Wood bottom Highfield dinghy

[nitrogenase]

Have just purchased a 2017 Highfield rollup dinghy and discovered that the hard bottom is not aluminum (as I expected) but wood. Has anyone had good experiences with plywood bottoms? I imagine that after a season or two of good use, the wood will be swollen and rotten... should I resell or is it possible to buy a replacement aluminum floor? Any advice welcome.

 

[ggrizzard]

If you leave it in the water and in the elements the floor will eventually delaminate/rot.
Assuming its a PVC roll-up, UV will degrade the rest in about two years.
You could get a cover for the dinghy. $$$
You could take out the floor and put on 4 coats of epoxy and 2 coats of UV resistant varnish. $$
OR...
You could Sell It as is and get a hypalon rib w/ aluminum floor.
Your money (and time)... Your choice.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Not a Highfield but I have a Zodiak with a wood floor that I have been using since 2008 and the floor is fine. I have taken care of it and do not leave it in the sun and weather any more than I need to. I role it and store it at home between cruises.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Wood floors are very common and work and last well. Use and care determine how long the parts will last. The plywood schooner I lived aboard in the '70s is still sailing out of Key West today.

-Will

 

[SVConfianza]

Friend of mine had a West Marine wood floor roll up and the floor only lasted two seasons. He got new boards from Home Depot and covered in epoxy as ggrizard mentioned.

 

[Will Gilmore]

He got new boards from Home Depot and covered in epoxy as ggrizard mentioned.

Ah, the other benefits of wood, cheap and easy to replace. They are also more impact resistant on a rocky shore.

-Will

 

[Hayden Watson]

The big downside to wood floors is they are much harder to set up (at least mine is). My previous boat had a high-pressure air floor, and it was so much easier to collapse and put into a bag. We went with a wood floor for the replacement to save about a boat-buck. We have regretted it and the next will be another air floor.

 

[Hello Below]

We have regretted it and the next will be another air floor.

Benefits and disadvantages for both hard and air floors. I am a +1 on the latter but just keep it out of the sun.

 

[jssailem]

I have an airfloor. There is an insert 3 piece fiberglass floor that sits on the air floor.

It helps with maintaining the boat shape. It collapses to a rolled up raft with extra parts. The raft came with the boat. No idea how long it will last.

I keep it rolled up until needed and out of the sun.

Inflation is easy with a powered air pump, and the supplied air pump.

 

[Hello Below]

I have an airfloor. There is an insert 3 piece fiberglass floor that sits on the air floor.

Now you have my interest. You don’t by chance have a few pics of this arrangement do you, John?

 

[Morgan donor]

My buddy's air floor peeled off his WM dink, FWIW.
I replaced an Achilles wood floor with Starboard. Worked great, but I just looked at Starboard pricing. Wow!

 

[DArcy]

I possible alternate material for a wood floor could be Coosa board. About double the price but it is not prone to rot and is "At least 30% lighter than a comparable piece of plywood, but with superior stiffness and strength"