Thread: Pontoon Boat repair

Have any of you guys ever replaced the floor on a Pontoon boat? If so did you use CCA treated plywood or marine grade plywood. Did you go back with 5/8 or 3/4 inch plywood. This is a complete rebuild and all advice or suggestions would be helpful.

Would this be the "fixer-upper" boat that was posted about months ago? I hope you got a good deal if it is.

I am not an expert by any means, but I think you probably want to pay the extra $$ for marine grade. About five years ago I replaced the front deck on my old turd boat with treated plywood and it's now getting soft around the pedestal seat. The pedestal has a lot of "give". Like any day it will "give out"... The marine grade plywood would have been cheaper in the long run, lots cheaper. Just my 2 cents. I will pay the extra bucks for marine grade whenever I get the energy to tear the old deck out.

I have a 28' boat and when I restored it, I used 1/8" AL. I have never regreted it. I put marine carpet over the floor afterwards. Then I fabicated my own furniture out of Al and had my buddy make padded seat covers for them. It lightened the boat, and didn't cost any more than marine plywood. I did have to drill pilot holes for the SS screws but that went fast. Now I have a lifetime boat and never have to worry about wood rot.

I think you have to get the marine plywood to get the longer length dimension. I believe you'll find that the width of the pontoon may be greater than 8 ft as many are 8'6" across. If you could replace with aluminum or fiberglas decking it would be great and would last forever, but it's hard for me to believe you can do it anywhere near the plywood price.

Also, you definitely want the marine plywood as it will be much more resistant to moisture swelling, etc. over time. And after you do the job you'll not want to think about repeating in a few years. The real problem with the plywood comes if you leave the boat on the lake somewhere. In that situation, every morning is dew and the humidity of being on the water takes its toll on the plywood over time.

Some of the new boats have a non-wood deck, and you should be able to make a fiberglas deck as cheap as plywood but I've never seen it.

Same goes with carpet, I would buy better quality as you only want to do it once.

Just my opinion trying to be helpful.

Check on aluminum prices before you commit to plywood. I think it cost me about 325for an 8' x 20' x 1/8" sheet. But that was a couple of years ago. My boat is exactly 8' wide so the width was perfect. I had to get another 4 x 8 piece to finish it up. If you do get the AL get the one that is non bendable, I forget the number. But it is a little stiffer than the one that you can bend.

Another, often overlooked source of aluminum sheet is scrap yards. Quite often you can get it at a much better price than new, but beware, some yards are selling scrapped aluminum at like 95% of new price.

Marine grade ply is not the anwser unless you want to spend way to much money for no reason. Most of the time Marine grade plywood will rot quicker than standard plywood. What make marine grade plywood what it is, simple the lake of voids in the construction of the plywood not the ablity not to rot or rot slower. Do some research on marine grade on boat building sites and you will see. Also look into getting something on the smaller size 3/4 is used in homes why for the weight that will be placed on it. Unless you plan on putting a panio, or something alone that line on the wood go with a smaller thickness it will help in weight too.

Pontoon is about 85% finished, New floor, wiring, furniture, carpet, motor, trailor, fuel system. Waiting to take it to Toronto and Fall River, might have to wait a few months. If it floats might have my 19ft Champion for sale this spring:D Me thinks I need a title change from 1989 to 2010