how to replace floor in ’82

I replaced the floors in my 1980 American skier which is nearly the same. If you can cut out the perimiter of the old floor with a 90 degree grinder tool to seperate the floor from interior wall of boat. Mine had a layer of fiberglass that met the floor to side seam. I left the front of floor in the boat and did not replace that portion because my front seat was part of the deck. Once you have portions of the old floor out you can use these as rough patterns. You can also use long card board on the inside to make patterns. Duct tape the edge on the motor side to existing floor and then use a utility knife to cut pattern. This step is the most important to get a tight seam. To get even closer when you get your pattern in, leave the edge to motor wider than you need. Then use a pencil and tram the boat interior wall directly on you new wood. this will be a perfect pattern to do your final cut. Once your happy with that, make the straight cut along the motor box.

I'm a professional window tinter and I used a pattern making material that is 3mil. low tack plastic. Covered my entire floor and then used a utility knife to cut in the edges. Transfered this pattern to wood and cut. Came out perfect the firts time.

I used 3/4" marine plywood and I would suggest you do the same. I also used stainless screws. When you have the floor out this is a great time to replace the fuel line to tank, throttle cable, steering cable and shift cable.

With the floors out inspect for damage to the stringers ect. Make any repairs now. This is where I went a little crazy. I mixed a hot batch of resin and coated the entire hull that had existing glass. Filling all the existing holes from the old floor screws. Now install your new floor, all wood excluding inspections. Once you have it all screwed down and solid I drilled small holes in the new wood and injected more expandable marine foam to meet the bottom of new floor. Do a little at a time that stuff really expands! Now...take a 7" grinder with a 36 grit wheel and smooth off all surfaces of floor. You don't want to feel any bumps in your new carpet. Make sure your screws are sunk deep enough.

I fiberglassed my floors into the boat. I used 4 ft. wide sheets of 20 oz glass and marine resin. First I laid the fibergalss sheets in the same direction as the wind shield, going across the boat and about 12" up the boat interior wall. Then sheets the length of the boat and 12" up the transom. Then one final wrap around the inside wall. Let it all cure and then take the same grinder with the 36 grit and sand the floors smooth, no bumps! Finally I got the boat leval and dumped one gallon of marine resin on the floors and let it self leval .

Water proof floors. My floors are solid as a rock and I will never touch them again. The fiberglass is probablly not neccessary but at a minimum I would use the foam on the floors, grind them flat and soak the entire floor in a gallon of resin. Don't worry about the weight.

Good luck with it. I did mine in a weekend. Grind it out, make a pattern, install, grind flat and glass. My boat was very quiet after I did all that and never worry when soaking wet people get in. To clean the carpet I just hose it out! The boat rode much more solid and responsive. Original floors were like 3/8 or 1/2 maybe, and glass only on seamed edges. They were in terrible condition and this was the greatest improvement I made. Let us know how it comes out.   

Yes, the dust will really irritate you. I used one of those full white disposible suits. Otherwise you'll be itching for days! Good luck with it.

Gordonw,

I would LOVE to see any pics you have of your floor project (before, during, after, etc)

Thanks for the great info.

Thanks,
Jim

I replaced the floor and stringers in my 84 2001.

Most of the floor had already come unglued from the sides of the hull, so I didn't have to cut there. I cut along the corner of the stringers in the rear to get rid of the rest of the old floor. The only wood in my floor was in the front part of the boat where the seats screwed down, and it was all rotten.

I used a 4" angle grinder to do most of my cutting. A more powerfull tool would've been nicer in some spots, and a smaller one would've been nicer in others.

I replaced the old wood with resin coated plywood, the old foam with new. I used 3 layers of 1.5 oz matt for the new floor, with some extra reinforcing on the side joints to make sure it didn't come unglued again. 2 layers of matt felt too weak.

It took a while to get it done, but I learned a lot in the process.