Boat deck material

skyriver

skyriver

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The old blue boat turf in my 14' Valco has to go. What boat deck materials do you like? I like the idea of the nice eva faux teak stuff, but I'm cheap. Haha! Probably no exquisite builds in my future. :unsure: More like Git-R-Done. Interested in what you all have used and if you like it or not.

Thanks,
Stacy
 
Take a look at Tuff Coat. It's a roll on rubberized non skid. Comes in a couple different textures and several different colors. Will quiet down your boat a bit, and feels nice if you end up going barefoot.
 
I've done the Buehler's Backyard Boat Building thing for years....
IMG_E6087[1].JPG

The floor of my 14' Lund is painted plywood with playground sand for traction.

I'm lucky to have a Re-Store and Habitat for Humanity in town for recycled/reusable building materials. In addition to the plywood pieces, I picked up some second hand gray exterior paint there.. Once the floor's measured & ready to be fitted but before installation, I gave them a coat of paint and then sprinkled with sand. Once the paint dries and the sand is held in place, give it a 2 or 3 more coats of paint to further hold the sand in place and you're good to go.

Here's the most recent piece, installed at the bow last fall.
IMG_6085[1].JPG

Should the sand flake off after use, I still have traction from the dimple of paint that once held the sand in place.

Uber cheap and fairly simple to do.

Mike d
 
M_D said:
I've done the Buehler's Backyard Boat Building thing for years....
View attachment 69692

The floor of my 14' Lund is painted plywood with playground sand for traction.

I'm lucky to have a Re-Store and Habitat for Humanity in town for recycled/reusable building materials. In addition to the plywood pieces, I picked up some second hand gray exterior paint there.. Once the floor's measured & ready to be fitted but before installation, I gave them a coat of paint and then sprinkled with sand. Once the paint dries and the sand is held in place, give it a 2 or 3 more coats of paint to further hold the sand in place and you're good to go.

Here's the most recent piece, installed at the bow last fall.
View attachment 69693

Should the sand flake off after use, I still have traction from the dimple of paint that once held the sand in place.

Uber cheap and fairly simple to do.

Mike d
Click to expand...
My size 12 boots and non - skid ruined a WF5F that kept getting underfoot. Orbital sander, Top Coat enamel for me (but then my boat is 8’ long - wood).
 
Buzzy said:
My size 12 boots and non - skid ruined a WF5F that kept getting underfoot. Orbital sander, Top Coat enamel for me (but then my boat is 8’ long - wood).
Click to expand...
Yeah, I want something softer than wood and especially non-skid wood. It will be carpet or foam for that very reason. My boat already has the whole inside, even the sides, sprayed with non-skid cheap bedliner crap and I hate it. Scuffed knuckles on the internal sides is a regular occurrence. Not sure why the previous owner did that. It's brutal. Complicates adding things like rod holders and such. Really dumb.

Even the cheap-ass old blue boat turf had just enough give to protect fly lines. Generic 16oz boat carpet is in the lead right now. We'll see.

I'm not looking forward to the sanding & scraping to get all the old, uneven crusty adhesive off. Previous owner definitely rushed it. Probably had a fishing trip bearing down on him. I've done stupid stuff like that before. I get it.

I would have done this in the winter, but a bunch of gas leaked on it Saturday after fishing Tapps. I hadn't noticed that the fuel line quick connect broke when I took it off the motor. The seal stayed on the motor so the stopper came out and the line was just leaking gas all over the deck. All night! I smelled gas in the garage in the morning. Luckily it was just the amount from the end of the hose to the bulb. I figured that was a good time to say goodbye to the blue turf.
 
Would linoleum or 'Pergo' type material trap water beneath it causing more problems by not drying out as quickly?
 
