I recently repaired a small area in my cockpit floor fiberglass and wanted to add a floor mat, mainly for aesthetics. I dont want to waste money purchasing anything that is uncomfortable or does not look good. Any suggestions or thoughts?
Cockpit mats
- Thread starter Citadel89
- Start date
Seadek. I put them down on my cock pit floor. I love em. I used the faux teak. They will custom cut them to fit the outline of your cock pit, I wanted to leave race ways for it to drain. You can also buy a sheet. They also provide a little cushion for you feet and legs.http://www.seadek.com
No, it does not get hot, I do have a bimini put it is much cooler than the deck. Yes I used their template kit, it was pretty easy even for one who failed scissor cutting in kindergarten. It was not difficult to get the pads down properly. You basically position it, tape it down at the corners carefully cut the paper on the back near the center peel it off and work it down from the middle out.
My cockpit had three sections of molded in non skid so that was the basis for my three patterns. If you have molded in non skid (like a raised diamond pattern) I would sand it down. I did not when I first put it down and because of the gaps it did not seal very well and after two years it started to come up. They sent me new ones at half price, they still had the dimensions from the templates. It's been down two years with no signs of coming up. My maintenance file says it was $400 plus another twenty or so for moving the templates back and forth a couple of times. They were great to work with.
My cockpit had three sections of molded in non skid so that was the basis for my three patterns. If you have molded in non skid (like a raised diamond pattern) I would sand it down. I did not when I first put it down and because of the gaps it did not seal very well and after two years it started to come up. They sent me new ones at half price, they still had the dimensions from the templates. It's been down two years with no signs of coming up. My maintenance file says it was $400 plus another twenty or so for moving the templates back and forth a couple of times. They were great to work with.
This is the Wayfarer NoTrax mat without the backing. It is sturdy, never gets hot, relatively easy to clean, does not have a backing so you can hose thru, cuts with a scissors and is comfortable on bare feet. Cost was about $100. Not fancy but very functional.
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Love the look on both of these. Thanks for the pics. 2 questions ... first for HMT2, what type of backing does the Seadek (which looks awesome BTW) have? My concern would be once removed, what residue remains and you've now sanded down your molded non-skid. Second question for lehighsail ... if the Wayfarer has no backing, how does it remain in place. My cockpit flooring does not have the wheel mount to help hold in place so I would be concerned it would slip and actually be a hazard. Again, thanks for the feedback.
According to this review from Practical Sailor posted on the SeaDek site, the choice is between Treadmaster by Tiflex, and SeaDek
http://www.seadek.com/blog/seadek-review-in-practical-sailor/
"Bottom line: Treadmaster remains King of the Mats. It’s the PS Best Choice."
http://www.seadek.com/blog/seadek-review-in-practical-sailor/
"Bottom line: Treadmaster remains King of the Mats. It’s the PS Best Choice."
"Wayfarer has no backing, how does it remain in place."
Citadel89
The mat is like vinyl spaghetti or vermicelli and is very durable yet relatively soft. It is available with or without a backing. We like the one without the backing because crumbs and wine, etc. can be washed thru. I'm not sure which would move more. I guess the abutting up against the sides, the wheel mount and the legs for my folding table (not visible in the picture) stabilize it in place. Some times when we are in rough seas it can slip an inch or two to the sides behind the helm. I don't know if double face tape would hold it in place or maybe use a couple of screws with rubber washers in the corners to hold it in place if this is a concern. Both have smooth border. I cut it off to make it symmetrical.
Citadel89
The mat is like vinyl spaghetti or vermicelli and is very durable yet relatively soft. It is available with or without a backing. We like the one without the backing because crumbs and wine, etc. can be washed thru. I'm not sure which would move more. I guess the abutting up against the sides, the wheel mount and the legs for my folding table (not visible in the picture) stabilize it in place. Some times when we are in rough seas it can slip an inch or two to the sides behind the helm. I don't know if double face tape would hold it in place or maybe use a couple of screws with rubber washers in the corners to hold it in place if this is a concern. Both have smooth border. I cut it off to make it symmetrical.
There was Drideck in the cockpit when I purchased the boat and we will replace it with more of the same if and when it wears out. It is much cheaper through a vet/kennel supply house than a boat store.
I forgot to add that I use it under the mattresses on the boat, too.
I forgot to add that I use it under the mattresses on the boat, too.
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That DriDeck looks very interesting as does the tiles by Block Tile. When you decide which one and complete you project, please post with pix. Thanks.
When I pulled my first mats up because I was too lazy to sand down the non-skid (I had just finished painting the entire topside, deck, cockpit... hey, I was tired) there was not much residue, what little there was came up with acetone. If I ever want to replace the Seadek it would not be a big job to sand the cockpit floor and paint it with some Brightside paint with Intergrip. We have really enjoyed the Seadek. Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.
I did my cockpit with blue Dridek many many years ago and it is still going strong. Only issue I have is that it slides maybe an inch or two back and forth. Could clamp it down in a couple of places, but do not want to drill holes in the floor.
Whatever you go with, it should be pretty simple to shape. The Mac is a rectangle with a drain on the aft end. The PO on my 26S just painted one on and it got hot! I liked the looks of the Treadmaster samples I got. Just never got to the project before I sold her.
The Treadmaster looks nice, but video shows it is meant to be glued in. Wonder if it is stable enough to just lay, fitting around the pedestal etc and allowing the cockpit walls to hold in place......or would it bunch up and slip? Don't see a nice dark blue but that might bother some.