under there to prop it up. It goes the length of the boat, not the width. It is attached to the bottom of each floor section. It is as tall as the distance from the boat's floor to the bottom of the floor section. You may have to cut notches in it to accomodate ribs, and perhaps to allow some drainage and breathing.

When you flop your piece of plywood into the bottom it will hang up on your ribs unless you cut notches in the sides to accomodate them. Those notches also serve to secure the floor section.

Carpet does not belong in a boat. It will cause lots of problems and serve no purpose. Skip it.

Sweet ok makes sense now. And the bow already from the previous owner has a deck and deck lid for storage. Now as for the carpet, our jon boat for lake fishing and duck hunting has had the same carpet since 2000 and it still looks like it did day one and its been used a lot and been soaked and covered in fish blood yet the carpet is mold free, mildew free, noticeably stain free, and just works. Also hasn't peeled or anything. So my experience with the carpet has gone really well.....

My other idea was rubber mats that let the water go through it. Id like the floor to be somewhat softer then ply wood itself is and slip resistant.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

Carpet holds water~~~ water causes wood to rot and grows mold. As noted, carpet does not belong in an open boat.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

We talked about this before and you know my opinion, but since you're destined anyway....

My starcraft has a flat floor (deck) and its mounted directly to the ribs. The ribs are raised of course, and leveled, so that doesn't apply. Anywayyyy....the bow section was NOT floored, so I built a triangular section out of 1/2" plywood and screwed it to the (angled) ribs with 3.4" SS sheet metal screws. They are firmly fastened to the ribs but don't go thru the hull....duh....LOL.

If I were to floor MY 14' Sea Nymph I would merely lay down a piece of plywood and screw it to the existing ribs. It won't be "flat", per se', but the slight curvature should not be an issue. And the only weight added is the plywood, not of a lot of other extraneous wood.

Carpets in boats....ditto... a pieceocrap. My 19' I/O bowrider was custom built with vinyl non-skid flooring from the factory. Its more durable than carpet, cleans in seconds and looks good too. Trade names like Nautolex come to mind, but Marideck from Cabelas looks the same and is cheaper than carpet too. (Starcraft uses marideck as oem in all aluminum boats)

Below is a pic of my bow section. My seats are covered as well, so I matched the floor section to the same vinyl as the seat tops and the rear floor sections.

Note that all my ribs are raised slightly at the centerline, so water drains to the transom plug reagdless of the floor being there. MY Sea Nymph is built that way too.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

Carpet holds water~~~ water causes wood to rot and grows mold. As noted, carpet does not belong in an open boat.

amen. when you paint the plywood, apply a non-skid texture. How? throw a handfull of sand in the paint. Probably won't need it since outdoor grade plywood isn't slick.

wood needs to breath. Removable rubber mats with drainage is not a bad way to go, though. Just take them out in storage so the deck can dry. Extra work, extra expense, extra weight: worth it?

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

amen. when you paint the plywood, apply a non-skid texture. How? throw a handfull of sand in the paint. Probably won't need it since outdoor grade plywood isn't slick.

wood needs to breath. Removable rubber mats with drainage is not a bad way to go, though. Just take them out in storage so the deck can dry. Extra work, extra expense, extra weight: worth it?

Just the "extra work, extra expense, extra weight" is hardly worth it. Cannot make a 14'er a mini Queen Mary.... the boat fits but one of many of OPs needs/wish list. No reason to put anything into the boat as he will not get it back. Should save that as 2'-itis is here, just not admitted yet.

 

[64osby]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

Once saw a little tinny that had plastic trays to level the floor. Asked the guy what it was and he said it was an old food(?) tray. Reminded me of bread racks. It looked nice and the owner said it worked great. Light weight, rot free and easy to remove for cleaning.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

May be difficult to find but sounds better than the added plywood weight and no rot is a bonus.

Once saw a little tinny that had plastic trays to level the floor. Asked the guy what it was and he said it was an old food(?) tray. Reminded me of bread racks. It looked nice and the owner said it worked great. Light weight, rot free and easy to remove for cleaning.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

I made mine by 1x2 redwood (rot resistant) slats used for a climbing plant trellis. I made a + pattern with the spacing of the top the width of a board lying flat and running fore and aft. The bottom, cross braces were spaced to support the top and wedge between the ribs. Easy to remove and clean and no rot problems requiring no fininshing.

In another instance, I had a welder weld some pieces of alum to my forward ribs for a place for my feet when I operated my forward mounted trolling motor. I used a solid piece of plywood which I treated for that. The surface was painted then I threw sand at it and hit the board on a hard surface to knock the excess off. Worked great for non-skid.....use the same technique on my trailer tongue to keep from sliding off.

Mark

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Install deck in V hull 14' ?

If you start reading about here...

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...t-jet-star-rebuild-455193-36.html#post3472577

...you can see how I installed a deck in my 15 footer directly to the ribs. A little bit different than your boat but the concepts are just about the same.