Choosing an inflatable boat for fishing or recreation is always a compromise between weight, reliability and comfort. flyboat With a good balloon, many owners are faced with a basic setup that does not always meet their needs. Standard inflatable floor (air deck) or thin plywood are often the first candidates for replacement, especially if you plan to actively fish from fishing or installation. electric motor.
It is the quality and type of floor that determines your stability during the trophy breeding, the hardness of the bottom on the wave and the overall safety of swimming. Incorrectly selected material can lead to deformation of cylinders or, worse, to break the bottom of the stones. In this article, we will discuss in detail which floor is better for your inflatable boat, how to make it yourself and on which. technicality I'm gonna pay attention.
The variety of materials on the market today is astounding, from classic plywood and moisture-resistant chipboard to aviation aluminum and composite panels. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages that become apparent only during operation. Understanding these differences will help you save money and avoid mistakes when upgrading your vessel.
Why Change Your Staff Floor in an Inflatable Boat
The standard equipment of many budget and even medium-budget models often involves the use of an inflatable floor or a thin plywood deck.air deck) provides excellent buoyancy and minimal weight, but completely deprives the boat of rigidity, sitting on such a bottom is uncomfortable, getting up is risky, and fishing with spinning can be forgotten, since the cutoff will be extinguished by the softness of the floor.
Plywood sheets, which come in the kit, are often less than 9 mm thick or made of low-quality wood, which is quickly saturated with moisture. The swollen plywood becomes heavy, loses strength and can begin to rot, emitting an unpleasant odor. In addition, regular elements often do not have an anti-slip coating, which makes moving on a wet boat dangerous.
⚠️ Warning: Operation of a boat with swollen or stratified plywood floor is unacceptable. A damaged sheet may break under load, resulting in injury to the fisherman or damage to the cylinder by sharp edges.
Replacing the floor with a higher-quality analog solves several tasks at once: increases the rigidity of the structure, improves handling on the go, it becomes possible to stand confidently in full growth. steering-console Or an anchor box that cannot be fixed on a soft base.
Comparison of materials: plywood, aluminum and plastic
When choosing a new flooring material, the first thing to do is to decide on the priorities: what is more important to you - minimum weight or maximum rigidity? Plywood remains the traditional leader, but it has its limitations. Modern composites and aluminum offer an alternative, although they are more expensive.
Aluminum sheets, especially stamps AMGThey are very durable and not afraid of water, and they're ideal for boats that are often left on the water or stored in unheated garages, but metal has the ability to heat up in the sun and cool down in the wind, which can be uncomfortable for the feet.
Plastic and composite panels are new to the market, they're lightweight, they don't rot or they don't rust, but they often cost up to a fraction of the cost of a wooden panel, and the stiffness of a long span can be insufficient without additional ribs.
For an objective comparison, consider the main specifications of materials in the table below, which will help you make an informed decision based on budget and operating conditions.
| Materials | Weight. | Moisture resistance | Toughness | Price. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phanera FC/FSF | Medium. | Requires processing | High. | Low. |
| Aluminum (AMG) | Highly | Great. | Very high. | High. |
| PVC panels | Low. | Perfect. | Medium | Medium |
| LDSP | Highly | Low. | Medium | Low. |
Plywood floor: classics and processing features
Despite the emergence of new materials, plywood It remains the most popular choice for homemade and factory floors, and only moisture-resistant plywood is used for boats. FSF or FCIt is important to understand that even moisture-resistant plywood is not waterproof in the long run without additional protection.
The optimal floor thickness is 9-12 mm. Thinner will walk and bend, thicker - overweight, which is critical for low-power boats. When cutting the sheets, you need to take into account the configuration of the bottom of your model, since the sides of PVC boats often have rounding.
Use birch plywood, it's stronger than coniferous plywood, and it's less susceptible to stratification when wet. Pay attention to grade: 2/2 or 3/3 is suitable for the floor, knots are allowed if they are not through.
The key is to treat the ends and the surface, and the ends are the most vulnerable places where water gets in first, and they need to be soaked in olifu, epoxy resin, or special hydrophobisers. linoleum Or a sleeve to protect you from sleeving and sliding.
⚠️ Warning: Never use toxic compounds based on bitumen or solvent in enclosed spaces to impregnate the floor in a boat. Evaporation can be hazardous to health, and the smell will persist for years.
Rack floor (NDM) against solid flooring
There are two main constructs of the hard floor: solid leafy and rack, known as NDMA (Low Pressure inflatable floor) with hard inserts or just rack flooring, the solid floor turns an inflatable boat into a kind of rigid hull, providing excellent cruising and speed.
The rack floor is made up of individual lamellae connected by a sling, lighter, more compact and easier to install, but it's a little bit less rigid, and you'll feel every wave in the parking lot, and when you put it in, you'll feel every wave. transom-wheel It may be difficult to evenly distribute the load.
