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HappyHammer
8th July 2004, 05:27 PM
I know this might be a bit below some of you guys who actually build boats but I have a 4m tinny and I'd like to put a floor into it. It's not that deep so it probably needs to be about 500-700mm wide and run along the centre spine otherwise it will be too high and affect the stability of the boat.

I have some marine ply (20-30mm thick), heavy stuuf that would be OK getting wet but I'm worried I might damage the hull. Have considered using rubber under the floor. I would also like to be able to remove the floor to clean out the boat.

Any ideas, designs, experience?

HH.

Christopha
8th July 2004, 06:30 PM
I would n't use the ply myself for the floor, I would be more inclined to build a 'slatted' floor so that it will drain easily, if you are concerned about sinkers etc. falling through then toss a piece of outdoor carpet over it. your floor 'bearers. should sit on the alloy frames of your boat but if you wanted you could isloate it/them with a bit of rubber, Ihave found that bits cut from those pale blue campmattress things are great for padding things in boats....

journeyman Mick
9th July 2004, 12:00 AM
I replaced the floors in 3 navy tinnies a few years back. They were done in 12mm marine ply and sat on the transverse frames. These were pretty large and heavy boats and the framing was pretty close together, so you may need to use something like 20mm.

Strip up some 3mm ply or craftwood to template out the bottom, going around all the frames where they come up through your deck. I use hot glue to stick all the bits of template together. Glue in some diagonal braces to stiffen it all up before you take it out of the boat and than lay it on top of your ply for a pattern. Cut it loose enough that it's easilly lifted out and maybe cut a few finger holes.

Make sure you never leave any sinkers or bits of copper in the bilge or you will have a large sieve instead of a boat. :eek:

Mick

Wooohooo! I got a diamond membership!

bitingmidge
9th July 2004, 06:25 AM
Wooohooo! I got a diamond membership!

No Mick, you got a Daimond membership....I don't know what a Daimond actually is, but I've seen what it did to Ozwinner....

Be afraid.

Be VERY afraid!!


Cheers,
:D :D :D
P

johnc
31st July 2004, 12:38 AM
I used 12mm marine ply to floor a 3.8m tinnie, seems to handle 3 100kg blokes without any trouble which is more than can be said for the motor. Make sure the subframe sits on some rubber or other packing to protect the aluminium and the fit is reasonably snug. We finished off with marine carpet for plenty of grip and the ply offcuts made a neat anchor locker up forward. One thing I would suggest is give the lot a coat of paint to protect the ply before glueing down the carpet, the unpainted versions seems to be subject to rot in the factory built product.

John

tong
3rd September 2004, 07:54 AM
I am pondering a similar problem.... how did your floor turn out? I thought of making a frame that sits over the thwarts (navy talk for seats in a dinghy!) and then down to below 'floor ' level then fixing ply to this so as to make a level suspended floor.. I could possibly place small shaped blocks between ply and/or frame and the alloy ribs to provide extra stiffness.....
I'm interested in opinions re this, any takers?

tong
3rd September 2004, 08:03 AM
I am pondering a similar problem.... how did your floor turn out? I thought of making a frame that sits over the thwarts (navy talk for seats in a dinghy!) and then down to below 'floor ' level then fixing ply to this so as to make a level suspended floor.. I could possibly place small shaped blocks between ply and/or frame and the alloy ribs to provide extra stiffness.....
I'm interested in opinions re this, any takers?

HappyHammer
3rd September 2004, 11:42 AM
Haven't actually started yet tong, are you looking to suspend the floor because of stress on the ribs?

HH.

Kris.Parker1
6th September 2004, 02:32 PM
I have currently got 19mm marine grade ply in my tinny. Not happy at all with it, it does have carpet over it, had the boat for about twelve months now and a nearly ready to get rid of the floor.

I will be putting slats in the next time.

HappyHammer
6th September 2004, 02:41 PM
I will be putting slats in the next time.Please explain how this works and why you're unhappy with ply?

