Dreaming out Loud

[Alasgun]

I have always been plagued by the non flat floor in our 25 ftr. Well now that she's wrapped up for winter it's time to create the "dream" short list and that floor is on top of the list.

Loctite makes a number of concrete and flooring products that have some appeal. I'm looking at a self leveling epoxy grout for a foundation before a teak or other suitable top is put down. It looks like the deepest part of the valley will require 2 inches of fill in the area adjoining the v-berth then tapering to under a 1/2 inch at the back door. This can be accomplished with about 7 gallons of grout.

Once upon a time I owned a 1950 1 ton Dodge truck and to say the suspension was stout would be an understatement, it was non existent! This problem was easily remedied by pouring an inch of cement in the floor of the truck bed. The ride softened up and handling was improved as well.

Now I realize there is a lot of difference between the truck and the boat but I have another idea that may get incorporated into this project next spring. I have an endless supply of scrap Tungsten Carbide available to me and for those of you not familiar with it, this stuff is considerably heavier than lead. It would be a simple matter to add a couple hundred pounds right down the center before pouring the grout which would easily keep everything in place. Im thinking an evenly distributed, centrally located weight at the lowest possible point in the boat "May" have some dampening effect on the boats ride. It "May" even function like a ballasted keel, which wouldn't be all bad either.

As usual, any constructive input is appreciated.
Mike

[westward]

Greetings! I have heard of poured cement used as ballast before, in a commercial boat that had one of its two engines permanently removed and handled poorly as a result of the loss of ballast. I believe the fellow placed a shower pan liner membrane between the fiberglass bilge and the cement, and let the boat's stringer system hold the cement in place.I would strongly encourage you to research the chemical compatibility between a cement product and fiberglass before proceeding. Also, obviously, consider the effect on your boat's fore-and-aft balance as well. I don't have a 25 footer and can't really picture where you're considering adding the cement leveler, and I'm sure you've thought about this quite a bit, but please be careful. Good luck, Mike.

[oldgrowth]

Mike - I would assume your boat is always lightly loaded if you would consider adding any ballast weight. I have never heard of a C-Dory used for extended cruising being lightly loaded.

Before you make any permanent or semi permanent modifications, you should experiment with something easily removable first.
________
Dave

[JamesTXSD]

Hi Mike,

In a recent post on our cruising thread, I noted a 3.5 knot increase in speed at the same rpm with our boat unloaded vs loaded for cruising.

The only time we notice that the floor isn't level is when we take the carpet out (factory carpet). Perhaps before doing something drastic, you might give that a try? Or maybe go with something like shaped stringers with wood over them? I'm just thinking of the added weight and potential hit to resale value with a permanent change like cement/grout.

Now, if you can figure out a way to increase the cabin door height so I won't whack my head...

Best wishes,
Jim B.

[Butch]

Wrapped up for winter? Why now... in mid September? Is the forecasts that bad... i.e. no boat, no fishing? I would go through withdrawal for sure.. Butch

[Alasgun]

During a conversation with the Loctite tech person, I learned something that had been previously overlooked. Due to the tremendous strength of an epoxy grout and the thickness of the pour, the hull would loose a lot if not all of it's flexibility in that region! That wont work, but undaunted I moved on. I am currently looking at a pourable polyurethane with high shore hardness numbers, good water and chemical properties etc. If the price is reasonable it may be a better end as well.

Having looked at the wooden stringer approach a number of times, I came to the same place of wanting something with little or no upkeep required after the initial placement.

Regarding weight etc, our boat does an honest 29 knts in good seas burning 2 to 3 GPH along the way. Our loading is constant and wont change appreciably and I could easily handle more crap in the boat. I am not even remotely concerned about any of the performance stats changing due to additional weight, but I would like to dress up that floor a bit.

One thing you guys need to understand is that a machinist will fix anything, even when it's not broke. It's in our genes!

And lastly, I want to thank all my concerned brat brothers who may be thinking I've sniffed to much glue. I can worry wart this project till spring and you can be assured by then I will have some good ideas and a direction to go on the floor.

Mike

[JT]

Have you considered stringers of plastic wood, trex, etc.? with a plastic/composite deck? No hassle, lightweight, removeable?


JT