1992 Lund Tyee 1850 restoration

[icene8108]

In spite of all my fishing buddies telling me to sell this boat and buy something newer, I have started to disassemble my 1850 and plan to replace the plywood in the floor, rebuild the consoles and the engine cover (yes, it's an inboard). I must admit, at least to me, it seems to be more of a job than I thought it would be. I have been searching for sources for the plywood and have not decided to replace the carpet with carpet or a different covering. I seem to be having trouble finding any sources that offer any 3/4" in a higher grade than an A-B Marine and maybe I don't need anything of a higher grade. This is my first attempt at a rebuild and I would welcome any advice anyone might have to help me along with my project.

 

[LDUBS]

Those are nice boats. I would also lean towards renovation.

Is the existing floor 3/4? I think 1/2 is commonly used.

I also think AB marine ply would be a terrific choice. My opinion is the difference between it and AA grade are not important for your use. Unless you go with one of the exotic materials like coosa board it is a superior choice for your project. However, some question if it is needed. It is often pointed out on these forums that both marine and exterior grade ply use waterproof glue. The main difference is marine grade does not have voids. And of course, exterior grade is going to cost a lot less. Whatever you use, I would suggest sealing it well, including the edges.

I enjoy marine vinyl in my boat. So far I find it very easy to clean and durable. I think installation is best if the vinyl is wrapped around the ply edges and stapled from underneath. So, you would have to design your floor panels accordingly. BTW, that does have the added benefit of protecting the ply edges.

Welcome to TinBoats. I hope you circle back with some picks of your boat and the updates you plan.

 

[icene8108]

Those are nice boats. I would also lean towards renovation.

Is the existing floor 3/4? I think 1/2 is commonly used.

I also think AB marine ply would be a terrific choice. My opinion is the difference between it and AA grade are not important for your use. Unless you go with one of the exotic materials like coosa board it is a superior choice for your project. However, some question if it is needed. It is often pointed out on these forums that both marine and exterior grade ply use waterproof glue. The main difference is marine grade does not have voids. And of course, exterior grade is going to cost a lot less. Whatever you use, I would suggest sealing it well, including the edges.

I enjoy marine vinyl in my boat. So far I find it very easy to clean and durable. I think installation is best if the vinyl is wrapped around the ply edges and stapled from underneath. So, you would have to design your floor panels accordingly. BTW, that does have the added benefit of protecting the ply edges.

Welcome to TinBoats. I hope you circle back with some picks of your boat and the updates you plan.

Thanks for the suggestions. The floor plywood is marked 23/32 and both consoles are treated on the underside with some kind of epoxy or fiberglass paint. If you have any idea what it might be please let me know.

 

[Ray Clark]

3/4 inch plywood is actually 23/32, so it's not surprising that you see that marking on the plywood. I bought two sheets of "3/4" Maple Plywood last week at Menard's; it will be used in a furniture project. The labeling was nominal for 3/4" ply, but the "fine print" on the shelf label stated that it was actually 0.704" thick. I actually measured both sheets with digital calipers; one measured at 0.703", the other at 0.733"

Is your boat stored inside? If it was me, and if my boat was normally stored inside, I would opt for exterior-rated 3/4 ply. Any voids on the surface can be filled with Bondo. Further, I would coat the ply (both faces and all edges) with fiberglass resin; that will provide the sealing that LDUBS suggested. Fiberglass resin is available at most home centers.

 

[LDUBS]

3/4 inch plywood is actually 23/32, so it's not surprising that you see that marking on the plywood. I bought two sheets of "3/4" Maple Plywood last week at Menard's; it will be used in a furniture project. The labeling was nominal for 3/4" ply, but the "fine print" on the shelf label stated that it was actually 0.704" thick. I actually measured both sheets with digital calipers; one measured at 0.703", the other at 0.733"

Is your boat stored inside? If it was me, and if my boat was normally stored inside, I would opt for exterior-rated 3/4 ply. Any voids on the surface can be filled with Bondo. Further, I would coat the ply (both faces and all edges) with fiberglass resin; that will provide the sealing that LDUBS suggested. Fiberglass resin is available at most home centers.

I'm partial to epoxy resin but it is a little more costly. I also would go with exterior ply over marine grade.