HH

bitingmidge
6th September 2004, 03:22 PM
Slats go back a while! Ply was substituted for slats in the early days of aluminium boats, when a number of people discovered that fish hooks fell between them, and were not found.

Result: in a very short time, electrolysis severe enough to have created a drainage hole in a spot the maker didn't intend. Only trouble with those drainage holes is that they seem to drain the air out of the hull...leaving only water in the boat!

If you do go slats, make sure that the hulls are appropriately painted, AND keep an eye out for hidden metal objects that may find their way onto the electrode filled bilge!

cheers,

P

Christopha
6th September 2004, 07:28 PM
Midge mate, I used to have an aluminium runabout with a sheet ply floor. It was a paininnabum to pull the floors out to hunt for sinkers and hooks, I ran sealing foam rubber right around as much as possible but electrolytic crud seemed to find its' way into the bilge anyway. A slat floor not only gives better ventilation but if fitted using a few hold down "buttons" is easy to lift out after a day out to clean and air the innards of the hull.... my 2 bobs worth...

Caliban
6th September 2004, 07:51 PM
Don't listen to that scurrilous cur, do like I did and run a few 2 x 4s across the boat and put some (any) ply on top of that . Paint the lot with bondcrete and then some carpet, Don't ever look underneath in case you find some evidence of boat cancer.
ps Get a dead outboard like mine, then it won't matter if electrolysis does its thing.

bitingmidge
6th September 2004, 10:57 PM
Well I reckon if you're going to all the trouble of putting a timber floor in, you only have to add two sides and a transom and you won't have to worry about electrolysis anyway!

:D :D :D

P

bitingmidge
6th September 2004, 11:12 PM
The only tinny I have ever had custody of was one with holes in the bottom as described above. It had faded lettering on the transom which indicated that it was a tender to Noah's Ark.

(It was one of the rivetted variety, and the rivets were a bit suss in some places and one of the bilge panels looked a bit like corro iron.

My friend the owner of said vessel, cut a floor more or less to size out of second hand formply, then filled the whole bilge with pouring foam. We tried to sort of trowel the stuff up the sides as it oozed out everywhere, and did a passable version of Spanish Mission Stucco on just about every surface.

Boat was rigid, and didn't sink, and ended up painted with off-white house paint and green trim..... lovely.

Don't know what happened to it...foam probably filled with water......

P :D

Christopha
7th September 2004, 12:23 AM
URK! I still own an old tinny, it stands up against the back fence at the shack and I have never stuck the thing in the water...... cost a whole $100....

Kris.Parker1
11th September 2004, 11:36 AM
Happy Hammer, I am unhappy with ply as it tends to warp quite easily in the tropics, being constantly wet what with the wet season and salt water and washing the boat out I am getting sick and tired of the middle and corners warping out of shape.

The reason I like and have gone with slats is it enables me to dry the boat out quicker, is just as comfortable on bare feet, the wood tends to dry quicker and is easier to maintain and ultimately makes the boat look at lot more aesthetic on the inside.

I made a nice little bracket that fits in perfectly into the bottom of the tinny. All I have to do if I need to is undo the eight mounting bolts (wing nuts) and remove the slats as a whole. End result - electrolysis no worries, fish hooks no worries, sinkers no worries. Overall I am much happier and satisfied than I was.

Nick Moore
22nd September 2005, 12:49 PM
Hi Lots of friends into fly fishing.
Flat floor boat only way to go.

NOTE Freshwater use these boats used for 99%of time

Very succesfull floor made as follows..

Get extra heavy aluminium mesh.
Used for very h duty security screens.
Often in scrapyards here cheep.

Cut to suit floor. Any extra ribs use good marine ply / allie for support.
Wproof carpet over top..

benefits. ....light, wproof ,easy drain, removable.

big cable ties to hold in, easily cut of each season for boat washout finish off job.

All very strong, do a good job