On the Floor!

[Master Baiter]

I recently had a small accident with boat drift boat trailer. My leaf spring broke, the axle spun 90 and the boat and trailer skipped down the road a short ways. Fortunately there was no permanent damage other than needing new running gear for the trailer. When the boat skipped my anchor jumped out of the nest and hammered my flooring.

What materials would be good to use for replacement flooring (sub-floor and top finish)?

Thanks in Advance!

MB

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Keep your tip up and don't pull too hard! {;-)>

[This message has been edited by Master Baiter (edited 01-19-2001).]

[Kwiky]

Sorry I can't help you Grand Master B, but I just wanted to say that I have basically the same predicament: my boat is old and I'd like to replace the flooring in back where the anchor has done some damage. Any advice on the type of material to use would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking for a piece of only about 2' x 2'.

BTW, sorry to hear about the trailer.....

Kwiky

[Master Baiter]

Thanks for the condolence Kwik. I was fortunate to find out how good of friends I had so far away from home base. My buddy installed a complete new suspension and 6 lug axles for $300.

I acctually only need a small patch also but I figure I may as well do the whole thing and run heater lines while I am at it.

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Keep your tip up and don't pull too hard! {;-)>

[ssteelheadsteve]

Get rid of the anchor nest in a drift boat and get a 5 gal bucket.Every thing eventually falls out of a nest.

[LIPPEE]

What kind of material are you talking about. aluminum easy fix, Wood good luck

[fishbait]

I would call up stevens marine and get a price on the material they use for flooring in their sleds and drift boats, its marine plywood with a plastic vapor barrier laminated to both sides and then a non slip covering on one side. In their boats it has a lifetime warrenty. Good stuff but probable pricy.

[Master Baiter]

SSS, that sounds like a good idea for regular operation. Do you mount that bucket or is it just freely resting? In this case the boat jumped so hard that the anchor would have flown out of the bucket even.

LIPPEE, sorry for the lack of clarity, the bottom of the aluminum hull is fine just the elevated flooring was damaged.

FB, I have considered a prefabbed floor but as you noted they are spendy! The marine plywood sounds like a good start, I did not know that there was a special material for boats. I was thinking of maybe coating the wood with some kind of bed liner material before installing it. Like something you get at the auto store or Line-X (if cost effective).

Has anyone tried this before that can give me some advice?

THX

MB

[Hookset]

Another option is to replace the affected area with diamond aluminum. Just measure the area and find your nearest sheet metal supplier. For a fee, they can cut a piece that'll fit. Pre-drill some small holes and use stainless self tapping sheet metal screws in the runners.

The aluminum has got to be better then wood close to an anchor.

hook

[Salmonator]

After you put your anchor in the nest, wrap anchor rope around the nest four or five times before you pull it tight in the cleat. Works for me... Joe

[Master Baiter]

Hook, that sounds like a simple and inexpensive fix, I will have to evaluate that, thanks. The only problem I can think of that moisture will get trapped between the existing wood flooring and armor plating possibly causing rot.

Joe, my buddy uses that trick with a half hitch around the nest also. I was just using one of those high density black rubber hook straps (like bungie but stiffer) but it popped free on the rebound. I should go with the wrap instead!

Thomas

[This message has been edited by Master Baiter (edited 01-19-2001).]

[Artwo]

I bought one of those multi-packs of all rubber bungee cords and found that the small one fits around my anchor when it's in the nest, never had any problems with it bouncing out. I always disconnect and stow my rope while traveling, had it come out of the cleet and stream out 70ft. behind my boat one time on the freeway.

[Master Baiter]

Art, that is exactly what I had and it works fine under normal circumstances which this was not!

We were lucky to only be traveling at about 30 MPH otherwise my truck could have been rolled and I would have greater worries than my floor. Probably would not have been around to tell the story!

The good news is that being the dedicated fisherman that we are, we pushed the boat off into the street, got my buddies trailer to hall my boat, pushed the trailer off to the side of the road and continued about our trip. Only set us back about two hours, we caught 6 nooks and dealt with the trailer at the end of the day.

Definitely a trip I will never forget!

[HOGTIDE]

Ya gotta like Hooksets idea with the precut diamond plate. Sounds simple, solid and may not be alot more exoensive than messing with marine grade plywood and a skidproof layer.

Wonder if, rather than the bungee mess on an anchor nest, a guy could drill an angled hole through the nest and the anchor, and come up with a long peg or key to place through, when in transit?

[LIPPEE]

I use a heavy duty clip on my anchor rope, The pyrimid ride's in the back of my truck until I am ready to use it. Don't have to worry about it at all.

[Trout,myster]

For flooring most of us can afford and work with, marine grade plywood is probably the best bet. I've used this in my own boat to build a battery box and even repaired the front decking on my house with it. You can get the stuff at most any lumber store. I bought a sheet of 3/4" 4x8 at Parr a few years ago to do my house with and I think it was around $40.00. For the boat work, I used 3/8". Ordered up some vinyl flooring from Cabela's (stuff wears like iron!) and used contact adhesive to apply it. Yeah, eventually it will rot. But if it does, it's replaceable. Alternative would be to either go with the aluminum (diamond plate) which is noisy and expensive or you may try getting the piece all cut the way you want it and fiberglass it. The vinyl is quiet and relatively cheap.

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Troutmyster

[Grant Scheele]

Salmonator, would that be new rope?

[Gregotis98]

Have not tried it, but I would think the sprayed bed liner material would work. I read here somewhere that to be sure to have it srayed on before insallation of floor due to spraying over rivets (very hard to fix floor again). It may be a little expensive though. I also would first treat the wood with fiberglass resin to insure against rot, that way you would only have to spray one side with bed liner. Like I said I have not done this so I dont know if it would work. I dont know if it is true but when I was looking at sleds a guy told me his friend had a sled with diamond plate floor and he complained about sunburn under his chin. I dont know if he was joking or not.

[Salmonator]

O'my don't even get me started...

[Master Baiter]

Hey Trout, ironically I was just looking at the vinyl in Cabelas this weekend before I read your post. I think I am going to have them send me some samples.

I have decided to back off of the diamond plate. Lately we have had some really cold mornings leading to felt freezing to the floor. Aluminum flooring may compound the problem. The reflection issue is definitely a consideration too. The plate would be a good idea for some heavy wear spots though, like in the very back where the anchor, gas tank and battery is stored.

Yeah G98, I remember that post! I would definitely have the floor sprayed alone. As far as Line X goes, I am geeting a new rig very shortly and likely will need the bed done so maybe I can work a deal out to get my plywood sprayed while there at it. I also have a buddy who wants to do his floor so maybe we can do it together. Get that economy of scale working for us!

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments thus far. I will probably do something in April right after Metalhead season and just before Springer action heats up! More comments are definitely welcome...

Thomas

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Keep your tip up and don't pull too hard! {;-)>