Your comment about the maple ply brought back some memories from my woodworking days. I have a few 23/32 router bits just for hardwood ply.

 

[icene8108]

3/4 inch plywood is actually 23/32, so it's not surprising that you see that marking on the plywood. I bought two sheets of "3/4" Maple Plywood last week at Menard's; it will be used in a furniture project. The labeling was nominal for 3/4" ply, but the "fine print" on the shelf label stated that it was actually 0.704" thick. I actually measured both sheets with digital calipers; one measured at 0.703", the other at 0.733"

Is your boat stored inside? If it was me, and if my boat was normally stored inside, I would opt for exterior-rated 3/4 ply. Any voids on the surface can be filled with Bondo. Further, I would coat the ply (both faces and all edges) with fiberglass resin; that will provide the sealing that LDUBS suggested. Fiberglass resin is available at most home centers.

Ray,
The boat is always inside unless we are on a fishing trip somewhere. I just started removing the floor and I was surprised that Lund used galvanized self tappers instead of stainless screws. Probably a third of the heads twisted off and another third spun out in the aluminum they had rusted so badly. I will make sure there isn't a single screw or bolt in this heifer when I finish with it (hopefully I live that long) Looking for a marine grade vinyl for the floor cover but so far 54" is the widest I can find. Any suggestions?

 

[jethro]

Marine grade is intended for glassing. The only difference in marine grade plywood is the spec calls for less than 10% void space within the sheet. Where this is important is when you are making a substrate for fiberglass and completely encasing the assembly with resin. The more voids there are in the plywood, the more expansion and contraction of the substrate is possible due to changes in temperature which could cause cracks to develop. More air can also make the resin bubble while curing.

Marine grade plywood is not treated with any product to prevent degradation from water contact. The plys are assembled with waterproof glue just like exterior grade CDX and most other grades of plywood.

Even the very best of the best aluminum boat manufacturers (which includes Lund) use exterior grade CDX as substrates for their floor. If you want something that will last 30 or 40 years without issue, cut your pieces to size and then encapsulate with polyurethane on all 6 sides prior to installation.

You can vinyl in 96" wide but it becomes way more expensive, especially the shipping. I get my marine flooring from Defender Marine.com but if you want a seamless floor look up PontoonStuff.com. They sell 96" wide in rolls as long as you want.

 

[LDUBS]

Looking for a marine grade vinyl for the floor cover but so far 54" is the widest I can find. Any suggestions?

My boat has the floor in sections with the seams running side-to-side (athwart). The edges are wrapped with vinyl and I really don't notice the seams. Of course the athwart side edges are over a frame part so they can be screwed down. The upsides are you can remove just one floor section if needed and you can use the 54" wide vinyl. The downside is if you want a one piece floor, this won't do it for you.

 

[jethro]

It's easy to make vinyl seam perfectly. Lay your vinyl down, overlap the pieces where the seam will be. Glue down both sides away from where the seam will be so the vinyl is fixed in place and can't move at all. After it's dry and fixed in place, cut both pieces at the overlap with a very sharp razor knife at the same time. Then glue down where the seam is. If you prepped the wood properly and placed the seam in a spot where the floor doesn't flex at all it should be almost invisible.

I did my boat like yours LDUBS, I individually wrapped my floor pieces so I can pop them up in the future if I need to access under the deck and I won't ruin my vinyl.

 

[jlake1958]

Ray,
The boat is always inside unless we are on a fishing trip somewhere. I just started removing the floor and I was surprised that Lund used galvanized self tappers instead of stainless screws. Probably a third of the heads twisted off and another third spun out in the aluminum they had rusted so badly. I will make sure there isn't a single screw or bolt in this heifer when I finish with it (hopefully I live that long) Looking for a marine grade vinyl for the floor cover but so far 54" is the widest I can fin resistenced. Any suggestions?

