Avon Redcrest Floor

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dartmoor

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Just looking to make one up - I just want to double check the size of ply that will do the job. Was thinking of buying a piece 84cm wide, by 140cm long. 12mm thick?

Just wondering whether any redcrest owners could confirm that's about the right piece of wood (would then need to cut into two sections I guess to fit, plus holes made for toggles of thwart seat.

Also - anyone got an idiots guide to replacing the diaphram on the old A4 (black rubber) valve? What tools did you use etc and any tips?

Many thanks in expectation
 
The only real issue is the quality of the ply.
30 years ago i used exterior ply for mine, quality of ext ply is very different these days
 
The original floor on my old Redcrest was about 1/4" high quality marine ply. If you use ordinary ply it would need to be thicker and well protected.
I've never changed the diaphragm but I think it could be done with tweezers and a thin fishing line through the central hole.
Polymarine sell the diaphragms and could probably advise if you call them.
 
I used 12mm to replace the inflatable deck on my 2.9 Lodestar. It makes for a really solid floor with no flexing but it is heavy. I have a davit arm on 4 part blocks swung from a stern arch so it's not a problem but without that I'd struggle to get it aboard. That said, 10mm is only 16% lighter and the floor is only a percentage of the overall weight anyway.
 
Old Harry said:
The only real issue is the quality of the ply.
30 years ago i used exterior ply for mine, quality of ext ply is very different these days
Click to expand...

True - I think as I will not be storing the dinghy outside, marine ply is OTT and I can go for a cheaper spec and make sure it is painted and dries out after use
 
Our experience was that a floor adds very little to the comfort of a dinghy, Redcrest and Redstart, and is not only a nuisance when setting up or packing away but can lead to chafe ending the dinghy's life, and is therefore not worth the effort.
 
johnalison said:
Our experience was that a floor adds very little to the comfort of a dinghy, Redcrest and Redstart, and is not only a nuisance when setting up or packing away but can lead to chafe ending the dinghy's life, and is therefore not worth the effort.
Click to expand...
A dinghy such as a Lodestar having an inflatable keel to give the hull a V shape depends upon having a floor on which that can bear. When the inflatable floor on mine split, the dinghy just wallowed. I replaced it with ply because it was not repairable and the price of a new one was very high.
 
I have put a new mushroom into an A4 valve. Your idea is correct - cut the old mushroom's stalk and let it fall into the tube. thread a piece of thin cord down through the central hole and back up around the outside using tweezers. Tie the cord to the new mushroom's stalk using a rolling hitch. Push the mushroom down through the valve - you need to be firm but careful, here. Finally, pull gently on the string and ease the new mushroom's stalk up through the hole until the barb pops through. A smear of washing up liquid can help. Undo the string and - job done!
 
johnalison said:
Our experience was that a floor adds very little to the comfort of a dinghy, Redcrest and Redstart, and is not only a nuisance when setting up or packing away but can lead to chafe ending the dinghy's life, and is therefore not worth the effort.
Click to expand...

Without it - its one uncomfortable dinghy to try and stand up in !!

I just measured my remaining board out out of the set ....

9mm thick
240mm wide
865mm long

Each board is same.

The ply is of course Marine Ply with preservative soaked in and then lacquered.

My Dinghy has a full floor divided into two across the midships .... under the inflatable seat, with 2 holes in each for the seat tags.

Its 12mm ply - great floor - but makes the dinghy unmanageable ... I would not even try to lift it with the side ropes ...
 
I think I have my old floor boards from a Redcrest buried in the back of the garage.
If you are likely to be in Essex I can try to find it.
 
One thing you should do if you are using ply is to seal the endgrain and not simply by painting. Use some glass tape well impregnated with resin. If you don't the ply will not last vey long no matter what grade it is.
 
Thanks Refueler, I wanted to know the same dimensions for my Redcrest.

But I wonder if Avon's design, using those particular dimensions of individual boards, is part of the reason why some people don't like them?

On this subject quite recently, I'm sure somebody said they'd used longitudinal boards with a full-length H-shaped plastic connection on one board, into which the other fitted for rigidity in use. It's certainly possible that with probably 50 years+ of experience of these inflatables, users may prefer a non-standard system to the one Avon supplied.

I respect John Alison very much but I am as certain as I can be that a rigid load-spreading floor will hugely improve my enjoyment of the Redcrest, and the Redstart - I have both, too. Stepping onto that rubber floor (and having everything that might be loose in the boat, including drips, slide into the depression formed), is just awful - like walking on a bed.

On the subject of chafe damaging the boat, I don't believe it cannot be prevented - or greatly reduced - with some sort of very smooth rounding of the edge.
 
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