Boat Type / Size - 1994 Aquasport Osprey 22/5

(Photos Coming)

Deck size being replaced: 7x7 section

Reason: Soft deck due to manufacturer defect (blew below deck foam into drain holes causing water to not drain)

Repair Materials Needed:

Stage 1

1. Epoxy 
2. 2 Sheets Marine Plywood
3. Stainless Screws
4. 4 Yards Chop Mat
5. I'm tired..will follow up in a few days :) Stay tunned

To date, I have not found a system that can even come close to looking as good as the original factory non-skid decks on our boats.  Many boat decks, over the years, simply break down and delaminate from moisture or poor boat building methods.  As a result, the boat owner is faced with the daunting task of figuring out how to repair the deck. In some cases it may be just a small soft spot, but in the majority they extend to large areas and often require you to replace the entire deck, or a good portion of it.

The first thought that crosses our minds is how much will it cost?  The second; how can I get it to look like it did from the factory?  The second question is the "million dollar" question, and the first question usually dictates the outcome!  

If you look around I'm sure you'll see many boats with deck repairs, and of those boats, most will have a typical "saltshaker" sand grit finish over glass and playwood.  The saltshaker non-skid method as been the standard for many years.  Sure, there are product stamps and moulds that replicate the original non-skid, but they are not meant for your average DIY backyard boat builder, and are very time consuming and costly. 

What if you could simply use your existing factory non-skid, spend less money, less material, and do it on a shoe-string budget!   Would that make you read the rest of this article?  I'm sure you found this article by googling "How to reuse my factory non-skid," or something close to that.  I also bet you didn't find much on the subject, but rather a plethora of sites selling peel and stick non-skid, how to remove old non-skid, etc.

Well, you've come to the right place because Florida Inshore Angler is in the midst of doing just that; reusing the factory non-skid from our 1994 Aquasport 225.  We will walk you through the process and show you that it really isn't as hard as one might think, nor as expensive! We will tell you what materials to use, how to  use those materials, and show you step by step pictures.  In addition, FIA will be resurrecting our forum boards (thanks to a few members that what to help moderate) and you'll get to ask questions right here on our site. 

UPDATE:  This project in detail can be found on the following page.  Aquasport Osprey Boat Rebuild by Florida Inshore Angler.com

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