Flooring Options

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areichert19

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I am restoring a 1985 bass tracker tournament TX and was looking into options for flooring. I originally wanted to do aluminum but I now know that this option is out of my price range.

Is anyone using a material other than wood? Poly, or something I haven't heard of?
 
What are your floor dimensions?
I don't have the layout completed yet as i am still gutting the boat. However, I will be using for duck hunting so I am increasing the floor space and decreasing the deck size. I would say 25% rear deck compartment/50% floor/25% front deck compartment
 
Check out Coosa Board by Coosa Composites.

https://www.boatoutfitters.com/coos...aBR2K9jedEAQYASABEgIp1vD_BwE#211=1112&215=249

A full 4'x8' sheet in 3/4" thickness is $382/ea and I'd hate to see the shipping cost but it's a lifetime floor material. You may be able to order it through your local marine supplier or dealer and cut out the shipping. In comparison, a full 4'x8' aluminum plate in 1/4" thickness is around $800/ea.
 
Just used 1/2 Coosa for a casting deck. I gave it a layer of 6 oz fiberglass on each side and It's solid on a 16" span. As far as aluminum, there's no reason to even consider 1/4". My entire boat is 1/16, and you could go with that if you have foam under it. .090 would work fine if you don't but if you're a big guy, you need big spans, or you just want to add weight for no good purpose, .125 is more than enough.
 
Check out Coosa Board by Coosa Composites.

https://www.boatoutfitters.com/coos...aBR2K9jedEAQYASABEgIp1vD_BwE#211=1112&215=249

A full 4'x8' sheet in 3/4" thickness is $382/ea and I'd hate to see the shipping cost but it's a lifetime floor material. You may be able to order it through your local marine supplier or dealer and cut out the shipping. In comparison, a full 4'x8' aluminum plate in 1/4" thickness is around $800/ea.
Below is a link to find local(ish) suppliers. I used it for my floor and found it easy to work with if you need to make minor adjustments, such as cut-outs for ribs. The type and thickness of Coosa you buy will depend upon the span between supports. They will respond to those questions via email. It is expensive and only worth it if you plan to keep the boat long term.

https://coosacomposites.com/where-to-buy/
 
If aluminum is out of your budget then so is Coosa. That leaves plywood. I bought two 4x10 ft sheets of fir marine plywood last spring at $600.. Cut the patterns, drilled & countersinked screw holes, then treated with a couple coats of epoxy and one coat of one part epoxy paint with grit. The plywood delaminated before I could get it in the boat. Long story short, I would not recommend post covid quality marine plywood. It had voids and internal delaminations out of the factory.

Some people claim success with exterior grade plywood, a few coats of deck sealer and vinyl, carpet or paint. Personally, I’m back to aluminum. It’s cheaper in the long run and I don’t like doing the same job twice.
 
I’ll also add that 0.125 aluminum is about the same weight as 3/4 plywood. It weighs less by the time you add preservatives and covering to the plywood. I have not done the math for 1/2” or 5/8” plywood but, I’m guessing that 5/8” would be a wash.

The weight difference between 0.125” and 0.100” 5052 is about 0.47 pounds per square foot. So going 1/8 rather than 0.100” on my Lowe 1448M jon boat adds about 17 pounds. On my larger 18’ NR Mariner it adds about 25 pounds. The weight difference is not a big deal for the larger boat but, the smaller boat will get the thinner aluminum.
 
Thank you for all of the replies. I looked at a lot of options and decided I was just going to suck it up and buy the aluminum. I went with .090" 3003 sheets. They were cheaper than 5052 and coosa board. Offers just fine corrosion resistance since this boat will not ever see salt water. and even though it is the weaker material I was already planning on bracing a lot of areas for hatches so I'm not worried there. Overall 3 4x8 sheets of 0.090" 3003 was right around $670 at metal supermarkets near me
 
Thank you for all of the replies. I looked at a lot of options and decided I was just going to suck it up and buy the aluminum. I went with .090" 3003 sheets. They were cheaper than 5052 and coosa board. Offers just fine corrosion resistance since this boat will not ever see salt water. and even though it is the weaker material I was already planning on bracing a lot of areas for hatches so I'm not worried there. Overall 3 4x8 sheets of 0.090" 3003 was right around $670 at metal supermarkets near me
3 sheets for that total doesn't sound like a bad price to me.
 
Thank you for all of the replies. I looked at a lot of options and decided I was just going to suck it up and buy the aluminum. I went with .090" 3003 sheets. They were cheaper than 5052 and coosa board. Offers just fine corrosion resistance since this boat will not ever see salt water. and even though it is the weaker material I was already planning on bracing a lot of areas for hatches so I'm not worried there. Overall 3 4x8 sheets of 0.090" 3003 was right around $670 at metal supermarkets near me
Don't know where you are but you should try some of the industrial suppliers too. While I decided against Al for my project, I found I could get 12x4 sheets delivered for less than a 4x8 will call from the local "supermarkets."
 
