Ordered Carpet from Home Depot online today for free shipping and approx 125 bucks. Sicnce I have to wait a few days for it, I decided to tackle the Front deck.
First things first. Removing the old Carpet. I started this with some trepidation as I had read the horror stories of getting it off if glued. Luckily, mine was not glued but stapled with about a million staples. I found the best thing for me was an ordinary claw hammer to remove the staples by running the claw under the edge of the carpet on the back and few pliars attacks on the stubborn ones made short work of this.
Then with the boss watching over the proceedings with a wary eye, I set up for cutting the hole out.
We have to fight over that space, I get it when trolling and he gets it when we are moving. One of the reasons to extend the deck!
Cutting the Hole with a Circular Saw from the top just to the corner.
Finishing the corners with a Sawzall. I have to hurry. It's nearly 5 oclock!
Found my Measurements by measuring the hole and adding the width of a 2x4 (1 1/2") on each side. I wanted to make it sturdy in case of stepping on and cutting the deck open there could weaken it. Also gives more to nail to.
My situation was a little unique because I was working around to existing aluminum braces and the hull of the boat and didn't want to modify them. I used 3/4 ply on the bottom. 2x4s on the sides and 1x3 (roughly) on front and back.
After getting the Box built by screwing together with wood screws, I then trimmed it flush with the table saw on all sides. This was for two reasons. One was I didn't have quite enough room at the front to get the whole depth of the 2x4 and 3/4" bottom. Second was after built there might have been a little bit of error in the various sides.
But you'll never know after running all edges through the table saw set at the lowest ones height!
Then I added the front edge which stuck up to be flush with the top edge of the deck and had the top edge angled at 45 degree to give the cord to the pedal some strain relief. I cut the mitered 45 with the tablesaw.
Screwed everything temporarily to the deck to check it out. Looks like it'll work !
A pic of the height now of the pedal. At first I was going to make it flush, but with the pivoting of each end going up and down, I changed it to this in order to not have to push it below the level of the deck with the foot.
Here's a shot of the measurements for my particular one.
Now to flesh out the drain which will be a hose down to the hull to let water run back through the bilge and contemplating moving the trolling motor plug into the box to allow the connection there. I'll wait till the carpeting stage to look at that part.
So there it is, I had everything laying around the shop so the 100 bucks it would have cost me will buy beer and if I hate it, I can use the very materials it's made of to make it a hatch or close it off completely restoring a flat deck. I am thinking about making a plate to cover the hole up maybe if the pedal is moved out on the deck in some situations.
Lenny