I too have a Lund Tyee GS 1850 from 1993. The 115 2 stroke is pushing +/- 2% variance in compression at 122-124psi and a leakdown held for 20 minuYada.
So I decided to do the whole boat. Coosa in transom, new hoses, fittings, floor, reframing the front into a better casting platform, NMEA2K, Ethernet, full blown lithium battery banks, full electronics package, full elevated track system, Yada, yada.
I'm also surprised by those rusty self tappers. Like you, I spent some time grinding broken screws down. I decided to hinge the center board and the helm board so all hoses can be fully accessed. Those marine plywood boards got 4 coats totalboat cold weather epoxy, 1/4" foam glued down and I am using the gray Maridecking vinyl glued and stapled. This vinyl is fairly heavily embossed and gives a nice slip resistance. I think the clean lines update the look of the boat.
I was surprised at the poor condition of the floor boards when we pulled them up. I'm considering using fewer fewer floor screws and using stainless big head screws and washers this time around.

 

[jlake1958]

Kinda cut myself off right here...anyway let's compare notes as we struggle along. I also moved 3x100ah batteries up under the fishing seat "extension" so they are only 4 feet from the Garmin force electric.. Thinking of adding at least 1 step (for storage) leading to that expanded front deck. Also reinforcing the rear transom so I can run 2 SWA's back there...

 

[jlake1958]

Thanks for the suggestions. The floor plywood is marked 23/32 and both consoles are treated on the underside with some kind of epoxy or fiberglass paint. If you have any idea what it might be please let me know.

Kinda cut myself off right here...anyway let's compare notes as we struggle along. I also moved 3x100ah batteries up under the fishing seat "extension" so they are only 4 feet from the Garmin force electric.. Thinking of adding at least 1 step (for storage) leading to that expanded front deck. Also reinforcing the rear transom so I can run 2 SWA's back there...

One more thing about Maridecking: you can get it in 102" widths

 

[jlake1958]

One more thing about Maridecking: you can get it in 102" widths

Regarding decking dimensions: on my Lund the center board sits "lower" than the 2 side boards. That center board is 3/4" the 2 side pieces are 1/2". It seems the entire front (consoles forward) are 3/4".

 

[icene8108]

Regarding decking dimensions: on my Lund the center board sits "lower" than the 2 side boards. That center board is 3/4" the 2 side pieces are 1/2". It seems the entire front (consoles forward) are 3/4".

Yep, this one is the same way. Finally got all the screws broken or removed and removed all the flooring. The foam looks like new and I noticed there was metal reinforcement under each seat screwed to the underside of the plywood. Now the fun part of putting together a list of materials to get this thing together before spring

 

[jlake1958]

Yep, this one is the same way. Finally got all the screws broken or removed and removed all the flooring. The foam looks like new and I noticed there was metal reinforcement under each seat screwed to the underside of the plywood. Now the fun part of putting together a list of materials to get this thing together before spring

dude, i feel ya. my shop is awash with aluminum, wiring, carpet, upholstery, batteries, etc. its getting a bit crazy keeping things organized and retrievable. of course, i wouldnt have it any other way. my foam looked great also. i have those aluminum sheets under the seatinginserts also. not sure how much they would help but i willreuse them.

 

[jlake1958]

In spite of all my fishing buddies telling me to sell this boat and buy something newer, I have started to disassemble my 1850 and plan to replace the plywood in the floor, rebuild the consoles and the engine cover (yes, it's an inboard). I must admit, at least to me, it seems to be more of a job than I thought it would be. I have been searching for sources for the plywood and have not decided to replace the carpet with carpet or a different covering. I seem to be having trouble finding any sources that offer any 3/4" in a higher grade than an A-B Marine and maybe I don't need anything of a higher grade. This is my first attempt at a rebuild and I would welcome any advice anyone might have to help me along with my project.

you could go with hardwood marine plywood and seal the tar out of it. i used that stuff to redo my entire deck. takes time to cure 4 coats on 6 sides of all cut boards but i was shocked at the poor condition of my decking.
so 4 coats totalboat penetrating epoxy thinned for 2 coats to penetrate and 2 non-thinned coats to turn the wood into tough plastic. then gluing 1/4" EVA foam on top of all boards(wont absorb water) and then gluing and stapling Marideck pvc vinyl which is also waterproof. Gives a nice foot feel when shoeless and improves the otherwise "gappy" look of the Marideck (because its much thinner than carpet). the Marideck wraps around each entire board with 3" glued, stapled, and brush_on sealer added after the stapling. im sure water will get to my decking somehow but it will be minimal and should easily get another 30 years out of the ol girl.
BTW, if you want, this IS the time to convert to a simpler, less involved outboard engine--get back some space in the back of the boat?