Plywood deck alternative

Razorbill RIBs · 15-01-2015, 05:23 PM

Hi all, have been pulling my hair out with a product search and hope someone here may be able to help? Would be massively grateful....

I need to redeck a Halmatic RIB (s)....Atlantic 21 and possibly also an Arctic 28. These are the boats made with teak decks covered in treadmaster.

We previously redecked our Halmatic Pacific 24 with high grade marine ply encapsulated in glass and with flowcoat....works fine, but i really want to avoid ply /wood etc in the new boats.

Have been searching for a product that might work.... The halmatics decks screw down (lots and lots of self tappers into the stringers and arent strictly structural decks (not glassed in, they just sit atop the hull)....

We cant use a honeycomb product as we need to be able to use self tappers into the material.

I would love to find a product (12mm thick is what we require) which could be screwed down /jointed, does not rot and with a non slip finish....off the shelf? We found Densetec in US (an High Density Polyethylene board) HDPE which says its is used in decks.... on the face would work, but expands 1.6mm per linear metre per 10 degree c temp change (apparently...real world problem?) and imprtantly there is none in the UK /Europe or can be for 12 months or with less than 30 sheet order. Have tried to find an alternative but no joy...

1) Has anyone used /is it suitable for use we describe?
2) Anyone know of an alternative UK product?

I then looked for a ply alternative (which we still would glass over) and found Coosa board.... Again, cant find in UK. nobody here used /know where we could source?

Finally, I was told that there was a product called nylosheet (or nyloplast) former is available US but no UK importer, latter....cant find anything fo same /similar name....

Any /all help on products which may work would be SERIOUSLY appreciated. Ive wasted days on this overall....

Thanks in anticipation! Dan

dejasouth · 15-01-2015, 06:43 PM

solid resin board,,100% waterproof http://www.trespa.com/uk/products,,,not grippy tho,,but would make a perfect base for sticking the grippy type tape on it

Razorbill RIBs · 15-01-2015, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dejasouth

solid resin board,,100% waterproof http://www.trespa.com/uk/products,,,not grippy tho,,but would make a perfect base for sticking the grippy type tape on it

Fab, that's interesting! Large sheets too... 13mm would work. Wonder what the weights like etc. Will call them Tomorrow and discuss.... Thanks!! Let you know how I get on.

This is great! Keep the suggestions coming!

dejasouth · 15-01-2015, 07:57 PM

its deffinatly not light,,,but strenght wise,,unsurpassable!

matt s · 15-01-2015, 07:57 PM

Trespa is a excellent product we use it for fitting out labs and is corrosive resistant the down side it is very dense and difficult to work with

dejasouth · 15-01-2015, 09:53 PM

its great to use if you have the right tools no different than ply,,,matt do you use festool kit?

Razorbill RIBs · 16-01-2015, 09:54 AM

Sadly not suitable.... They were very helpful, but headlines are: no suitable for horizontal fixing (warping issue) and cannot be walked on, also if in sealed environment (hull / underside) will warp.... Ditto covering top in any way.... It needs constant airflow apparently.... Any other ideas anybody? Thanks!!

Hydrostream · 16-01-2015, 03:27 PM

For a deck you really cant beat a high grade ply, robins elite or similar.
But for composite heavy duty deck you could look at this.. http://coosacomposites.com/

Razorbill RIBs · 16-01-2015, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hydrostream

For a deck you really cant beat a high grade ply, robins elite or similar.
But for composite heavy duty deck you could look at this.. http://coosacomposites.com/

Thanks, as per OP we cant find it stocked in the UK....any leads at all /by any chance?

Razorbill RIBs · 16-01-2015, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razorbill RIBs

Thanks, as per OP we cant find it stocked in the UK....any leads at all /by any chance?

In fact, Europe importer is in Germany and its crazy expensive /minimum order etc to get to the UK

Unless anyone knows of another /alternative product??

Hydrostream · 16-01-2015, 08:39 PM

Sorry just breezed through your post.
No ive never used Coosa, Ive heard mixed reports on it too. Ive heard a few transoms built with it have had problems.
Why not use a high end ply? Could you use balsa and ply locally to take fasteners, etc.

Razorbill RIBs · 16-01-2015, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hydrostream

Why not use a high end ply? Could you use balsa and ply locally to take fasteners, etc.

The ply on the boats when built is top quality teak... It still rots, the marine ply we've used ourselves (best we could fine. / high end then sealed in grp) holds up fine but has lots of deck fittings breaching into it... Lots of epoxy and sika etc used, but they're still vulnerable IMO. Would be nice to do the job and not know you've to do it again at some point..... My frustration is that you've got a very well built / robust hull in these Halmatics, with a bit of plywood screwed atop.... especially when there are alternatives being used widely elsewhere....

Thanks for your suggestions, keep them coming!

Hydrostream · 16-01-2015, 10:18 PM

Robins super elite is guaranteed for 25 years! I haven't had a problem with it and I started using it in about 2002. Glass it both sides and prime it with G4. Shouldn't have an issue I wouldn't think! It's not a teak ply, it's gaboon.

jack.holland10 · 15-06-2021, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razorbill RIBs

Hi all, have been pulling my hair out with a product search and hope someone here may be able to help? Would be massively grateful....

I need to redeck a Halmatic RIB (s)....Atlantic 21 and possibly also an Arctic 28. These are the boats made with teak decks covered in treadmaster.

We previously redecked our Halmatic Pacific 24 with high grade marine ply encapsulated in glass and with flowcoat....works fine, but i really want to avoid ply /wood etc in the new boats.

Have been searching for a product that might work.... The halmatics decks screw down (lots and lots of self tappers into the stringers and arent strictly structural decks (not glassed in, they just sit atop the hull)....

We cant use a honeycomb product as we need to be able to use self tappers into the material.

I would love to find a product (12mm thick is what we require) which could be screwed down /jointed, does not rot and with a non slip finish....off the shelf? We found Densetec in US (an High Density Polyethylene board) HDPE which says its is used in decks.... on the face would work, but expands 1.6mm per linear metre per 10 degree c temp change (apparently...real world problem?) and imprtantly there is none in the UK /Europe or can be for 12 months or with less than 30 sheet order. Have tried to find an alternative but no joy...

1) Has anyone used /is it suitable for use we describe?
2) Anyone know of an alternative UK product?

I then looked for a ply alternative (which we still would glass over) and found Coosa board.... Again, cant find in UK. nobody here used /know where we could source?

Finally, I was told that there was a product called nylosheet (or nyloplast) former is available US but no UK importer, latter....cant find anything fo same /similar name....

Any /all help on products which may work would be SERIOUSLY appreciated. Ive wasted days on this overall....

Thanks in anticipation! Dan

Hi Dan, appreciate this is a really old post, but was wondering if you ever found a good product, or found a uk supplier for Coosa composites?

Also, I am doing a refit on my Arctic 22, it has a load of fixings made up of a fittings approx 3-4cm accross, with a brass looking screw insert running up and down where i imagine the stringers are below, are these fixings holding down the deck? or are they intended for bolting things to the deck? Im yet to go exploring with my screwdriver, thought i would ask someone in the know while i had found this thread