Decking questions

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JGrund85

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I just recently purchased a 15.5 foot Sea Ark Hook Line Modified V with a 40hp 4 Stroke Evinrude from my uncle.

SeaArk3.jpg


SeaArk1.jpg


SeaArk2.jpg


I am very excited to get to the rebuild of this boat. It needs A LOT of work, but for the price I paid I cannot complain one bit.

A few questions:
1) Can anyone Identify the Motor model and year?

2) Can anyone Identify which Sea Ark model this is? (I have not picked up the boat from my uncle yet)

3) I want to completely redo the decking floor and the front deck as the wood is starting to rot. I was hoping to use sheet aluminum. I am having a hard time finding aluminum sheeting wide enough and in one piece. The beam in back is 72" the middle is 70" and the front where is starts to V is 45-46." Is there another material that would be sufficient (other than wood)? I had considered using rubber stall matt and placing some type of foam in between the ribs for support. I have found the rubber stall mat in the width that I need, but cannot find the aluminum sheeting in one piece that is big enough. Also, how thick should I buy the aluminum sheeting (if I can find it), and what other support other than the ribs should I use? I was planning on riveting the aluminum to the ribs, is this a bad idea?

Thanks for your help and I love the forum! I have learned a lot reading through things. I plan on posting build as it happens.
 
You should be able to tell the model of the motor and boat by looking at the serial number of the motor, and the HULL ID Number (HIN) of the boat. Somebody on here can likely tell by looking at those.

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the boat!
 
Check your local metal yards. I recently got the alum floor in mine. The yard had all 4' X 10' sheets (many thicknesses and types) that get cut down from there. I used foam between ribs and only 0.040" for the covering. Check my project link for more info.
 
Looks like a 2000-2002 model and if I remember correct it is a suzuki engine with Evinrude badging. Evinrude only made these for a couple years I believe. But the motor will have a serial or model number on it. Find it, post it here and we will help get the exacts on your motor : )
 
I have been able to find the sheeting in any thickness 4 - 5 foot wide. I need about 72 inches wide by about 10 - 12 foot.

Any other ideas??
 
Thanks Johny! I was thinking that was the approximate year based on what I found. Not a whole lot of information on good or bad about that motor that I was able to find. Will post serial number once I am finally in possession of boat. I can't wait!

Any ideas on boat anyone?
 
I found the aluminum around town in .100 thickness 71" wide x 144" long. Outrageous price at $500.00 for my floor. I think I need to decrease the thickness a little. If I could get it for around $350, I would be highly interested.

One of the many questions above: Will it decrease the strength of the boat if I rivet to the ribs of the boat?
 
Bump for some more answers!

Any other suggestions on other ways to do the floors?
 
Aluminum framing and plywood decking is the way to go, it's what all the really really kewl kids are doing!

I know you're afraid of plywood rot, but you don't have to be if you do it right.

1. Use aluminum angle or tubing for your framing.

2. Use a good waterproof plywood for your decking, like MDO (medium density overlay)

3. Use an epoxy resin to seal the top and edges of your decking.

4. Use a waterproof deck finish like marine vinyl to cover your deck, it will shed water instead of absorbing it and is stupid easy to clean.

The rot in your wood framing is why we use aluminum, and the rot in your decking is why we seal with epoxy and don't use that disgusting carpet crap.

I understand that some folks don't have the skill for this, and if you're one of them you can bring your boat to me and give me a signed blank check and I'll have a real nice boat waiting for you when I finish it.
 
jigngrub said:
Aluminum framing and plywood decking is the way to go...

I respectfully disagree. Plywood is great for a small budget, but if monetary concerns aren't the top driving factor, aluminum really stands out on top. It is what the rest of the boat is made of, for starters.

If we are talking about the way to go, take the 'framing' out, and build the entire structure from brake formed sheet aluminum. No extrusions necessary. Framing is for houses. The end result will be a fair amount lighter than a framed and sheathed structure, whether the sheathing be aluminum or wood, without sacrificing any strength.

Won't rot - even if life happens, and the boat gets left outside uncovered for a couple years, or if something happens, and the epoxy shield is somehow damaged.

Furthermore, the fit and finish will be much smoother, especially if you aren't installing the universal band-aid (carpet can cover a lot of imperfections).