For fishing in standing water or on low wave, the rack floor can be more comfortable due to cushioning, but if you plan to go out on large water or use a boat with a power of more than 5 hp, a solid hard floor will be an indispensable advantage.
The effect of sex type on boat speed
A solid hard floor lifts the boat to plane faster by 10-15%, because the bottom has the correct geometry and does not bend under the weight of riders.
Choosing between these options, assess how often you assemble and disassemble the boat: The solid floor is heavier and takes up more space in the trunk, which can be a crucial factor for owners of compact cars.
Manufacture of the floor yourself: step-by-step instructions
Self-made flooring is the best way to get exactly what your boat needs. The process starts with accurate measurements. You need to measure the inner width and length of the inflated cylinder at multiple points, as well as the distance between stringers (if any).
The work will require an electric jigsaw, roulette, a coal mine and finish materials, and it is better to cut with a tolerance of 5-10 mm so that the floor enters tightly, but without excessive pressure on the cylinders, which can lead to their deformation.
☑️ Checklist for flooring
After cutting, you have to build, and if you have multiple sections on the floor, you have to connect them together, and you have to use aluminum profiles or special slats that are attached to the bottom or top, and you have to make sure that there are no gaps between the sections so that the water doesn't stagnate under your feet.
Finishing is not just aesthetics, it's also safety. sea-carpet Or corrugated linoleum will prevent slipping, and the glue to stick the coating must be water resistant and elastic so as not to crack in the cold.
The main mistake in the manufacture is to ignore the weight. Too heavy floor will reduce the load capacity of the boat and its driving performance, so aim for the lowest possible thickness while maintaining strength.
Installation and fastening of the floor in the PVC boat
Floor installation is a very careful process, and depending on the design of the boat, the floor can be placed on the bottom of the balloon or in a special pocket, and in the first case, it is important not to damage the PVC fabric with sharp angles of plywood when assembled.
Some models have special grooves in stringers or Velcro mounts to fix the floor, and if your boat doesn't have regular mounts, the floor is fixed by the spat between the sides. Correctly carved floor It should be placed tightly, but it may require a force to install it.
When installing a transom plate (if the floor serves as its base), you need to use reinforced washers and bolts. The point load from the motor is high, and ordinary plywood without reinforcement can quickly collapse in the attachment sites.
⚠️ Warning: When assembling a boat, make sure that there are no small stones, sand or branches between the floor and the cylinder, which work as an abrasive and can wipe the PVC fabric from the inside in one season of active operation.
Regularly check the condition of the anchors and the floor itself. The tree has the property of "breathing", changing the size depending on the humidity, so once a season it is recommended to tighten the joints and inspect the ends for chipping.
Boat flooring and storage
The durability of your homemade or factory floor depends on storage conditions, even the best treatment will not withstand constant exposure to water, and after each fishing, the floor must be dried.
If you can not dry the plywood (for example, you are on a multi-day hike), try to at least wipe it with dry rags and do not cover the wet boat with a sealed case immediately.
- 🛶 Keep the boat straightened or neatly rolled up, but without clatters in the places of the junction of the floor.
- 🌡️ Avoid storing a boat with a wooden floor in rooms with sharp temperature changes and high humidity.
- 🧹 Regularly clean the surface of silt and fish scales, which may contain aggressive enzymes.
Once a year, it is recommended to conduct a revision of the coating, if you notice that linoleum has begun to recede, or there are swelling on the plywood, immediately begin repairs. Timely restoration will extend the life of the floor for several years.
For storage in winter, the ideal option would be to remove the floor and keep it in a warm, dry room separate from the cylinders, which would relieve the strain on the PVC fabric and prevent mold from developing.
Can I use chipboard instead of plywood for the floor?
It's a very, very, very, very hygroscopic material, and when wet, it quickly turns into porridge, losing its strength. Laminated chipboard is more stable, but only until the protective layer is damaged. Any scratch or open end will be the entrance to water. Plywood is much more reliable and durable.
How to reduce the weight of the plywood floor?
The most efficient way is to choose plywood 9 mm thick instead of 12 mm if the boat design allows. You can also drill process holes in inconspicuous places (for example, under the seats), but this will reduce the stiffness. The alternative is to use aviation plywood (birch top grade), which at the same strength can be thinner, or switch to aluminum alloys that are thinner than wood at comparable stiffness.
Do I need to paint the floor in the boat?
You don't have to paint the floor with oil paint, it will get peeled off quickly. You'd better use special yacht varnishes or two-component epoxy compounds. But the best protection is by sticking it with a wear-resistant material (linoleum, carpet) that will take on the mechanical load, and the paint or varnish will only serve a waterproofing function from the bottom and from the ends.
What if the floor does not fit into the boat?
If you've made the floor yourself and it doesn't fit in, don't try to force it in, it can damage the seams of the boat. Check the geometry: it's possible that the boat changes shape when pumped, and the measurements were taken incorrectly. In this case, the sheets will have to be cut. The gap between the floor and the sides should be 1-2 cm around the perimeter for comfortable assembly.