Carpet or rubber?

[wilcara]

What's your thoughts? Thinking about carpet for the cockpit floor in a Bertram 20.... hopefully will see the odd bloody fish like tuna etc on it; but tossing up with rubber as an alternative. I guess the latter has the advantage of easy hose off and non hook holding, but carpet is easy and more non slip... thoughts, experiences, horror stories please? Thanks guys.

[backlash08]

carpet, cooler too

[PADDLES]

yep, rubber will be too hot to walk on

[wilcara]

Never thought of that - but it is for Victoria, have to think about the other 364 days too!

[PADDLES]

i reckon that the short pile marine carpet isn't too bad to hose off anyway, if you're down in vicco though the water restrictions might not allow you to do much hosing.

[spears]

I use the rubber tubed mat which allows me to wash down easily.
It will stop objects from rolling around the floor..e.g. sinkers ect.
If it gets too hot wear thongs.
You shouldn't be bare foot in the boat anyway.

[Ringoscar]

See SeaDek at www.flybridge.com.au

[wilcara]

Paddles - sea water is OK to hose, there is plenty of it. You even get used to drinking it after a while down here. You guys are lucky, you get fresh water running down the streets!

Spears - I agree, bare foot is OK on a yacht but not while fishin'

Ringo - that stuff is worth more than the boat!

[FNQCairns]

Rubber also tries to twist the skin off water soaked wrinkled feet.

cheers fnq

[Benno1]

we've got carpet in our toy...i find it very easy to keep clean...from top to tail in 10 minutes...im pretty fussy so the baked on blood gets a seeing too with a scrubbing brush...easy peasy :D
its a personal preference thing tho Wil...get a carpeted boat and rubber floored one side by side...jump in both...see what you think...

Mrs Benno1
Sunny

[black runner]

I've had both and prefer the short pile marine carpet provided it is firmly fixed. I am in Tas and the heavy rubber gets blo0dy hot down here an any clear day.

Cheers

[wilcara]

Wow that's great guys, thanks.... One of the things turning me against carpet was that I am on a farm and every time I jumped in my last boat to do anything I caked red clay dust and crap off my boots into the carpet, I guess I caould have washed it out but it sure never easily hosed off. Is carpet still better than rubber with that in mind?

[The-easyrider]

Spears - I agree, bare foot is OK on a yacht but not while fishin'

A little off topic I know but why, I always fish bare foot hell i used to build roofs bare foot and still mow the lawn in thongs

[wilcara]

Sorry mate, can't condone that.

Nice to know that you haven't left a pile of toes on the lawn or the roof though. Oh, and flatten the barbs on your hooks so you don't drag the tendons out of your foot with it.

(Above comments made with the best intentions!)

[dnej]

And dont dismiss the outdoor carpet, with the rubber backing.Had mine for 6 years.
David

[Goldfinch]

I have marine style clip in carpets in my 6.5m rig and it's great. It get's plenty of blood and smells like a fishing boat until I get around to giving it a good scrub. We get rain here in QLD so when it's forecast I leave the cover off and let the rain drain the blood !!!

If it doesn't rain I take the carpet out of the boat, scrub the stains with soapy water and then give it a bash to remove all the scales etc. Once dried, good as new.

If you want some cheap shoes for the boat, BCF have those slip on reef shoes for about $20. They are good for a year or so.

Cheers
Dave

[tenzing]

Tha boat is carpeted but I have a 2m x 2m piece of marine carpet that goes in before fishing, gets blood and guts all over it. Throw it out when we get home and hose it with the tank water. Done in a couple of minutes. Boat always smells good.

[White Pointer]

G'day,

Another option is synthetic grass that they put on tennis counts. Tough as nails.

White Pointer

[wilcara]

Seems carpet has it over rubber.... dunno about the grass though, would feel like I should be mowing it!

[Spaniard_King]

Wil,

Best option for you is the carpet with a spare bit to wipe ya boots on when ya get in :)

After haing clipped in carpet I can tell ya blood is very hard to get out and you only know its all out when you get to see the underside of the carpet.. failing having a fire hose to clean it I would never get glued in carpet:P

[TimiBoy]

I have clip in carpets. If the trip has involved a lot of blood, I take 'em out and scrub 'em with a yard broom and detergent. Works a treat. Nice and comfy to walk on, doesn't get hot, doesn't trap hooks.

Really cannot fault it.

Cheers,

Tim

[wilcara]

I take 'em out and scrub 'em with a yard broom and detergent.

Yet one more job to do when you get home in the dark though?

[TimiBoy]

Yet one more job to do when you get home in the dark though?

A bucket.

But then I have been known to hose, but we are on lesser water restrictions, and they are not generally enforced, because everyone including local Government here knows restrictions are crap in this area.


Cheers,

Tim

[juju]

I have carpet, and also a y fitting with a valve on the hose from my bait tank pump...if i spill something on the carpet, or get blood or whatever..i give it a quick hose while its wet....easy then...no scrubbing needed....i then open the scuppers on the back and give her a splash with some fresh water out of a 5 lt container i carry.......i had some rubber on the old boat...yep got hot underfoot...

[The-easyrider]

If you are wearing shoes why bother to put carpet or rubber down when it is just something else to clean , with a hard floor you only need to give it a hose down

[wilcara]

My thought exactly... however most still seem to be saying carpet, even though they have to clean it. Not sure why- The only down side to rubber so far is that it is hot in the sun?

[tenzing]

Mate ,seriously try the spare carpet idea.
Easy, cheap, easy to clean.
Leaves the boat presentable when you aren't fishing.
Works over any surface,can leave it out to air if you want between trips.
Brendan

[oldboot]

But there is a third alternative.

Non slip coatings.

Sorry but I do not believe that there is any such thing as a clean carpet, in a house or in a boat....you simply can not clean a carpet, there will always be garbage in the bottom of the pile.
And the carpet regardless of type will hold moisture.

There are quite a few realy good proprietry non slop coatings or the various do it rors self options like, sand, sugar, salt or coffee grounds used with a paint of your choice.

cheers

[ozbee]

i use both the rubber is great for self draining decks etc and keeps you up off the floor gets a bit hard on the feet so i lay a piece of carpet on top of if which solves that , come night time after fishing you can lift up the carpet and throw down your bedding and it doesnt get wet as you lay up off the floor on the rubber. sure makes the cabin less crowded.

[wilcara]

come night time after fishing you can lift up the carpet and throw down your bedding and it doesnt get wet

Theres a good point.

I'm still going eact way here, swinging every time somebody replies. I think, yeah carpet... then... yeah rubber..... feckit!

[John Buoy]

I had clip on carpet and it now finds itself thrown in storage.
The non slip floor with one length of rubber grid across the transom
is what i use and as the boat gets used 2-3 a week and with water restrictions here in vic i will never go back to carpet...

Horses for courses regards Frank