I'll be able to find the answer to this myself once the temp goes above freezing but thought I would ask it here. Regarding the cabin sole of our 1978 Hunter 30: Previous owner glued in carpeting throughout (pretty awful job). From what I can tell looking at nearly every photo of the interior of this boat ... the original floor might be teak and holly? Does anyone know when/where and why Hunter chose which early Cherubinis would get the teak and holly vs. fiberglass floor? If we do, in fact, have this style floor, will it be restorable after so many years of being covered with carpeting? If it's just glass, I plan on having a pro come in and redo the entire interior carpetting. I know I can do it on my own but the pros do such a better job. The can actually bind the edges to the bilge opening, etc. Any ideas on this?
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Cabin sole
If your sole was teak/holly originally you can almost bet it got to bad to stand so was carpeted over. My 27' had teak/holly in poor condition so tore out and replaced. Teak/holly plywood veneer is available at what i thought was a reasonable price 10 years ago of $110 sheet.Understand is about $130 a sheet now. My 27 took 1 and a half sheets. If you go this route BE SURE TO SEAL BACKSIDE before installing. Carl
If your sole was teak/holly originally you can almost bet it got to bad to stand so was carpeted over. My 27' had teak/holly in poor condition so tore out and replaced. Teak/holly plywood veneer is available at what i thought was a reasonable price 10 years ago of $110 sheet.Understand is about $130 a sheet now. My 27 took 1 and a half sheets. If you go this route BE SURE TO SEAL BACKSIDE before installing. Carl
Cabin Sole
I own a 1978 Hunter 30. The cabin sole in my boat is teak and holly. Mine is in very good condition. I am not sure about restoral, but if you don't like the carpet, tear it out. Nothing to lose.
I own a 1978 Hunter 30. The cabin sole in my boat is teak and holly. Mine is in very good condition. I am not sure about restoral, but if you don't like the carpet, tear it out. Nothing to lose.
Sole.........
I have a 37' with a badly worn sole (we've lived on board for 15 years!) If you can restore the sole, do it. If, however, you cannot, I agree that carpeting is.....ugh! I just paid $140 for a 4'x 8' sheet of 1/4" teak & holly. In this form, it's a whole lot easier to handle than the paper-thin veneer, and it adds very little to the height of the floor. I will make exact templates out of doorskins, then use a router to get exact copies of the floorboards. I'll either glue or screw the pieces down, one by one. That's good advice about sealing the back of the panel. I'd carry it a step further though, and advise you to seal the entire piece, front, back & edges with varnish (best color) then after it's worked, use either gloss (ugh!) or satin finish. Good luck!
I have a 37' with a badly worn sole (we've lived on board for 15 years!) If you can restore the sole, do it. If, however, you cannot, I agree that carpeting is.....ugh! I just paid $140 for a 4'x 8' sheet of 1/4" teak & holly. In this form, it's a whole lot easier to handle than the paper-thin veneer, and it adds very little to the height of the floor. I will make exact templates out of doorskins, then use a router to get exact copies of the floorboards. I'll either glue or screw the pieces down, one by one. That's good advice about sealing the back of the panel. I'd carry it a step further though, and advise you to seal the entire piece, front, back & edges with varnish (best color) then after it's worked, use either gloss (ugh!) or satin finish. Good luck!
sole ...Dave
I guess i wasn't specific enough.I used the same 1/4" ply as you which IS a veneer[try refinishing in 10 years and see how thin the veneer is on the plywood]. Also i assumed it was a given that the top surface and edges would be finished with the coating of choice. I had water intrusion under the ply after a few years and had to reseal around all edges with 5200 to keep water intrusion out.
I guess i wasn't specific enough.I used the same 1/4" ply as you which IS a veneer[try refinishing in 10 years and see how thin the veneer is on the plywood]. Also i assumed it was a given that the top surface and edges would be finished with the coating of choice. I had water intrusion under the ply after a few years and had to reseal around all edges with 5200 to keep water intrusion out.
Veneer
Believe it or not, that veneer (about as thick as a thin piece of typing paper) is available, and it's about as useful in a redo as gold leaf!
Believe it or not, that veneer (about as thick as a thin piece of typing paper) is available, and it's about as useful in a redo as gold leaf!
Veneer only?
