Floor replacement options and knee material....

[Sleekster]

What I have is a '96 Sleekcraft 21' 3" modified tunnel hull openbow that needs a floor replacement.

Starboard is heavy and a 4'x10' piece weighs about 115 lbs and I'll need 2....add ss screws....And how do I join the 2? I could have a little bump between the consoles.

PVC board is lighter.... but I've only seen 4'x8' sheets. I could hide a seam under the rear bench and another between the consoles.

I'm not sure if I want to re-carpet or leave the floor material exposed and use a texture. Maybe add a snap-in carpet.

My rig weighs in at about 2400 without fuel/oil/people so although its heavy, the idea of reducing the overall weight sounds good to me and might help raise the 70 mph topend.

I will add bigger knees since mine like to un-glass from the floor AND I want to add a 22" setback.

Thanks for any comments.

PS, I did post this in the fiberglass section as well....

[baja200merk]

how bout looking into some foam for the floor?

and the knees are glassed to the floor, like they arent glassed to the hull/stringers?

[Sleekster]

And where do I find it?

Yes, can you believe to the floor. There is only one stringer, in the center, The tunnels are the other stringers!

[RBT]

www.spaceagesynthetics.com

[Sleekster]

I just emailed them.

[baja200merk]

I have seen a few people on here use divinycell foam, that can be found here;

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/divinycellfoam.php

Greg's vking was restored by progression and they boxed in the entire transom area with Baltek Decolite composite panels. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

http://www.marine.com/product_info.php/cPath/131_137_135/products_id/2943

search this site youll find more info then u can read!

[RBT]

Decolite is an awesome product, but it is composite constrution..... most people think this means no wood. In fact a 1979 Hydrostream is a composite boat.
Decolite is balsa core with 1208 biaxial made in a press and post cured. It makes a very strong stiff panel. The only issue with it is secondary bonding, as there is no ability to chemically bond it. They recommend Dow Durakane 8084 to bond it.

RT

[RBT]

Oh and NONE of the above products hold screws. generally 1/4 aluminum is bonded to the underside drilled and tapped for mounting anything.

[baja200merk]

so gregs boat is bolted together?!?

[Sleekster]

Wow, some costly stuff....but I want to do this once.

[RBT]

so gregs boat is bolted together?!?

I am not even sure how to respond to that:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[baja200merk]

unless the knees arent delcolite :confused:

http://www.hydrostream.org/SpotlightArchive/Terzian12.jpg

[rjdubiel]

are the "shelves" that the battery and trim motor are mounted to neccessary for structure? i am rebuilding a v-king and both of those were very poorly constructed but they had wooden dowels connecting them to the back of the boat and glassed in, but not very good at all. i wasnt going to put any back in since i will have plenty of room for the battery and trim pump now that the gas tank will be moved forward for clearance for the knees.

thanks
RJ

[Jeff_G]

With everything you want to do, wood really is your best choice, particularly for a DIY job. Use CDX if it is going to be covered or AC exterior if you need a smooth surface.
It is strong, relatively lightweight, holds screws, takes any kind of bonding agent, poly or epoxy and is easy to work with. What more would you want?
If you are concerned about weight carry a smaller ice chest. :-)

[baja200merk]

they just tied it into the wings.

http://www.hydrostream.org/SpotlightArchive/Terzian.htm

[Instigator]

you got enough money in that damn thing.

Call me.

Gary

[Techno]

Starboard is heavy and a 4'x10' piece weighs about 115 lbs and I'll need 2....add ss screws....And how do I join the 2? I could have a little bump between the consoles.
My floor -4' X7'X1/2 divynalcell with top hat stiffeners weighed about 20lbs? It also had to bridge the 4' width unsupported (the reason for the T-hat stiffeners). The 4x8 panel was shipped as 4x2 panels. I joined them back together before installing. You have to glass both sides of foam for the strength.
Joining anything without a ridge is easily done by sanding a small dish at the join and glassing the seam ( I didn't do this unfortunately). Without the dish its a small bump. Wood could be scarfed which is a very high angle cut- about 12:1...1/2" would be 6" wide. This means a panel needs to be 1 foot wider than you need since it overlaps 1 foot. 6" on one, 6" on the other=1' if you needed 8' wide 4' widths won't do it.
You do this scarfing with a circ saw and a jig but on the edge not the plane of the plywood. The saw plate is on the edge of the wood beveling the flat side. The glued plywood sheet or floor is now one single peice without any exposed external stuff.

Screws are not needed if you bond it down. If wood -seal the underbelly of the floor. I see problems with screws but it does make clamping easier. You can cheat and use just enough for clamping instead of fastening.
If you have a whole bunch of stringers to support the floor you don't need immense thickness. I replaced a crap 3/4 plywood floor with 1/2" foam, with stiffeners. Stringers are better:)

One last suggestion is there isn't any requirement for you to use plywood, pvc or foam all over. You could use the easier/cheaper wood for the main floor and foam for the front if there was no fastening issues. Foam does take a more nitemare approach to attach things too.

Finally whatever material its best to attach the fasteners to the floor before you bond the floor in. It isn't a must for plywood but it makes any hold down stronger and easier in the end. In other words how ever your bolting the seats down is already there when you put the floor down.
whatever floor you put in if you assembled it out of the boat you need to be able to install it whole. :rolleyes: Easily missed and quite obvious but if its bigger than the opening it may not slip in.

http://i20.tinypic.com/htthsi.jpg
The underbelly of the floor. The box is a built in floor cooler pocket.
The foot throttle mount next to it and the seat mounts between the foam stiffeners. Top hat stiffeners were placed over them making them redundant.

http://i20.tinypic.com/24v5l4l.jpg
The simple mold for making the top hat stiffeners. The shape with 3 peices of wood that get clamped down onto it. And a section of the stiffener.