My older('84) 190 project

[hoghead54]

That is looking more and more like a great idea. It's nice to be able to bounce ideas off of guys that have been there done that. The reason I wanted to go away from carpet was I keep hearing about how hot it gets but maybe thats not always the case.

[Ytmsn]

A nice Bimini would be an awesome addition and it'll keep your floor cooler in the cockpit. Northern folks don't put theirs out much and here we don't hardly go out without opening it up before we leave the dock

[hoghead54]

A nice Bimini would be an awesome addition and it'll keep your floor cooler in the cockpit. Northern folks don't put theirs out much and here we don't hardly go out without opening it up before we leave the dock

It came with a bimini but I don't think it's the right one,when you put it down It goes across the engine cover and across the middle of the back seats. That doesn't seem right but then maybe it is????

[hoghead54]

To glue or not to glue??? I saw a post on i-boat where the guy said if your boat has glue down carpet you have a cheap boat....was he just messing with people? Are snaps better? Do you guys have experience with both?

[Ytmsn]

Old school was to glue down when the floors were all wood. Nowdays with gelcoat floors everything is snapped in so you can take up the flooring and swab the deck.

Your Bimini goes where ever you put it and it sounds like someone placed it too far back. More than likely it had the factory Bimini that snapped to the windshield and went back over the front seats, but you'd have to duck everytime you stand up. Then they placed the Bimini behind that.

Most Bimini's are positioned either even or just a tad forward the rear edge of windshield so the captain is shaded while underway. If you replace it (greatlakes, Overtons is a couple places to look) you can get a 3 bar or go for 4 bar for more coverage. It should be tall enough to stand up under, and try to get the whole thing either parallel or the leading edge down just a tad so it doesn't become a parachute while you going across the lake!

[Big Block Power]

No you don't have a cheap boat if it's glued down. That guy had no idea what he was talking about. You have wood just glue it down.

[hoghead54]

When sanding my hull I start with 1000 grit and finish with 3000 grit? How many steps in between them? Would anything finer than 3000 be of any benefit? I see amazon had up to 10000 grit,isn't that buffing compound territory?4 in. disk? Hook and loop or stick on? I'm thinking stick on will come apart when it gets wet.

Carpet...Is there such a thing as going too heavy? I found some real nice 28oz that is on sale that looks real nice...They say it's made for pontoon boat decks... but is going that heavy going to cause problems with the covers on the floor(fuel tank)? Or just go with a 20oz?

[Big Block Power]

It depends I've started at 600 & worked my way up to 5000. 3000 is nice. Really depending how your buffing turns out the finer you sand the better your buffing will go and look. Most will say you don't need to go past 2000 but I personally like to go higher. The wool pad and aggressive compound is about 2000.

On your carpet the thicker it gets the Harder it will get to get the ski locker to close and so on. With out having it really hard to say. I loved my blue carpet in the Donzi like I said earlier. It was thick and cool.

[hoghead54]

The sanding sounds like it just depends on how much time and effort I'm willing to put into it. I might take another look at that carpet.

[Ytmsn]

HH your boat has a stripe on it, right? You can get a marine tape to replace it with.

I would wet sand the rough areas with 600 or 1000, then go back over it with 2000. Then use a WOOL buffing pad. Do 4 runs... 1 with a course compound, like 3m or McGuires 7 or 8. Then another run with 3 or 4. Then a polish run, #1. Finally top it off with a fine polish and swirl remover with a foam pad. Then put your stripe on if you're going to replace it. Top it all off with a good wax or sealer.

[hoghead54]

Does any one know where I can find the center section for the teak swim deck on my boat? I just figured out there is supposed to be one instead of the big space between the outside 2.

[AsLan7]

Does any one know where I can find the center section for the teak swim deck on my boat? I just figured out there is supposed to be one instead of the big space between the outside 2.

I bet BigBlockPower can find that for you.
We shall page him....

[nolaboater99]

HH, I just saw your thread. Missed it somehow but anyway....

I'm doing a resto/mod on an '85 CM23. I am regluing all the new carpet. I do have wood/glass floors but it is unfinished; there is no gelcoat over it. Also, it's a cuddy cabin with lots of angles, step downs and different levels. I thought about a snap in carpet but in the end just decided it would be too much and not look all that great in the end.

I bought my carpet from Boat Carpet Central (www.boatcarpetcentral.com) They have lots to choose from and had the color I wanted. I am replacing the hull sides and the floor. So far I have only done the hull sides as I am still doing some other work and didn't want to mess it up but it should be going in next week. Here are a couple of before and after pics of the hull sides.

port b4 carpet.JPG

port new carpet.JPG

I think you should put in what will make you the happiest. These '80s Cobalts originally came with 16oz carpet but I think a 20oz would work for you. As for taking off the old adhesive, I was treading the task but a friend suggested I use a wire cup brush on an angle grinder. It was really messy but it worked really well.
Shawn

[nolaboater99]

I'm still not used to this photo insertion process. Here is the after pic....

port new carpet.JPG

[hoghead54]

HH, I just saw your thread. Missed it somehow but anyway....

I'm doing a resto/mod on an '85 CM23. I am regluing all the new carpet. I do have wood/glass floors but it is unfinished; there is no gelcoat over it. Also, it's a cuddy cabin with lots of angles, step downs and different levels. I thought about a snap in carpet but in the end just decided it would be too much and not look all that great in the end.

I bought my carpet from Boat Carpet Central (www.boatcarpetcentral.com) They have lots to choose from and had the color I wanted. I am replacing the hull sides and the floor. So far I have only done the hull sides as I am still doing some other work and didn't want to mess it up but it should be going in next week. Here are a couple of before and after pics of the hull sides. port b4 carpet.JPGport new carpet.JPG

I think you should put in what will make you the happiest. These '80s Cobalts originally came with 16oz carpet but I think a 20oz would work for you. As for taking off the old adhesive, I was treading the task but a friend suggested I use a wire cup brush on an angle grinder. It was really messy but it worked really well.
Shawn

I'm not looking forward to tearing out the old carpet and replacing it the wire brunch sounds like a good idea. I have a section of floor that needs to be replaced also, I'm hoping it's not a huge piece,just in between a couple of stringers. I'm looking at some 20oz and some 24oz carpet, the 24 is the same price(on sale) but the 20 seems softer....desigions, desigions.