So, you can buy just the veneer and adhere over the existing floor? (Assuming that you scratched up the existing so as to ensure adhesion). Where do you get this veneer? thanks, matt
So, you can buy just the veneer and adhere over the existing floor? (Assuming that you scratched up the existing so as to ensure adhesion). Where do you get this veneer? thanks, matt
Only Veneer
Yes, but I hasten to warn you, it would be very fragile and difficult to work with, not to mention the fact that it is SO THIN that it would "telegraph" every imperfection in your existing floor through to the new surface. The Source: Boulter Plywood Summerville, Mass (617) 555-1340 Speak to "Chris"; he's very helpful The 1/4" plywood is marine grade, 5- or 7-ply, and will be much easier to handle, and, I think make a better job of it. By the way, it's just a tad under 1/4", being a metric measure. Good luck
Yes, but I hasten to warn you, it would be very fragile and difficult to work with, not to mention the fact that it is SO THIN that it would "telegraph" every imperfection in your existing floor through to the new surface. The Source: Boulter Plywood Summerville, Mass (617) 555-1340 Speak to "Chris"; he's very helpful The 1/4" plywood is marine grade, 5- or 7-ply, and will be much easier to handle, and, I think make a better job of it. By the way, it's just a tad under 1/4", being a metric measure. Good luck
One solution to teak-and-holly issue.
My 1974 H-25 has a plain painted plywood floor that was probably once covered in some kind of carpet. The floor timbers are rotten and I am replacing the whole thing (we're talking about a 3 x 7-ft piece of plywood... no big deal). I thought a lot about teak-and-holly plywood and the $140 for it and decided against it. I have to replace the whole floor structure with lauan beams (making properly-sized limber holes in the bilge this time) and a sheet of 1/2" lauan (phillipine) plywood. That's it. Heavy on the epoxy and UV varnish. The two floor hatches for inspection of the keel bolts get trimmed with 1/4" x 1/2" holly-- the real thing. (My brother the colonial jointer has a stock of this stuff.) It is true that a lot of the teak-and-holly veneer plywood is junk. Not all of it is, though. Even thin veneer will last a lifetime if you DON'T sand it. It should be 'refinished' with linseed oil and maybe more varnish (like the floor of an old house). Contact ML Condon in White Plains NY for the stuff we used at Cherubini Boat. Because of my dad's influence Hunter probably used the same vendor for the earlier (Marlboro NJ) boats, but the Florida-made ones undoubtedly got it somewhere else (because of the shipping from NY). BTW-- for my money (and maintenance efforts) carpet is NEVER acceptable on a seagoing sailboat. JC 2
My 1974 H-25 has a plain painted plywood floor that was probably once covered in some kind of carpet. The floor timbers are rotten and I am replacing the whole thing (we're talking about a 3 x 7-ft piece of plywood... no big deal). I thought a lot about teak-and-holly plywood and the $140 for it and decided against it. I have to replace the whole floor structure with lauan beams (making properly-sized limber holes in the bilge this time) and a sheet of 1/2" lauan (phillipine) plywood. That's it. Heavy on the epoxy and UV varnish. The two floor hatches for inspection of the keel bolts get trimmed with 1/4" x 1/2" holly-- the real thing. (My brother the colonial jointer has a stock of this stuff.) It is true that a lot of the teak-and-holly veneer plywood is junk. Not all of it is, though. Even thin veneer will last a lifetime if you DON'T sand it. It should be 'refinished' with linseed oil and maybe more varnish (like the floor of an old house). Contact ML Condon in White Plains NY for the stuff we used at Cherubini Boat. Because of my dad's influence Hunter probably used the same vendor for the earlier (Marlboro NJ) boats, but the Florida-made ones undoubtedly got it somewhere else (because of the shipping from NY). BTW-- for my money (and maintenance efforts) carpet is NEVER acceptable on a seagoing sailboat. JC 2
Oh .. sure, it's easy for him ...
Thanks JCII for your insight ... but for those of use who DIDN'T design the original Hunter 30, it might present a few more challenges.
Either way I am anxious to peel away the crappy carpeting and start anew (want to come up to Ithaca this summer to help out?). E
Thanks JCII for your insight ... but for those of use who DIDN'T design the original Hunter 30, it might present a few more challenges.
