# Ideas for cockpit flooring? On a budget.....



## US25 (Jul 20, 2007)

I need to install some type of flooring in my cockpit, and most of the retail products are just so darn expensive. I really don't like the look of Dry-Deck or non skid paint, but I've priced out the pre-manufactured interlocking teak grid, and it's around $300. Has anyone built their own flooring out of something less pricey? I need some great idea, that won't cost me an arm and leg. I have access to a decent wood shop, but my woodworking skills aren't what you'd call professional, just average.

What I'd really like is to build a disappearing table like this, but....


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cool, a cockpit grate that lifts up to become a table... hmm... I don't know I'd want to have my food on a surface that I've been walking all over though... 

As for making a cockpit floor grate, it isn't that difficult, especially if you make it with the slats all running one direction, as in the photo. Basically, you have to rip a number of boards to the slat width and then setup a jig to hold the boards in position and fasten them to some perpendicular ribs, spaced about a foot apart, that will support the grate. I've seen them with edge trim and without...


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Cool, a cockpit grate that lifts up to become a table... hmm... I don't know I'd want to have my food on a surface that I've been walking all over though...


In the restaurant business theres the "three second rule"...so if you can eat your meal in less than 3 secs your all good


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

25,
Don Casey's book, "100 Fast & Easy Boat Improvements" has an idea you might be intereted in. The book runs about 15 bucks.

Instead of the typical cross hatched grating he recommends slats, fore and aft (length ways). He recommends 1x2 lumber, dimensional ideally. Teak, of course, is the most desirable for durability, but he lists redwood, red cedar, or yellow pine as alternatives.

You cut cross bracing that spans the width of your cockpit, getting as close to the sides as possible. Then you cut length ways pieces to lay on top of those, screwed together with brass screws. if the steering pedestal is in the way, cut the grate in two and make a semi-circular cut out for the pedestal base. Put some rubber or plastic feet on the bottom to lift it ever so much above the deck.

Here's the nice part of the idea. If you fasten some cleat stock, around 1x1 in size, an 1-1/2 to 2 inches below your seats on the sides of the cockpit, you can lift the grate out and lay it across the open cockpit. Resting on the cleat stock, you've now converted your cockpit into a good size bed!

With the types of wood recommended, I'd use epoxy where the slats cross and epoxy the whole thing before painting or varnishing the whole shebang. Although, with the redwood or cedar you could make a case for just staining it. I'm assuming teak is not in the budget, or we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I think casey's book is available at wm or on amazon.


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## US25 (Jul 20, 2007)

sailaway21 said:


> 25,
> Don Casey's book, "100 Fast & Easy Boat Improvements" has an idea you might be intereted in. The book runs about 15 bucks.
> 
> Instead of the typical cross hatched grating he recommends slats, fore and aft (length ways). He recommends 1x2 lumber, dimensional ideally. Teak, of course, is the most desirable for durability, but he lists redwood, red cedar, or yellow pine as alternatives.
> ...


Hey thanks for the book tip. I like the idea of being able to raise it up to make a bed.


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## bobmcgov (Jul 19, 2007)

*cringe* This suggestion will prolly get me lynched -- either by traditionalist sailors or my fellow woodworking professionals....

How about composite decking products -- eg, Trex or TimberTech? Mills easily, doesn't rot, splinter, or warp. Not real expensive in small quantities. You'd have to leave expansion room, & it isn't especially structural. But it'd be my first choice of decking in a persistently wet environment. Could make your little pop-up table out of it, too.

(I love wood. Make my living with it. But it has its limitations, and marine environments .... not so good.)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Be aware that the composite decking material usually has some wood byproducts in it, and as such can get moldy in a wet environment. It also isn't as rigid as the real wood would be.


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## US25 (Jul 20, 2007)

bobmcgov said:


> *cringe* This suggestion will prolly get me lynched -- either by traditionalist sailors or my fellow woodworking professionals....
> 
> How about composite decking products -- eg, Trex or TimberTech? Mills easily, doesn't rot, splinter, or warp. Not real expensive in small quantities. You'd have to leave expansion room, & it isn't especially structural. But it'd be my first choice of decking in a persistently wet environment. Could make your little pop-up table out of it, too.
> 
> (I love wood. Make my living with it. But it has its limitations, and marine environments .... not so good.)