Signed blank check at drop off? I've got to change my business model, apparently. I've always supplied a fixed price at drop off, and not require payment until pickup. And, the deck is aluminum. Look what I'm missing out on.... #-o



As far as the price of the sheet, have you priced smaller sheets? That price is high for that square footage, but depending on location, the odd size may entail a premium. If the smaller sheets are less per sq. foot, have you considered using two smaller sheets with a seam?

.100 would be a good choice. A lot of guys use a thinner skin supported by foam and the likes, however, as a general rule, I don't and won't recommend that, for corrosion and dirt issues.

Riveting the sheet aluminum to the ribs will not decrease the strength of the boat - the opposite. With a lower deck, you are turning a figurative channel into a box beam, which will stiffen the boat a bit.

Vertical bulkheads, such as the back face of a bow deck, coupled with raised casting decks will eliminate much of the torsional flex, if there is any.

Hope this helps. I skimmed through, and think I hit all the questions I saw, but I could have missed something.
 
I was curious to know if Bassboy1 really knows what he is talking about, so I searched up his threads and read for a while ..... yup, he knows! Best aluminum fabricator on this site for sure.

With that said, budget, time, resources and skill can often be limiting factors for many of us. Sometimes we have to make due with what we've got.

Sounds like you are certainly on the right path, and you have a great boat! Keep us updated with lots of pics!!
 
bassboy1 said:
jigngrub said:
Aluminum framing and plywood decking is the way to go...

I respectfully disagree. Plywood is great for a small budget, but if monetary concerns aren't the top driving factor, aluminum really stands out on top. It is what the rest of the boat is made of, for starters.

If we are talking about the way to go, take the 'framing' out, and build the entire structure from brake formed sheet aluminum. No extrusions necessary. Framing is for houses. The end result will be a fair amount lighter than a framed and sheathed structure, whether the sheathing be aluminum or wood, without sacrificing any strength.

Won't rot - even if life happens, and the boat gets left outside uncovered for a couple years, or if something happens, and the epoxy shield is somehow damaged.

Furthermore, the fit and finish will be much smoother, especially if you aren't installing the universal band-aid (carpet can cover a lot of imperfections).

Signed blank check at drop off? I've got to change my business model, apparently. I've always supplied a fixed price at drop off, and not require payment until pickup. And, the deck is aluminum. Look what I'm missing out on.... #-o



As far as the price of the sheet, have you priced smaller sheets? That price is high for that square footage, but depending on location, the odd size may entail a premium. If the smaller sheets are less per sq. foot, have you considered using two smaller sheets with a seam?

.100 would be a good choice. A lot of guys use a thinner skin supported by foam and the likes, however, as a general rule, I don't and won't recommend that, for corrosion and dirt issues.

Riveting the sheet aluminum to the ribs will not decrease the strength of the boat - the opposite. With a lower deck, you are turning a figurative channel into a box beam, which will stiffen the boat a bit.

Vertical bulkheads, such as the back face of a bow deck, coupled with raised casting decks will eliminate much of the torsional flex, if there is any.

Hope this helps. I skimmed through, and think I hit all the questions I saw, but I could have missed something.

Aluminum is too noisy, too hot, and too cold... unless you put that water absorbing, mildew breeding, hard to keep clean junk called carpet on it. Some people may like the sound of an aluminum deck "oil canning" under foot, but it's not music to my ears.

A welded aluminum deck in an all welded boat is a friggin' nightmare if you have to ever make repairs below deck.

Aluminum framing and plywood decking is and has been the OEM for the majority aluminum boat manufacturers.

If something damages the epoxy shield in one of my boats I'll have bigger problems than the epoxy on my hands. I use a thin penetrating epoxy that isn't just a surface barrier... it's part of the wood. If my boats are left uncovered for an extended period of time it's not a problem other than UV damage that all other boats will suffer. My decks shed and drain water and don't have any water absorbing materials to hold moisture to promote rot.

All of my ply decks are easily removable for repairs and periodic inspection and cleaning below deck.

I like aluminum for everything except the deck on a boat, y'all can have my share of the aluminum decks.
 
Wow, a lot of awesome posts! Thanks everyone. I started my build page separate from this thread. I am going to take the advice from all of this actually. I have decided to temporarily do a wood deck, screwed to the ribs. I screwed up and bought PT-wood and will not be using this obviously. Eventually I plan on redoing the deck with aluminum at some point. My thread for this build is called SeaArk 1652 build. I have lots of pictures there and it is coming along quite nicely.
 

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