Well I figured I would post this up for all the new guys that might need some info about how to fix a bad floor.    Its very common for the floors in our boats to get soft / rotten after time, lets face it there not getting any newer  .  The project boat today is a Tahiti with a badly rotten floor (and other issues).

 Step one, gather together the tools you will be needing.  That way you don't have to stop and go looking for something in the middle of the job.

 

 Step two, remove everything you can from the hull, motor, seats, carpet, pump, etc, etc, etc. basically you want to have a bare hull to work with.

 

 Step three, I have found (in my many years of experience  ) that its easier to do this if you give yourself some working room by removing the unneeded parts of the hull that might get in your way. So I always prefer to separate the two halves of the hull first.  This is quite easy to do with a Skill saw, but you choice of saws is your decision.   

 

 Step three, Now that you can start to see the problem areas your almost ready to remove the old floor.  Although I have found that a bit more trimming will make the job even easier. So go ahead and make some stress cuts down the sides and remove the sides of the hull also, its only fiberglass and can be fixed easily later.   This will give you much better access to the floor. It also helps at this point to have a friend around to help, some of these parts are heavy.

 

 Step four, By now you will be almost ready to fix your floor.  But, while your at it I would recommend removing the hull from the trailer at this point.  Its a great time to put a fresh coat of paint on the trailer.   So just flop it over on the dirt and continue on.  This will also get all that fiberglass dust out of the hull.

 

 Unfortunately at this time we found some scuff marks on the bottom and decided this beauty is going to be just to much work to make the floor repair worth doing.  Its a sad thing because the floor repair was going soooooo well  .   

 

 I did manage to save the front of the bow and am going to mount it on my garage wall (or over the fireplace) like a boat hunters version of a moose head 


 

 

Now thats some good reading...

Proppy you didnt spell out how you exactly did that floor   I'm still waiting for your instructions

Thank gawd that wasn't the Lancer! 

 It might be next on the wall if someone doesn't buy it. 

Is a trailer rebuild the next tutorial?

Ray

That's a good idea  .  I could show my method of removing surface rust.............. with a sawzall 


 BTW, I forgot to mention, if your going to attempt this method of floor repair,  have lots of extra saw blades.   

I have to admit that I was a bit leary of proppy's method, but I have to say that it is much easier to work on the floor without the pesky top in the way. I will do all of my boats this way from now on. Thanks Proppy for makin a difference and helpin out the newbs 1 boat at a time.

 I should also mention, that the man with the saw in his hand is none other than the infamous Ironman himself.  Thanks for the help Billy !!  But it looks like we might have another "floor repair" to do over at Sangerpete's house.  Hopefully we dont find any of those scuff marks on the bottom of that one too. 

"Propless"--the Jack Kavorkian of dying jet boat hulls. Look in the yellow pages under "Have sawsall, will travel." I got one--what do you charge?

"Propless"--the Jack Kavorkian of dying jet boat hulls. Look in the yellow pages under "Have sawsall, will travel." I got one--what do you charge?

Geeeeze Mark, I thought you liked the Mini Day

i did my floor with the top on. also the stringers. it was not to bad. oh and i replaced the transom. i dont realy ever want to do it again though.