Either way I am anxious to peel away the crappy carpeting and start anew (want to come up to Ithaca this summer to help out?). Epergo flooring
has anyone ever considered one of the laminate type flooring that is now sold simular to pergo. some of the mfg. state that it is waterproof and i am sure if you epoxyed the edges and bottom before you installed it it would work better. my teak/holly flooring on my 37 cutter is starting to delaminate and i am thinking of ways to replace it. seems like a bitch to get it under the bulkheads and it seems to be screwed down. the smaller panels of this stuff might just be the answer and a plus might be that you can lighten up the interior a bit by not having TEAK everywhere...any feedback? chet
has anyone ever considered one of the laminate type flooring that is now sold simular to pergo. some of the mfg. state that it is waterproof and i am sure if you epoxyed the edges and bottom before you installed it it would work better. my teak/holly flooring on my 37 cutter is starting to delaminate and i am thinking of ways to replace it. seems like a bitch to get it under the bulkheads and it seems to be screwed down. the smaller panels of this stuff might just be the answer and a plus might be that you can lighten up the interior a bit by not having TEAK everywhere...any feedback? chet
Feedback for Chet
As a building contractor by trade, I have nothing but respect for high-pressure laminates like Pergo, Wilsonart, et al. If the composition and color please you, it would probably be a great answer. BUT....the look of teak & holly is SO traditional, yachty, shippy, well, you get the picture. There is probably not any other single feature of the interior of a sailboat that more DEFINES a yacht than a teak & holly sole. That said, go for it.
As a building contractor by trade, I have nothing but respect for high-pressure laminates like Pergo, Wilsonart, et al. If the composition and color please you, it would probably be a great answer. BUT....the look of teak & holly is SO traditional, yachty, shippy, well, you get the picture. There is probably not any other single feature of the interior of a sailboat that more DEFINES a yacht than a teak & holly sole. That said, go for it.
Pergo - No
Unfortunately Pergo is a paper product and will not hold up under the severe conditions found on a boat. Can't take the moisture from underneath. Already checked it out with my flooring guuy.
Unfortunately Pergo is a paper product and will not hold up under the severe conditions found on a boat. Can't take the moisture from underneath. Already checked it out with my flooring guuy.
Floor Tiles
A couple of weeks back I saw at Lowes vinyl tiles that looked like wood it struck me at the time they might be a fair substitute on a boat. Well, better than peeling plywood anyway and cheap.
A couple of weeks back I saw at Lowes vinyl tiles that looked like wood it struck me at the time they might be a fair substitute on a boat. Well, better than peeling plywood anyway and cheap.
Pergo
There was a cabin sole question a couple of weeks ago and Pergo was discussed. There are Pergo-like wood products that are laminated on both sides. If the edges are sealed and glued properly, it might be worth a try on the sole. You can get 22 square feet for around $30 and it is easy to work with. There's a picture of a MacGregor 26 with laminate installed, see "Bob Cassel's Mods" at www.macgregor-boats.com.
There was a cabin sole question a couple of weeks ago and Pergo was discussed. There are Pergo-like wood products that are laminated on both sides. If the edges are sealed and glued properly, it might be worth a try on the sole. You can get 22 square feet for around $30 and it is easy to work with. There's a picture of a MacGregor 26 with laminate installed, see "Bob Cassel's Mods" at www.macgregor-boats.com.
Contact Beneteau
Chet: You may want to contact Beneteau. They are using a laminate on their sole. It is also being used on Bavaria's too.
Chet: You may want to contact Beneteau. They are using a laminate on their sole. It is also being used on Bavaria's too.
pergo
do not try this! I considered Pergo for my kitchen and the mfr told me it can't be used anywhere it could get wet-it breaks down in water.
do not try this! I considered Pergo for my kitchen and the mfr told me it can't be used anywhere it could get wet-it breaks down in water.
Chuck, most of them are the same.
Chuck: Our neighbor across the street from our house has the Wilson Art brand of this stuff. They had a leak in the kitchen and had to have a lot of their floor replaced. I believe that there are some new products on the market that this is not an issue but you need to find the correct product for the job. Beneteau and Bavaria are using a product for their cabin sole that works on boats so it must be out their, you just need to find it. I am sure that the manufacturers are not making this stuff just for the marine industry.
Chuck: Our neighbor across the street from our house has the Wilson Art brand of this stuff. They had a leak in the kitchen and had to have a lot of their floor replaced. I believe that there are some new products on the market that this is not an issue but you need to find the correct product for the job. Beneteau and Bavaria are using a product for their cabin sole that works on boats so it must be out their, you just need to find it. I am sure that the manufacturers are not making this stuff just for the marine industry.
$30 Shoot, What the Hell?
If it looks good. So what if you replace it every year? We spend more on wine when we take folks sailing for the evening.
If it looks good. So what if you replace it every year? We spend more on wine when we take folks sailing for the evening.
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