As noted, the "floor" in a cabin or cockpit on a
boat is called the "sole". The thickness of plywood used for the sole
can vary with the boat, sometimes being as thin as 3/s" plywood on small
boats, or up to 3/4" plywood on larger boats. The thickness depends both
on how the sole is framed, and just what degree of flexibility is acceptable.
On the larger cabintype boat, 3/4" plywood is often used even though it is
heavy, since it requires a minimum of framing for suitable stiffness. Various
hatches should be provided in the sole of a boat at critical areas for
inspection and access purposes. Such hatches should be flush with the surface
and can be built as shown in Plate
24-C. Depending on the situation, these hatches can be permanently screwed
in place, or held with hinges and catches, or simply set in position (although
this latter practice is not advisable on certain types of boats such as
high-speed powerboats or large sailboats). Some will desire the cabin sole to
be decorative by using natural wood coverings. This can be accomplished by
using an underlayer of plywood, about 1/2" thick, and then covering with
teak strips caulked between or fitted with contrasting wood filler strips such
as holly. Others will simply use a synthetic yarn carpet or linoleum
covering.
In the cockpit area, the plywood cockpit sole can be covered
with teak strips also. Or the surfaces can be covered with fiberglass or any of
the suitable deck covering materials available. Some may want to use ordinary
linoleum, however, this surface is quite slippery when wet. Non-skid material
(such as ground walnut shells or fine sand) is often mixed into the paint for
providing slip resistance to cockpit soles and deck areas.