Buzzy said:
My size 12 boots and non - skid ruined a WF5F that kept getting underfoot. Orbital sander, Top Coat enamel for me (but then my boat is 8’ long - wood).
Click to expand...
So for that’s not a concern for me cuz my fly line gets tangled up on all sorts of other things before it can get under foot 🤪
 
I used some 2 foot interlocking foam squares from Harbor Freight. They come in a four pack and are intended for use as anti-fatigue mats. They are cheap, light, very very comfy, and really absorb the sound transmitted through my beer can hull. I used two layers -- one to fill the gaps between the floor ribs, and the other as a top layer. I often just sit or kneel on it. It cuts really easily and are so cheap you could replace them regularly without any heartache.

There are a few drawbacks, though. First, it is very soft and won't hold up to studded wading boots. Second, I havent found an adhesive that will bond the two layers. Aquaseal may work since they are neoprene. I'm using Gorilla carpet tape now.

A little hard to see, but here's a pic of it installed in my boat:

1687575143430.png

...and a link:

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-pie...NHWs_cFqGzty-tZIXxUAig93UiW1gykxoCwsAQAvD_BwE
 
RCF said:
Would linoleum or 'Pergo' type material trap water beneath it causing more problems by not drying out as quickly?
Click to expand...
True linoleum can be porous and absorb water.

I’ve removed and replaced it in enough homes and seen the after damage in the field, not on the edges.
 
BriGuy said:
I used some 2 foot interlocking foam squares from Harbor Freight. They come in a four pack and are intended for use as anti-fatigue mats. They are cheap, light, very very comfy, and really absorb the sound transmitted through my beer can hull. I used two layers -- one to fill the gaps between the floor ribs, and the other as a top layer. I often just sit or kneel on it. It cuts really easily and are so cheap you could replace them regularly without any heartache.

There are a few drawbacks, though. First, it is very soft and won't hold up to studded wading boots. Second, I havent found an adhesive that will bond the two layers. Aquaseal may work since they are neoprene. I'm using Gorilla carpet tape now.

A little hard to see, but here's a pic of it installed in my boat:

View attachment 69905

...and a link:

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-pie...NHWs_cFqGzty-tZIXxUAig93UiW1gykxoCwsAQAvD_BwE
Click to expand...
This just might work. Several reviews about adding it to their boat. The adhesive would be key. I gotta think Shoe Goo/Aquaseal type goop would do the trick. One of the reviews mentioned using Velcro. Not sure I would trust that at highway speeds, but would be pretty cool to remove to clean and dry. :unsure:
The added value of anti-fatigue material is awesome since I'm usually standing while fishing.
Thanks!
 
I fabricated some grey plastic strips and some clamps that attach to seat supports to keep them in place on the road. You can see them in the picture. Usually, I have the trolling motor, battery, anchors, and other crapola on the floor during transport, so there is not much worry about them flying out.
 
I had some cheap outdoor carpet in my old drift boat, with a few strategically placed industrial grade velcro strips holding it down. It stayed in place on the highway, and it was nice to be able to pull it out to dry or to rinse the mud out. The boat floor had some large grit non slip stuff stuck in the coating, so the carpet didn’t slide around.
 
I just used @BriGuy 's idea. Ran to Harbor Freight and got the mats. Super inexensive.

I installed the mats into my older camper, under my dinette bench seat cushions and up, under the backs of the dinette bench seat. The cushions are not as comfy as original due to time and compression. The foam mats under the seat cushions, add much more comfort. Plus when the dinette folds down into a bed, the mats add that same comfort level to the bed. Thanks @BriGuy.

If your looking for a good adhesive for these neoprene like mats, check out E6000. Its an incredibly versatile adhesive and way less expensive than Aquaseal.

Lastly, my 22 year old, Fishrite Driftboat has a raised, leveled floor. It appears the subfloor is maybe a wood or wood composite topped with a layer of maybe non skid kevlar like sheeting. To make the floor last longer, I went to Wally World and got some of those cheap, 1/4 inch thick, sturdy, but semi flexible, rubber welcome mats. They are heavy weight rubber, but easy to remove for cleaning/storing. They are heavy enough that they dont blow out of the boat when I foget to stow them in the bow. I put one at the base of the rowers seat and one up front for the passengers, as we all mostly use studded boots.

Be safe all.

Bob
 
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