False Floor Help!

[BaitThrower]

I searched the forums and all over the web but couldnt really find any answers to the following...

Planning to put in a false floor in the 3.4m fibreglass dinghy I have. Primarily to give a flat bottom and so I can attach a seat base and maybe build some small storage boxes on top etc....

Planning to use 12mm exterior ply (with appropriate sealing/coating). Will use supports (ummm whats the word for those?) under the ply which match the countur of the hull so the ply is level. These will be spaced fairly close together so 12mm ply should hold the load etc. Now, what material to use for these? And do these just sit on the hull without fixing? (obviously the ply floor will be fixed to these but is the whole thing just a snug friction-type fit? I can't imagine the floor would go anywhere - i.e. no room for it to move and weight on top to keep it lifting). Anyone have pictures of their false floor project build they can share? Any other considerations?

Will add marine carpet over the floor once complete.

Any and all false floor tips most welcome, and especially pics

Thanks folks!

[finga]

Any pictures of the bottom of the boat as it is now matey??

[BaitThrower]

Any pictures of the bottom of the boat as it is now matey??

Yup here are some
No laughing at my little boat now ya hear!
And excuse the mess... still trying to fit it all out!

[finga]

No laughing here mate.
We've been looking for one just like that to use in the canals.
You could have locater ribs into the chines (no need to fix then either) and make a wide rib to go from side to side so it sits on as much glass as possible.
Is there anything wrong with the present sitting position??

If it was mine though I'd be more inclined to put some reasonably thin ply down to follow the curve of the hull in between the seats or to fill the chines up with q-cell and glass over the lot so it'd be a smooth curvy floor. Not really really flat.
I'd do this just so I wouldn't loose too much height from the floor to the seat.
I have to consider the old knees now and if they're under my nose for too long they get all stiff.

[BaitThrower]

Thanks for the ideas Finga...
Had a mate over and we were discussing it. He too mentioned loss of "leg room" if I put a false floor in the middle section...

What we sort of came up with is to make a false floor running from the bow seat to the middle seat, which would then give us a couple under floor compartments for storing stuff, then carpet over this, so it is sort of a bow casting platform.

Then for seats, we can just add one to the false floor behind the compartments (over the current fibreglass seat) and then get one of those chair mounts that fit over the rear seat and put one there. The front compartments would be a good solution for storage of our gear without sacrificing standing space.

Whatya think?

[finga]

Brilliant.
I have to say that because that's kinda what I did to the front of my tiny tinny
I just gave the cook a bit of high density foam to park the posteria on and she's as happy as a pig in mud. (not that I'm saying she's a pig... )

[BaitThrower]

Thanks for pics. Yeah thats sorta what I want to do. I'll probably make the frame out of some hardwood or something since metal a bit harder to connect to fibreglass as easily

[finga]

aluminium is easy to connect to fiberglass.
Sikaflex is a boaties near best friend
Mine is held in place with poprivets and sikaflex.
The aluminium is angle. across the front and back with hollow sections from front to back.
I think I know what your going to be up to over Christmas
Cheers then
Scott

[dnej]

Gees finga,you do good work.Credit to you
David

[crossy]

finga, thats a pretty clean job. i want to do that and ran into the same problem as BaitThrower in regards to the lack of info on the web. im thinking about it but very hesitant about pop riviting the boat

[Chris Ryan]

Scott - great pics mate and nice work indeed! Now that's a country boy's attention to detail.

[finga]

I want to do that and ran into the same problem as BaitThrower in regards to the lack of info on the web. im thinking about it but very hesitant about pop riviting the boat

Just the sikaflex will hold it.
If the poprivets are a problem just use anything to hold it (even masking tape will do) whilst the sika goes off properly or use stainless bolts and nuts to hold it.

Good stuff that sikaflex

The main thing is not to be afraid to have a go, don't be held back by the 'lack of information', to learn and have fun doing it.

When I did that boat up (second handy was just dandy for me) I did not know how to or if I could weld alloy. I had a go and just experimented a lot.
After 2 or 3 rehashes of one area of the tiny tinny I pretty happy with the overall setup.

And don't be afraid to try something new. If it doesn't work out just rip it out and try something else.