saltwater grizzly need yalls opinion

Hey guys,

Im finally getting the funds together for my boat after contemplating on if I was going to sell it or not.

Ive come to the conclusion to at least get it in the water before I sell it.

So here is where I stand and would like the tin boat crew to help.

Im doing some rough drawing of what I think I want the boat to look like but need an opinion on what flooring to put in first. It has aluminum floors and sides already but should I put in carpet or hydro-turf over it? Im going to mostly be in freshwater but will always be fishing the river and the backcountry rivers as well. I like the turf but its super expensive. I like the feel of carpet but have heard bad things about it mixing with the salt but I would think that just washing down the carpet after I leave the ramp would help. Is this wrong to think?

I'll start with that question and upload a few drawings and see what yall think.

Thanks for the help!

F2k

JMO - but I would never put carpet in a saltwater boat

Grizzly Grip

What is grizzly grip? I don't want anything that feels like my truck bed liner if thats what it is. Just something where my feet wont burn in the sun during the day when walking on it

Guess I don't understand the reluctance to use carpet on a saltwater boat....

I have a tinny with carpet and have used it a little in Saltwater. Unless I foolishly drop redfish all over it..... (if I could catch that many)....., and then, foolishly don't wash the slime off....what else might be the problem?

Just trying to learn something new. thanks for any input. Rich

rich,

I was thinking in the same thing and I know a member here on tinboats has a bass tracker turned into a flats tracker and it has carpet in it.

Anyone care to help a few of us out?

Thanks

The carpet will hold salt and cause the aluminum under to corrode you will never get all the salt out of it

Carpet absorbs and retains moisture and is not something you want in a fishing boat.

Your boat will last longer and stay newer looking longer if you install a water shedding deck finish instead of one that soaks up and holds water.

jigngrub said:

Carpet absorbs and retains moisture and is not something you want in a fishing boat.

Your boat will last longer and stay newer looking longer if you install a water shedding deck finish instead of one that soaks up and holds water.

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I agree with the shedding deck. But for the folks who are not near saltwater, I don't think carpet is a problem. I suspect the lion's share of fishing boats made today use carpets without a problem.

In my experience, salt water on the carpet is just too hard to keep clean. I had a (carpeted) Lund Angler years ago that I'd occasionally take out striper fishing and regardless how careful we were we would inevitably pull in all sorts of 'stuff' that stuck up the boat. Sharks, sea weed, etc... Yes, it could be hosed off and cleaned - but it was a pain and still seemed to stink for awhile...

I'm now near the Chesapeake Bay, so I'm putting Hydroturf on my latest project, so it can just be hosed off.

Thanks for the good answers. The one about carpet holding moisture ( it does) and that moisture, in contact with the aluminum, is the effect that I wasn't thinking about.

regards, Rich

The issue with carpet on a salt water boat is moisture retention which equates to mildew, corrosion, and maintaimence. There is a reason that you don't see carpet in bay and offshore boats. IMO, you are much better off with a light colored non-skid or a vinyl covering like nautolex. There are a lot of good covering out there that are easy to maintain and give good service.

Since we are on this topic, I guess I can share a process to create a light non-skid, washable surface for darn little money.

Years ago, I bought a very well used small fiberglass sailboat. It's fiberglass gel-coated seats were almost worn through and didn't look very good.

After reading about this technique someplace, I painted the seat with outdoor Rustoleum ( I think) and let it dry.

I then applied another coat of the same paint, and sprinkled Sea Salt on when the paint got tacky. The Sea Salt is like regular salt, but the crystals are larger.

After the paint dried, I washed the area with water. The water dissolved the Sea Salt and left a light non-skid surface. It worked out well for what I was trying to do.

If you'd like to try this process, a can of Sea salt and any old paint would be an easy trial .....to see if you like it.

Some guys have done much the same thing, but sprinkled coarse sand on, and left it in place. I thought that sand would rub my big butt too much on the sailboat
seats.

regards, rich

Wow thanks everyone for the help!

What is this vinyl y'all are talking about? I'm beginning to think the hydro turf or this vinyl is the best bet. Just don't like to walk on a deck that feels like my rhinolined truck bed.

Anyone suggestions help guys!

And since we're on the subject does anyone have some flats boat ideas they like? I love the flats tracker here on tinboats but it's a center console and I'm using a tiller

Just like most have said.
1. Carpet holds the saltwater which causes corrosion.
2. If you have seagrass or seaweed it is a pain to hose of since it sticks to the carpet like velcro.
3. You will have to battle mildew and stink for the life of the boat.
4. It will rot your wood eventually.
5. It is less expensive to paint the deck vs the carpet.
6. If you ever have to take it off your deck it is a PITA.

On a side note, if you do decide to carpet your decks you could always play putt putt if the fish are not chewing..... :mrgreen:

bigwave,

Thanks. Ive pretty much put carpet out of the idea, although I do not have any wood in the boat. It has aluminum floors and sides so it getting into the wood isn't a problem.

Anyone have a link to that vinyl stuff or an idea on painting the boat green drab like it is not but thick so it doesn't get hot?

Grizzly Grip - goes on like paint, is non skid, washes well and is reasonably priced. What's not to like for an off shore boat?

BTW, I grew up down in the Beaufort/Atlantic Beach area of North Carolina spending summers with my Uncle Linwood. My cousins and I lived for fishing and having fun cruising the inland waterway down near Wilmington, etc. I worked shrimp, fish and oyster boats as a young man going to college.

If you don't have a fiberglass boat, Grizzly Grip is about as good a coating for any other material that's going to be used in salt water. The vinyl stuff is okay from what I've seen of it, but the rough beating it'll take from larger salt water fish, I'd rather go with Grizzly Grip.

Nothing like a soap and water hose rinse down cleanup to me.

Get online to SeaDek and order a free sample kit, they're pricy but it's really good stuff

Davin,

That stuff looks great but im concerned about what it would feel like if I fell on it or how it would feel against my feet. I always fish bare foot.

Also buddy that stuff is the same stuff that hydro-turf is. Gatortrax also has the hydro-turf in there own colors

fish2keel said:

Davin,

That stuff looks great but im concerned about what it would feel like if I fell on it or how it would feel against my feet. I always fish bare foot.

Also buddy that stuff is the same stuff that hydro-turf is. Gatortrax also has the hydro-turf in there own colors

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Sorry but is nowhere near the same stuff as hydro turf. Hydroturf is softer and spongy and SeaDek is harder with no air pockets and is flatter with more grip.