The boats, collectively called Pella (including popular Pella Fiord and Pella City variants), have been the benchmark of reliability among Soviet and Russian aluminum motoboats for decades, but time is running out, and one of the first items to become unusable is floorboard (floor), and if you read this, you are faced with the task of replacing rotten plywood decks or creating a more comfortable fishing option. Gender restoration This is not just cosmetic repair, it is a matter of safety and durability of your boat.
Unlike modern PVC boats, where the floor is often an inflatable or removable element, in Pella it acts as a power element that distributes the load from passengers and the engine. Incorrectly selected material or a violation of installation technology can lead to a shift in the center of gravity, deformation of the sides and even loss of stability on the wave. In this article, we will examine all the steps from dismantling the old surface to finishing the new one. paiola.
It's worth noting that factory blueprints from the 1970s and '80s don't always take into account the modern realities of operation, when the boat is equipped with more powerful engines and heavy navigation equipment. So the "do as you were" approach is not always effective. You need a balanced decision that takes into account the weight of the structure and the conditions of its use. The optimal thickness of plywood for the floor of the Pella boat is 12-15 mm when using moisture-resistant varieties of FSF.
Diagnostics of old coating and selection of materials
Before you start buying materials and sawing with an electric jigsaw, you need to do a thorough review of what we have: remove old sheets, clean the bottom of the silt and rust. Often under the plywood there are pockets of corrosion on the aluminum alloy D16T, which may have been caused by constant contact with water stagnating between the coating layers. If you plan to leave the plywood, make sure that it does not decompose.
The choice of material is always a compromise between weight, cost and durability. plywood (FSF) is affordable, easy to process and has good thermal insulation properties, but even the best plywood will get moisture over time, become heavier and may rot if the paint layer is broken, with aluminum sheet or grooved fiberglass being the alternative, but they require a completely different approach to installation.
⚠️ Warning: Never use conventional building plywood (FC) or OSB boards for the floor in the boat, they are not designed to be in constant contact with water and will collapse in one or two seasons, turning into debris.
If you're choosing aluminum, remember that aluminum flooring is the main drawback of thermal conductivity. In cold water, your feet will freeze instantly, so you'll need extra insulation or mats. Plywood is more fisherman-friendly. It's also important to consider weight: aluminum flooring can be heavier than a plywood equivalent of the same strength that's critical for low-capacity boats.
- 🛡️ FSF Faner: Classic genre, requires high-quality impregnation with oliphate or epoxy, medium weight, good noise insulation.
- ⚓ Aluminum leaf: The eternal material does not rot, but it is cold, noisy and more difficult to fit in shape.
- 🛶 Composite materials: Expensive, heavy, but as long as possible and does not require care.
Removal of sizes and creation of patterns
The fabrication process doesn't start with a saw, it starts with a roulette and a pencil. Pella boats, especially the older ones, can have hull deformations, so blindly following the factory size from the Internet can cause the floor to just stay in place. You need to take accurate measurements of the inner perimeter of the boat in the widest part and at the transom.
The ideal method is to create cardboard patterns. Take a dense cardboard or old wallpaper, spread it on the floor of the boat and circle the contour of the side, taking into account all the curves and zygomatic parts. Be sure to leave small gaps (about 3-5 mm) at the sides to compensate for thermal expansion and the possibility of laying the material. transomBecause that’s where the load is maximum.
When marking, be sure to consider the location of the frames. The floor should lie on them tightly, without sagging. If the old frames rot or deformed, they also need to be replaced or reinforced before laying the new deck, which is a critical step, since the sagging floor will work as a membrane, transmitting vibration from the motor to the entire body.
Removal procedure:1. Measure the maximum width of the cockpit.
2. Measure the width of the transom.
3. Take measurements from the transom to the first frame.
4. Measure the height of the side at the places of adjacent floor.
Once you've made a paper model, try it on in a boat, it should stand up freely, but without much backlash, and only after the map has been approved can you transfer the outlines to the clean material, and a mistake at this point can cost you a whole sheet of expensive plywood or aluminum rolled.
Technology of cutting and processing plywood
To work with plywood 12-15 mm thick, you will need a good jigsaw with a wood file (for clean cutting) or a circular saw with a guide. You need to cut slowly, without jerking, so as not to chip the top veneer. If you use aluminum, you will need special metal scissors or a Bulgarian with an aluminum disk, but there is a high risk of metal overheating.
The key is the end-working, and all plywood slices should be thoroughly cleaned with sandpaper and ideally sealed with epoxy resin or a special sealant for wood. Moisture resistance The plywood of the FFS is provided with phenolformaldehyde glue, but the wood of the layers itself remains hygroscopic. Open ends are the gateways to water.
Before the final assembly, cover the plywood with two layers of hot olifa or epoxy soil, which will increase the life of the floor by 2-3 times.
To improve comfort and safety, the floor surface is better made non-slip, you can use special boat paint with the addition of quartz sand or stick a self-adhesive anti-slip coating, this is especially true when the boat is in motion and water gets on board.
| Parameter | Plywood 12 mm | Plywood 15 mm | 3 mm aluminum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (per sheet 2x1m) | ~18 kg | ~23 kg | ~16 kg |
| Moisture resistance | Medium (requires protection) | Medium (requires protection) | High. |
| Noise insulation | Good. | Great. | Bad. |
| Difficulty of installation | Low. | Low. | High. |
Structural reinforcement and sealing
Just putting the sheets on the frames is not enough for active use. The floor must be fixed. Pella often uses a system of longitudinal and transom bars (leafs) on which the floorboard is based. Check the condition of these bars. If they are wooden and rotten, replace them with new ones that have been treated with antiseptics or with a profile made of PVC/composite.
The best way to attach the floor to the body or bars is to use stainless screws or bolts with wide hats. Aluminum rivets will also work, but they are more difficult to dismantle in the next repair. The mounting step should be no more than 15-20 cm along the perimeter and along the support bars.
⚠️ Note: When drilling holes in the aluminum hull of the boat, be sure to use lubricant (oil or solidol) and non-ferrous metal drills to avoid overheating and sticking chips that can cause corrosion.
Pay special attention to sealing joints, between the floor sheets and the sides, and between the sheets themselves (if the floor is composite), there should be no gaps where water can flow and stagnate there, causing rot. polyurethane sealant (e.g. for bodywork or glass) that remains elastic after drying and is not afraid of ultrafi