Low-buck Project of the Week #47- More Floor

     "Don't stop, keep it moving..."
                     -Jennifer Lopez


    As last season faded into winter, an errantly placed 6 gallon water jug, overweight blog scribe and hyperactive boatdawg all attempted to occupy the same roll-up floor slat on Quack.  One busted floor slat later, I had another project to add to the off-season punchlist.  A scrap of ply was pressed into service as a scarph plate to get us through the last month of the season, but a long term solution was needed.

  We never roll up our " roll-up" dinghy.  We bought a roll-up for the leaner weight over hard floor/ inflatable floor models, so as to not overstress the low-buck davits.

   And because it was cheaper.  C'mon, do I have to say it?

   (Just as an aside, has anybody ever rolled up a roll-up?  If so, have you ever managed to roll it up enough to get it back into what the brochures optimistically describe as the "convenient carrying case"?)

   Okeydoke, now I need to fix the floor without adding a significant weight penalty.  Time to turn some more crap into stuff again.  Measure, measure, find a couple of pieces of scrap 1/4" ply that are close to the right size, cut 'em down to eliminate the "close to" part, laminate 'em together, clamp, roll epoxy on the outside, seal end grain, back roll  epoxy to give the deck a non-skid surface, varnish, varnish again,. fasten to Quack with stainless screws and finish cups salvaged from DonorBoat and...



...Before...

   After:

 
   The floor is now significantly stiffer and the boat will now attempt to plane.
   
  Total build time: 20 minutes
  Total cure time and dry time:  Three days- one for epoxy, two for eight hot coats of varnish
Total install time:  10 minutes
  Total cost: $0- all materials left over from other projects.  If new material needed,  under $50.



"Talk the Dock!"