I like the alternative product concept, I've even considered using StarBoard.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

In a decent lumbar yard you should be able to buy a type of wood called "Ipe". It is a South American hardwood that looks and handles like teak, but is commercially grown. It is less than a third the cost of teak and it is sold in diminsional sizes (1x4) that already come with smooth slightly rounded edges. All you have to do is cut to length and attach them together as mentioned above.


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## US25 (Jul 20, 2007)

T34C said:


> In a decent lumbar yard you should be able to buy a type of wood called "Ipe". It is a South American hardwood that looks and handles like teak, but is commercially grown. It is less than a third the cost of teak and it is sold in diminsional sizes (1x4) that already come with smooth slightly rounded edges. All you have to do is cut to length and attach them together as mentioned above.


Wow, that sounds pretty good. I will definitely check into it, thanks


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## bobmcgov (Jul 19, 2007)

Lots of tropicals would do ya -- Ipe, Jatoba (aka 'Brazilian Cherry'), Canarywood, Goncalo alves, Chechen, Osage Orange, locust.... If it can ward off rot and insects in a rainforest, it can probably make it on a boat deck. Ipe is, like most of these woods, very difficult to work with: dense, brittle, splintery, abrasive, oily, prone to burning, and tending to interlocked grain and drying tension. Upshot, easy enuf to screw down S4S planks & build a house deck; but if you want to rip it into narrow strips, mortise it, glue it, rout it, or sand it, be prepared for a real hammering.

I've worked with all these woods. Here's a kitchen in Chechen, a sustainable wood from Mexico (aka blood poisonwood). You can get it in Oakland for about $6 a board foot. But any brightwork, even teak or Ipe, requires the usual rigors of oiling, sanding lifted grain, oiling again, removing salt or metal staining with oxalic acid, oiling....

Me, I'd rather go sailing.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Nice kitchen... but I'd rather go sailing too..  Minimizing exterior teak and brightwork was a big factor on my boat... I like sailing far more than I like varnishing...


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

I have a ss folding boarding ladder on the transom which has teak steps. They wore away after 15 yrs of use and cleaning. I bought some 1x4 Ipe and screwed them on and they are super.. so far and I have done absolutely nothing to them. They look like weathered teak.

Ipe is very heavy and that might be a consideration.

jef
av shiva


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Another "cringe" possibility:

A low maintenance option might be the interlocking rubber/plastic tiles you see in locker rooms or showers.. cut the outer ones to fit the cockpit well and you'll have a raised, dry surface underfoot. They are available in a variety of colours. Some of the patterns are, however, hard on bare feet.

As with any such "drop-in" floor, it will collect dirt and require frequent lifting and cleaning.(but no varnishing!!)

Not necessarily "Nautical", but possibly practical and surely cost-effective.


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## US25 (Jul 20, 2007)

Faster said:


> Another "cringe" possibility:
> 
> A low maintenance option might be the interlocking rubber/plastic tiles you see in locker rooms or showers.. cut the outer ones to fit the cockpit well and you'll have a raised, dry surface underfoot. They are available in a variety of colours. Some of the patterns are, however, hard on bare feet.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the idea, but I really don't like the look of that stuff (I think it's called Dri-Deck). It reminds me of Houseboats and Cruise-a-Homes I'd see as a kid in the marinas, with dri-deck and Astroturf.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

> I've even considered using StarBoard.


Nasty stuff. Slippery when wet, or dry, or damp. Heavy. Expensive. Bends.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Faster,
The most serious weakness would be drainage. The expensive teak footings, similar in appearance, are constructed to allow water to flow underneath. They are good though if you're going to be on your feet a lot. Most ships have them on the bridge, about 75 feet above the LWL!(g)


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

US25 said:


> Thanks for the idea, but I really don't like the look of that stuff (I think it's called Dri-Deck). It reminds me of Houseboats and Cruise-a-Homes I'd see as a kid in the marinas, with dri-deck and Astroturf.


I agree, hence the "cringe" preface.... but you said you were on a budget so.......


