Boat flooring

[Lee Brake]

I'm re-flooring the timber casting deck of my boat. Do you good folks think I should go outdoor ply with plenty of varnish, or lash out for marine ply?

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

[ShaneWallace]

Ive always used marine ply in my previous punts for flooring,.....Unsure how outdoor ply rates against marine ply!

[Dan Bowater]

Construction ply can be used once it has a resin coat. There are a few different grades of contruction ply, so get the best you can afford and choose the correct diameter. Approx 8 months ago I re-floored my boat using 12mm construction ply. Having a jigsaw on hand was essential, as well as mixing containers, a dozen or so cheap paintbrushes, and plenty of space for working and drying. One last tip would be to take off the carpet from your old flooring and draw stencils on your ply, saves alot of measuring.

[Flying Ant]

I put in a raised casting platform in my PolyCraft seven years ago. I used construction ply and painted it with a waterproof paint then put marine carpet on the top. The deck is still in good nick and showing now signs of water damage.
Pretty happy that it has lasted this long and will be sure to do the same for other boats I work with.

Lee, you fished out the the boat here in Maningrida - not sure if you can remember the decking. I think a few fish and muddies ended up on it over the time you were here.......

[Lee Brake]

Well, that has just about sold me. I was looking at 12mm-15mm outdoor/construction ply rather than the criminally expensive marine ply anyway. The stuff i'm replacing has split, but I notice it is unpainted/unvarnished.

Is that 15mm on the front of yours Ant?

[Flying Ant]

Yeah Lee,
I think it is 15mm. Might actually be 19mm. Either way it was not that expensive and has well outlasted my expectations.

One point to stress - make sure you coat all sides/surfaces with waterproof paint as the water will get in otherwise. From memory, I gave mine about three coats and made sure I was particular with the sides/edges as they are the places that are usually overlooked.

Might be an article in that mate.......

[cammo79]

ha i was broke and it was all i could afford. if you need a hand sing out,

[Lee Brake]

haha. I know the feeling mate. I'll be keen for a fish this week if your around.

[jamie]

yeah con ply will do the job, marine ply is hard to get here and cost's a lot, i did my floor in the swifty with con ply but realy soaked in poly resin (fiberglass) and gave it 3 coats with mat.
might be more expensive, i dont know, how about 3mm alloy cheker plate will out see the boat.