casting deck material

i was mentioning in another post about 15 or 16ft boat, i might want to try one option before i decide to sell it, i want to build a casting deck and fist off it and see if i will be comfortable, i priced 1/2" marine grade plywood here in my area, over 100 dollars for a 4x8 sheet, i am think of tryine either 1/2" pressure treated or MDO any thoughts

chet

regular outdoor ply is an acceptable substitute for marine ply if money is tight. it's made with the same waterproof adhesive, but the veneers are lower grade, whereas marine plywood uses top grade, with no knots or voids. be sure to paint the wood with the paint of your choice. many people choose epoxy resin, or else 'spar urethane' for a clear coat. but any outdoor grade paint will work fine, if occasionally repainted.

pressure treated woods do not tend to play well with aluminum boats. the chemicals used to keep the wood from rotting when in contact with the ground are metallic in nature, and these metals will tend to cause the aluminum to corrode. the same chemistry behind the sacrificial zinc anode on your motor. except the aluminum hull is now the sacrificial anode. not recommended.

hope that helps.

cheers,

Brian

I agree with 86tuning, go with the regular plywood.

Jim

Never use pressure treated on an aluminum boat. ACX, BCX, CCX even CDX as long as the grade ends in X.

I used pressure treated for the raised decks on my boat. But, l keep a supply of pt plywood in the barn, so it’s been dried for months. And, I coat it with several coats of epoxy primer. Plus, I isolate it from touching any aluminum. For the floors where there could be standing water, I used sheets of diamond plate aluminum coated wit a bedliner type material.

In my experiences marine grade plywood is never worth the money. Marine grade plywood is basically just ABX. I have always used ACX for less than half the price. Never had any problems

Aluminum would be my choice simply because I just think that wood has no place in a marine enviroment. but it also poses the problem of having the knowledge and tools to work with it.

I’ve read a lot about the virtues of marine grade vs plywood.

My mind always goes to how wet is it going to get.

Personally I went marine grade, because it was the “right” thing to do, but in all honesty- my boat is garage kept and I don’t fish in the rain...

So I could Probably could get by just as long with plywood.

Just my two cents.

- A Perfect Tin

Aluminum no wood!

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