floor

[don robinson]

I have to replace the floor on my 1980 30 ft an would like to know what is under it be I cut it up will I go to the stringers or will it be fiber glass then the wood need help on this have all ways been in power boats an they are built a litel different.thanks for any help you can give me.don robinson orlando fl.

 

[Leif Rasmussen]

floor replacement

I have a 1987 H31. WE replaced all flooring in the boat. Our settee and sofa had to be lifted up to remove the old floor. In the galley area we did use a saw to cut across the floor. be sure not to cut deeper than the thickness of the floor minus 1/16". Once you have all the pieces out of the boat you can use them as a template to cut new flooring. We went to a local boat builder to purchase the new teak and holly plywood. My father is very good with wood and was able to duplicate the bilge hatches with the teak trim edges so that you do not see the grain of the plywood. Also be sure when laying out the new floor that you keep the stipes of holly lined up from front to back. Also if your 30 has teak and holly in the v berthg area be very careful when screwing it down. I went through the hull with one screw. I would also recommend applying a clear epoxy to the underside and edges and use varnish or whatever you choose on the top. this will keep the wood sealed even if you flood due to a bilge pump failure.

 

[Mike]

screws

To put a fine point on Leif's post, the floor -or sole - of the boat is secured to the fiberglass with screws. The screws are hidden beneath wood plugs. You can easily get the wood plugs out with a drill. Look for small round wood circles in the floor around the perimeter of the flooring (on a worn floor they are sometimes hard to spot). These are the plugs. Drill out/dig out the plugs and unscrew the screws. If you take everything up that may be sitting/resting on the sole, then simply unscrewing the floor will allow you to remove it without cutting. If you choose to cut, follow Leif's instructions. There is no buffer whatsoever between the floor and the fiberglass beneath. So, if you cut too deep, you could end up in a world of hurt.Mike