Looking To Replace Boat Floor + Add Hatches

[Stacer560]

hey guys, just needed some quick advice. I have a great size fishing area on my stacer, and sick of those fishing trips where everything is everywhere and we are tripping over trying to move about.

I have so much room underneath the floor i have decided to replace carpet + create some hatches to store below.

The current floor id say is at least 8 years old, and i tried cutting one of the large boards to create a hatch, but the floor has bowed since pretty bad and is a tripping hazard, so i have screwed it down.

Now the question i have is if i but the appropriate marine grade ply, and cut that to create hatches, will it bow and buckle once exposed to water and sun? Or because its new it will hold its shape?

PS - What timber should i use? Marine ply or ply wood painted with marine enamel coating?

[bisso]

if you want to do it properly, i would say marine ply.. however, there are other products available such as Everdure etc that can be added to other plys which may acheive the same results. if in doubt i would seriously ask a boat builder for their advice if that is available to you. Given they deal with this situation typically, i would think you would get the best advise direct from them other than guys like myself, whom may have little knowledge of this type of thing... as you are looking to do major surgery, i think it prudent to make sure you understand firstly what is involved and second, it is possibly a job for a professional given that you are dealing with structural issues that in essence allow you the enjoyment of boating without sinking due to poor workmanship... bit heavy but it is not a job for the faint hearted!!

[davebrewer]

Whatever ply you use,it will last much longer if you encapsulate the whole job,including underneath and especially endgrain,in 2 coats of boatbuilding epoxy,such as WEST System,Botecote or System 3.This is the approach taken in timber boatbuilding using modern techniques on entire hulls.Good exterior ply would be OK for this,it has the same glueline as marine but dodgier plys,more voids etc than marine(which can vary a lot anyway,some cheap Asian stuff is just crap).You need to seal any surface exposed to the sun,epoxy degrades quickly under UV exposure,with carpet or tough exterior or marine enamel-Norglas and Brightside are both good.If you want hatches,you might need a thicker ply or simply just frame the opening with some oregon underneath,sort of like a picture frame,overlapping your cutout to provide a lip for your hatch to sit on.Thickened epoxy clamped until cured can be used for this-forget screws.Make sure that like everything else,it's sealed in 2 coats of neat epoxy.Lots here on the details of using epoxy:

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/use-guides/

Cheers,

Dave.

[Stacer560]

dave B... i have been told to use HT 9000 EPI Glass with hardener

and add thinners number 7 and give 3 to 4 coats.

What timber do you recommend i use... marine ply or CV ply?

and where to get marine ply?

[a boat]

Hi, good advise from the guys and yes marine ply is what you want and if you seal both sides it helps, but trust me you can get a good batch of ply and then the next batch can not be as good so do not skimp on quality and seal both sides. If money is no issue, then you could fit allycore but it about 10 times the price of ply so most people would choose ply.

Cheers,

Huey.

[Stacer560]

Thanks Huey. I actually went and purchase CD structural plywood.

I know have to purchase the appropriate epoxy / gelcoat to protect the surface.

What product do you guys recommend i use?

I was told to use international HT9000 epiglass epoxy resin Part A and B (hardener) and mix some thinner to make it more liquid like so the timber can absorb the product and apply 4 to 5 coats.

Would this be suffice?

[a boat]

Thanks Huey. I actually went and purchase CD structural plywood.

I know have to purchase the appropriate epoxy / gelcoat to protect the surface.

What product do you guys recommend i use?

I was told to use international HT9000 epiglass epoxy resin Part A and B (hardener) and mix some thinner to make it more liquid like so the timber can absorb the product and apply 4 to 5 coats.

Would this be suffice?

Hi Mate, yes that would work well.

[tan the fisherman]

hey guys, just needed some quick advice. I have a great size fishing area on my stacer, and sick of those fishing trips where everything is everywhere and we are tripping over trying to move about.

I have so much room underneath the floor i have decided to replace carpet + create some hatches to store below.

The current floor id say is at least 8 years old, and i tried cutting one of the large boards to create a hatch, but the floor has bowed since pretty bad and is a tripping hazard, so i have screwed it down.

Now the question i have is if i but the appropriate marine grade ply, and cut that to create hatches, will it bow and buckle once exposed to water and sun? Or because its new it will hold its shape?

You can prevent bowing by bracing with 10x10mm box section steel posts or hardwood strips. Also reinforce the hatch lids

PS - What timber should i use? Marine ply or ply wood painted with marine enamel coating?

ONLY USE GOOD QUALITY MARINE PLY - is worth it in the long run

[davebrewer]

Sorry about the delay Stacer,I haven't used EPI myself but as it's an International product I would be confident-just,as always,be sure to follow the instructions,especially regarding mix ratios-most problems using epoxy relate to buggering these up.CD is fine for a floor,I've used it to make canoes,wouldn't use it on larger boat hulls in case an unseen flaw could lead to a failure but for internal structures,no worries,provided it's sealed thoroughly.Tan's suggestion of bracing is a good one,should help stiffen it considerably on a wide span.About thinning-I would forget that,the epoxy will penetrate a little anyway and form a chemical bond with the ply,if you add the next coat while the first is a little tacky it will bond chemically also.(Once dry you only achieve a mechanical bond,which is OK,but you'll have to sand back the gloss to remove amine blush,which is a bloody pain.)

Cheers,

Dave.

Edited March 19, 2010 by Dave B