Boat Floor Replacement

[irishwalleye]

I am helping a buddy replace the floor on an older Lund Tyee. He had a question that I found interesting. Does the floor provide stability/structure to the performance of the boat? By not replacing the floor with exactly what it already is, are we damaging the boat?

I didn't see any difference in the boats that I have refloored in the past but then again, this question never came up.

[Steve Bakken]

the ribs and runners which are riveted to the floor give the support. The wood is just along for the ride.

[polarsusd81]

Steve, that is true for the most part, but the rigidity of the plywood helps support the loads on the ribs as well. That being said, most of the plywood is there for the ride, but it does work in conjunction with the rest of the boat frame to keep it nice and tight.

edit-

I should also note that this depends greatly on the design of the ribs. Some are designed to handle the loads themselves, but most will also use the sheathing for support.

[Neighbor_guy]

My boat does perform much better with the floor in it than out. If that helps.

[Steve Bakken]

Good point. True, if the boat came with a floor in it, the ribs and floor weren't designed to support high loads in a small area such as someones foot so yes, you'd want to put one back in it. But, don't worry you're not gonna damage anything, if you don't install it exactly the same way.