If aluminum is out of your budget then so is Coosa. That leaves plywood. I bought two 4x10 ft sheets of fir marine plywood last spring at $600.. Cut the patterns, drilled & countersinked screw holes, then treated with a couple coats of epoxy and one coat of one part epoxy paint with grit. The plywood delaminated before I could get it in the boat. Long story short, I would not recommend post covid quality marine plywood. It had voids and internal delaminations out of the factory.

Some people claim success with exterior grade plywood, a few coats of deck sealer and vinyl, carpet or paint. Personally, I’m back to aluminum. It’s cheaper in the long run and I don’t like doing the same job twice.
I had good luck buying marine ply from a boat builder/refitter in the area. If you buy the Lloyd's certified stuff you should be ok. Price might be more but per your experience--worth it in the long run.
 
Just used 1/2 Coosa for a casting deck. I gave it a layer of 6 oz fiberglass on each side and It's solid on a 16" span. As far as aluminum, there's no reason to even consider 1/4". My entire boat is 1/16, and you could go with that if you have foam under it. .090 would work fine if you don't but if you're a big guy, you need big spans, or you just want to add weight for no good purpose, .125 is more than enough.

At 6'2 and 240lbs I'm a bigger feller and I fish with bigger fellers so my standards are somewhat higher, like my cholesterol. If I can trip, fall, and dent it with my ***, I wouldn't floor my boat with it personally.
 
I had good luck buying marine ply from a boat builder/refitter in the area. If you buy the Lloyd's certified stuff you should be ok. Price might be more but per your experience--worth it in the long run.
I’ve had a couple of issues with marine plywood in eastern Washington. Might have better luck finding it in Seattle or Portland but, that’s a 5 hr drive one way. My original thought was aluminum and 5052 actually costs less than marine ply by the time you add the epoxy and other prep for the wood.
 
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I’ve had a couple of issues with marine plywood in eastern Washington. Might have better luck finding it in Seattle or Portland but, that’s a 5 drive one way. My original thought was aluminum and 5052 actually costs less than marine ply by the time you add the epoxy and other prep for the wood.
You're right on cost. I went with Coosa because it works like wood and as a long time woodworker I feel confident I know what I'm doing with it and I have all the tools. Al would cost me more because I'd need some tools to do what I wanted to do. But my framing is all Al because most wood just isn't going to last.
 
You're right on cost. I went with Coosa because it works like wood and as a long time woodworker I feel confident I know what I'm doing with it and I have all the tools. Al would cost me more because I'd need some tools to do what I wanted to do. But my framing is all Al because most wood just isn't going to last.
Did you find the Coosa overly dusty or fibrous?

A friend redecked his boat last winter and he used a material similar to Coosa but, it was factory laminated with a high traction material that looks like vinyl. It came out very nice. As I recall it required support every 16”.

How do you attach seats, etc. to Coosa? Just screw into it like wood or does it require blind nuts?
 
Did you find the Coosa overly dusty or fibrous?

A friend redecked his boat last winter and he used a material similar to Coosa but, it was factory laminated with a high traction material that looks like vinyl. It came out very nice. As I recall it required support every 16”.

How do you attach seats, etc. to Coosa? Just screw into it like wood or does it require blind nuts?
Coosa is very dusty and far worse than FG batting for tiny glass slivers. For the most part I worked it outside or with good dust collection in the shop. Dust mask, rubberized gloves, long shirt and pants, etc for PPE. I just hate days of FG itch. I've been sensitized to most wood dust over the years so I'm used to wearing a mask all day in the shop. RZ Mask gets an (uncompensated) thumbs up from me for a comfortable option.
I haven't done anything to date with seat attachment on Coosa. I think if I did I'd use a backer plate of ply or thicker aluminum to distribute the load. I've found the Coosa screws about the same as a lightweight ply of the same thickness but looking at the specs I'm just not comfortable it would stand up to the forces generated by a guy pushing around the long lever-arm of a seat post. At least not the 1/2" thickness I'm using.
One of these days I'll get around to posting some pictures and maybe a short build thread of removing the middle seat. Right now life is all about fall chores and winter prep.
 
Did you find the Coosa overly dusty or fibrous?

A friend redecked his boat last winter and he used a material similar to Coosa but, it was factory laminated with a high traction material that looks like vinyl. It came out very nice. As I recall it required support every 16”.

How do you attach seats, etc. to Coosa? Just screw into it like wood or does it require blind nuts?
I screwed the coosa down and have had no problems, but it's not high strength for screws for something that would apply torque to the screws. You would need to take special precautions for things such as a leaning post, seats or T-top, such as drilling a larger hole and filling with epoxy and screwing into expoxy, or using some sort of backer. This is a coosa recommendation. In some ways this would be the case for thinner plywood, but maybe a little worse for coosa.
 

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