Stripy Plywood

[AndrewDu]

I need to replace the cabin sole as it's battered and also getting discoloured, probably rotten. I got a quote from Robbins for a sheet of 3/4" stripy (which is what it is now) and reeled back in amazement at the cost - £600 plus VAT, packing, carriage, etc. OMG. Are there other options? (To supply, or alternative materials that look good). Trakmark seems to be almost as expensive and is anyway basically plastic. Any suggestions anyone?

 

[vyv_cox]

Our sole boards are laminate faced, laser cut to shape. Fitted by the previous owner just before our purchase in 1994. Despite heavy use they still look just as they did all those years ago. No visible wear.

 

[Tranona]

Yes, anything teak has gone through the roof - and what Robbins supply is not "real" teak veneer, but reconstituted wood (Alpi).

If you don't mind the work the an alternative is to buy teak structural veneers (1.5mm thick) and stick onto a ply substrate, paying the gaps with either epoxy or deck caulking. I am planning to do this for cockpit seats as I have done it successfully in the past. Fortunately my refit project has 3/4" ply sole boards which I have just stripped an revarnished.

The laminate is also a viable alternative at roughly one third of the price plus the cost of the ply substrate. I had that on my 2 Bavarias and excellent for wear and non slip

 

[justanothersailboat]

There's probably quite a high premium for it being such a specialist product vs. buying a plain ply and veneering it (at a cost in hard work). But! are you really, really sure the current one will not clean up? you'd be amazed how nice a surface can lurk under cabin floors that look terrible.

 

[AndrewDu]

View attachment 152563
Our sole boards are laminate faced, laser cut to shape. Fitted by the previous owner just before our purchase in 1994. Despite heavy use they still look just as they did all those years ago. No visible wear,

That does indeed look very good. Do you know exactly what product it is?

 

[vyv_cox]

Sorry I don't know but it was likely supplied by Robbins.

 

[Tranona]

You will find it here robbins.co.uk/our-products/marine/marine-plywood-panels/

 

[salar]

I used the Laminate cabin sole sheet from Robbins and it has been great. There is an access panel under the doormat which is why you can just see a join by the seatbox, but other joins are invisible. It's very hardwearing, waterproof, non slip, no maintenance and looks good.

 

[AndrewDu]

Looking at the prices of these laminate options (they all look great of course!) I am now wondering about using just plain marine plywood (Robbins Elite) and painting it with some sort of non-slip coating. Any recommendations for a coating product, people?

 

[Aeolus]

I used stripwood - 4 x 46mm dark hardwood and 4x4mm ramin and glued them to the old, battered, veneered plywood that was my cabin sole. Then 3 coats of flooring varnish. Much cheaper than Robbins stripy and will be sandable as needed over the years to come. The picture shows the forecabin. One advantage (for me) was that, as the cabin sole wasn't flat, I could match the curves quite easily.

 

[AndrewDu]

I used stripwood - 4 x 46mm dark hardwood and 4x4mm ramin and glued them to the old, battered, veneered plywood that was my cabin sole. Then 3 coats of flooring varnish. Much cheaper than Robbins stripy and will be sandable as needed over the years to come. The picture shows the forecabin. One advantage (for me) was that, as the cabin sole wasn't flat, I could match the curves quite easily.

That's a really neat job, I am not sure I could do it as well!

 

[Tranona]

Looking at the prices of these laminate options (they all look great of course!) I am now wondering about using just plain marine plywood (Robbins Elite) and painting it with some sort of non-slip coating. Any recommendations for a coating product, people?

Really no need for expensive marine ply for floorboards unless you have a very wet boat! You can get reasonable hardwood ply with a decent top veneer and coat with floor varnish.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

You could try replacing the floor with a good plywood then covering with something like Antico flooring it won't give you the traditional cabin sole but it will be hardwearing and look good lots of finishes and premium boat builders use it.

 

[Tranona]

I have just bought some 1.5mm teak construction veneers to make panels to replace the treadmaster in the cockpit. Cost of enough to cover a standard sheet of ply with equivalent of 6mm strips (allowing for the caulking) was about £130. I shall glue this onto the ply seats with a 5mm seam caulked with deck caulk. This could work for cabin sole as well. Not difficult to do - just a bit time consuming and has the advantage that panels can be made to size and avoids the waste issue you get with ready made panels.