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## Oday450 (Apr 25, 2006)

sailaway21 said:


> 25,
> Don Casey's book, "100 Fast & Easy Boat Improvements" has an idea you might be intereted in. The book runs about 15 bucks.
> 
> Instead of the typical cross hatched grating he recommends slats, fore and aft (length ways). He recommends 1x2 lumber, dimensional ideally. Teak, of course, is the most desirable for durability, but he lists redwood, red cedar, or yellow pine as alternatives.
> ...


I built one similar to this years ago and used strips of 3/4 inch teak plywood. It was then finished with a good polyurethane sealer in a matte finish. I paid extra attention to sealing the edges of the plywood strips. It worked well and looked good for the following 6-7 years that I had that boat.


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## US25 (Jul 20, 2007)

Just thought I 'd share my find today. I got this wood for _free_ at a garage sale; actually it was a local boat builder's warehouse that is moving and this stuff was in the free pile. I'll post more pictures after I turn this trash into a treasure, (or a new cockpit floor).


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Very cool... do you know what kind of wood it is....


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## US25 (Jul 20, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> Very cool... do you know what kind of wood it is....


I'm 90% sure the long ones are teak, and I think the shorter ones are mahogany, but I'm not positive.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Well, there you go, your options just expanded exponentially. Congrats on your find.


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## bobmcgov (Jul 19, 2007)

US25 said:


> I'm 90% sure the long ones are teak, and I think the shorter ones are mahogany, but I'm not positive.


My first reflex on seeing your picture was "Phillipine mahogany." Esp. the pieces on the left. Phil mahog has that distinctive yellow hue under varnish. It's not at all a true mahogany, but it shares that wood's strength and weathering properties; prone to nasty lifting splinters, tho, so keep an eye out for those suckers. Nice find!


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

*Trex Lumber...*

Ok.. been thinking again... I know my first mistake! Err.. anyway.. I'd like to bump up this old thread, not so much as to find reasons for decking but more for trim, toe rail capping, and companion way boards.

I've been looking at the Trex line as a potential use for such things as mentioned above. I've a friend that actually replaced the little bit of teak that was on the exterior of his Oday 322. He used the grey trex and it actually seems to compliment the gray hull color. he's happy with it, but has not even sanded the edges yet. I've been thinking of the brownish trex since it is somewhat mahogany in color. I don't see any structural issues with it. Although I wonder if it can be glued with something to get a thicker composite for things like hand rails. Yes. I could call the manufacture of the product too, but like to hear more from the community. Also, I think i'll pick up a piece of the stuff and try some types of finish and or glues to see how it holds up in the sun while on the roof of my yard shed this winter. Sound like plan?

thanks all for your incoming comments


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Denise-

The composite I used for building a HP ramp at a friend’s house was pretty thick to begin with. It's a bit more than 1" thick or so—more than enough for a hand rail IMHO. It wasn’t Trex IIRC... you might want to look at some of the other brands as well, as the thickness, texture and color varies quite a bit between the brands.


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## artbyjody (Jan 4, 2008)

I used Trex to build a deck once. It is super easy to work with however - why I believe it should not be used on a boat.

1. Extremely Flammable.
2. It aborbs a tremendous amount of heat. In the sun - it literally softens. So much so that it does have a tenancy to shed screws, nails and glue - making whatever built from it - unstable. 
3. Its composite nature does not lend to much woodworking detail and shaping.

Just my 2 cents on use of that particular material for the application you want to use it for.


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## timebandit (Sep 18, 2002)

Here is an example of composite I used for handrails and stuff. 
You can see that it is a little more flexable than real wood when in the hot California sun in long lengths.

It has be sanded with 600 and stained and sealed and coated with two coats of spar varnish.

It is going on two years now and it still looks ok.

I do keep a tent tarp over it when docked in the driveway just to keep the pine needles and palm seeds off of it.

IMG_0529.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting



sailingdog said:


> Be aware that the composite decking material usually has some wood byproducts in it, and as such can get moldy in a wet environment. It also isn't as rigid as the real wood would be.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Timebandit I like that pic! So my guess about it taking a finish was right? Looks good! thanks!


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