Posted by Jay on February 19, 2003 at 11:56:36:
Hello all. I just found this forum today, and while I'm not actually building a boat I have a question that I'm sure somebody can help me with. I own a 16' aluminum bass boat. It came with carpet, but I found that for saltwater fishing the carpet was too much of a hassle to clean. So I ripped up the carpet. The floor on this boat is a sheet of marine plywood screwed into the main aluminum frame. I took all the screws out and am able to remove the entire sheet of plywood from the boat. The wood is still good, so I want to fiberglass it and lay it back into the boat. the thing is, I know nothing about fiberglassing. My first question is, would fiberglassed wood be a suitable floor? This boat will spend a lot of time docked at the marina uncovered. I want to use it as a work boat for crabbing, clamming, and minnowing, so its going to take a bit of a beating. I want to waterproof both sides of the wood, the floor part that I'll be stepping on and underneath. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to go about this project or know good places to buy the materials I'll need? I appreciate any help anybody can give me.
-Jay