I am replacing the floor boards on CHAOS with Teak and Holly plywood like the original ones that were not in the boat when I purchased it. What finish should I use so that they are not slippery when wet. Thanks, John
teak and Holly floor boards
- Thread starter chiefjgreene
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The sole should not get wet!!
I made new soles out of birch ply, stained light oak and grooved on the table saw. I filled the grooves with mahogany wood filler in a tube from Home Depot. Apply a first coat of varnish before applying the filler so that it doesn't creep in the grain. When the filler is dry, sand it flush and then varnish. I used Helmsman Spar satin varnish because I already had it lying around. There is no UV worry in the cabin and it certainly shouldn't get wet under normal use. I built up eight coats with a very light sanding between each coat. Make sure to varnish underneath as well to protect the sole from moisture in the bilge and to make mold removal easy. I leave the boards tilted up when I'm not on the boat so mold doesn't start. (I get moisture in the rear bilge section from heavy rain getting under the companionway slide. The sole is lighter than teak and holly as the main area is light and the stripes are dark, brightening up the cabin into a light and cheery place. It was easy and cheap to do. Oh, BTW, bore 1" finger holes at one end of each section except for the triangular forward piece which gets screwed down
I made new soles out of birch ply, stained light oak and grooved on the table saw. I filled the grooves with mahogany wood filler in a tube from Home Depot. Apply a first coat of varnish before applying the filler so that it doesn't creep in the grain. When the filler is dry, sand it flush and then varnish. I used Helmsman Spar satin varnish because I already had it lying around. There is no UV worry in the cabin and it certainly shouldn't get wet under normal use. I built up eight coats with a very light sanding between each coat. Make sure to varnish underneath as well to protect the sole from moisture in the bilge and to make mold removal easy. I leave the boards tilted up when I'm not on the boat so mold doesn't start. (I get moisture in the rear bilge section from heavy rain getting under the companionway slide. The sole is lighter than teak and holly as the main area is light and the stripes are dark, brightening up the cabin into a light and cheery place. It was easy and cheap to do. Oh, BTW, bore 1" finger holes at one end of each section except for the triangular forward piece which gets screwed down
Try sanding them a bit first...
If you already have the teak and holly sole, go for it. I sanded mine down a little with 120 grit paper. Just enough to remove the old finish and clean them up. The sole out of the v-berth hardly needed anything. There were still some minor scratches on the boards from the salon but after three coats of Cetol they looked pretty good. Mine do get wet. My girls and their friends like to go swimming while we are out. We've rolled over a cooler or two in a puff as well. Just don't leave water standing on them and you will be fine.
If you already have the teak and holly sole, go for it. I sanded mine down a little with 120 grit paper. Just enough to remove the old finish and clean them up. The sole out of the v-berth hardly needed anything. There were still some minor scratches on the boards from the salon but after three coats of Cetol they looked pretty good. Mine do get wet. My girls and their friends like to go swimming while we are out. We've rolled over a cooler or two in a puff as well. Just don't leave water standing on them and you will be fine.
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