SIMPLE skiff ‘floor options’

FYI, info posted in response to a question from IronHorse2022 …

To your question about “simple” flooring when one doesn’t have a plywood or other material ‘flat surface’ subfloor. You are correct, vinyl will not work and would tear if it is not on level floor. This is what I did in my small 14’ skiff, which as you can see has rivets that project up through the bottom of the floor. This hull was re-riveted and these rivets are much taller than those in a stock or factory built boat.



For this area, which is between the middle seat in the front seat, I found this open grid rubber flooring at one of the dollar stores for $5 each. I bought 3 of them and zip-tied them together. The material is like that which ‘flip-flop’ sandals are made out of. It is very easy on the feet and it gives my dog superior footing when he is on the boat with me too. It worked out fantastic!



My hull has a side console and in that area I just threw down a cheap indoor/outdoor carpet like someone might have an entrance way, maybe 3’ x 5’. You can see I had some old auto floor mats that I also zip-tied to the steering cable for where my feet rest when I am at the console steering.



Neither option is as pretty as a nice subfloor with vinyl material on top, as I despise carpet. But that cheap piece of carpet is only 10 bucks and I can replace it every 3 to 5 years or whenever it looks crappy. It does not fly out when running, but it will whilst trailering the boat, so I just place my anchor down on it, or the gas tank.

In this photo you can see I found some stick on stair treads that I put across the seats, it gives me secure fitting when I am standing on the dock and stepping onto the seat to get into the boat or move around the boat. Each seat has them in place, where there is also a rivet in each corner.



Hope this helps!

Thanks Dale, some nice practical solutions. I’ll keep my eyes open for some “lay-in” materials. Menards has a nice selection of outdoor carpet - some specifically for marine usuage With 3/16” backing. A bit pricier than the dollar store so will hold off looking for a more cost effective solution that I can toss when it gets nasty.

When I had my 14' V hull tinnie, I had the same issue. I bought some aluminum angle, that attached to the bench seats as low as possible to the floor to give me the width of the floor I wanted. The plywood floor (5/8" plywood) was suspended on the angle between the bench seats. Worked excellent as no floor vibration when in rough water. In the front had plenty of room ( depth) to add a hatch to store my anchor and line in a small bucket. A couole SS screws kept the floor in place and some short nap outdoor carpet kept things quiet

Thanks airshot. I was looking at my floor today and think I can do exactly what you’re suggesting. I originally thought I’d skip putting in a floor and keep it simple but now I’m reconsidering. I have enough left over pvc deck facia panels (3/8” thick by 12” wide) to make a waterproof floor (only about 3 ft wide). Would probably put some closed cell foam board under it for additional support. Or just use wood. Thanks for the idea.

Your welcome, attaching some angle material to the built-in tank seats makes it quite easy. This will give you a nice flat floor. With only 3/8" material you will need at least a center support, mabey more depending on how strong the material is. I used a 5/8" -5 ply plyood, exterior grade and it supported my 200 lbs with with very little flex. Had it in there for over 5 years, no issues. Let us know how you make out..

That’s a GREAT idea to get a flat floor!

I’m limited on HP due to ‘dock rules’, so I opted for as light as possible.

I’ll definitely post an update on the floor when done. Now I just have to figure out how to get that facia board as it’s stashed in our shed 4 hours north in snow country. It’s a dark coffee color which I bet gets pretty hot. I’ll keep an eye open on FB this winter for more scraps in a lighter color. I got enough to build a beautiful 10 x 14 deck (no holes in the boards) from FB last summer when somebody tore out a 3 year old deck - just had to haul it home.

The open grid "flip flop material" pads are very interesting to me. It would be perfect for the bilge area of my boat, to cushion my battery, fuel tank and other misc. stuff under the deck. Sometimes, when it's rough out, things can bounce around quite a bit. Any memory of which dollar store carried it? Any other colors besides "Psychedelic?"


I have done the same as Airshot, with angle aluminum on the bunks and rigid foam in the center with 1/2" plywood, and it worked great. Unlike others, I like well-installed marine carpet. It doesn't hold water, doesn't stain easily, and is pretty durable. I'd have to go back to older posts here, but I think mine has been in my boat for maybe 7 years, and it still looks pretty new. I do keep it covered when not in use, but that's pretty good, since I fish with really messy kids often. They make a mess, but it all cleans up pretty completely.

airshot said:

When I had my 14' V hull tinnie, I had the same issue. I bought some aluminum angle, that attached to the bench seats as low as possible to the floor to give me the width of the floor I wanted. The plywood floor (5/8" plywood) was suspended on the angle between the bench seats. Worked excellent as no floor vibration when in rough water. In the front had plenty of room ( depth) to add a hatch to store my anchor and line in a small bucket. A couole SS screws kept the floor in place and some short nap outdoor carpet kept things quiet

Click to expand...

With the angle iron so low to the floor, how did you attach it to bench?

Livn said:

With the angle iron so low to the floor, how did you attach it to bench?

Click to expand...

Aluminum angle, no iron in an aluminum boat !! I used 1/4" pop rivets to attach to the sides of the built in tank seats. One side of the angle aluminum should go up so there is no issue getting it riveted. Then just cut the plywood to the length of the span between the seats and as wide as you want the floor and lay it on the angle. I had my fuel tank on one side and deep cycle battery on opposite side, this kept me more centered in the boat for better balance. I then used some 3/8" plywood and made a cover over tank and battery that attached to the seat top with velcro. Made a nice small flat surface to work on, set gear on, and again kept my big butt more centered in the boat.

Like this (from an older post):

LDUBS said:

Like this (from an older post):

View attachment 117471

Click to expand...

Exactly !! Thanks

LDUBS said:

Like this (from an older post):

View attachment 117471

Click to expand...

How heavy is the angle.?

For what we are talking about next to nothing. For one continuous piece across the bench box, maybe a couple pounds. 1.5x1.5 x1/8 thick is. just under 1/2 pound per each 2 feet of length.

Referring to the diagram above in post #11, you can also install the angle on top of the ply. Kind of like holding it down.