1976 zodiac XDC...GR(h) floor shapes

nice.diver · 03 December 2011, 17:21

my buddy just bought a zodiac closed bow MK3

the boat has two 2X6 wood boards glued in the front of the inside. It has one piece of plywood and four sections of aluminum floor pannels.

**What we need to know is how does the floor go together and hold tight. I have a 1997GR so I know how mine works, but this 35 year olddesign is different.

Our piece of plywood may be for a smaller boat, and it is missing the stop block

we would love to see some pics, and I will try to load some pics of this boats floor

tylervigil05 · 22 March 2012, 16:26

Sorry I'm little late on finding this post and by now you probably have it figured out. I have a 76 MK IV GR and it has an all wood floor. The board furthest in the bow is the (wait for it haha) bow board. The board behind it (bow to transom) is the thrust board. On mine there is a bow shaped board that has notches/retainers to hold it in place between the two boards. It also has a hole in it for access to the inflatable keel that wedges in between the two boards. If you had said board I have to imagine that you wouldn't have asked because it would have been self evident what needed to happen. I have to assume that it originally had the same style floor as mine and the two storage bags were separated and the one containing the floor was lost forever. At which time the owner or the next owner decided to buy the aluminum floor available for the still in production GR MK III (my GR IV is sadly no longer in production). The smaller board was probably purchased to manufacture the bow board and they just never got around to it. I'm not sure how compatible the new aluminum floor is to the older boats though. For instance, the rear board that butts to the transom is also notched for a snug fit. I've never taken a close look at the aluminum ones but assume they are probably flat in the rear? That would be less of an obstacle than the modifications that may be needed to get it to hold firm with the thrust board. If you like I can send you pictures of mine and measurements. They would be slightly different but they may prove useful in understanding how everything was originally secured so that you may be able to properly modify it to fit. If you decide that you would like some more information it might be easier/quicker to email me so that I notice it quicker.
Happy Boating,
Tyler

headdamage · 22 March 2012, 18:05

Here is some info from my 1979 MKII Zodiac

tylervigil05 · 22 March 2012, 18:36

WOW! That is an awesome manual! I would do next to anything to have one for mine. That boat certainly is gem too and then when you take age into account, the phrase "one of a kind" certainly comes to mind. I need to get some pictures of mine onto my computer so I can post them, because I've always been impressed by its overall condition for being a 76'. I also have a 85' avon 4m searider that I'm restoring and the difference is night and day in the condition of the hypalon between the two and the avon is in decent shape (definitely seaworthy). What a difference storing in a cool place out of the elements can make (as if that wasn't obvious to everyone) I'm no expert, but I have spent COUNTLESS nights staring at my computer researching these older (and newer) zodiacs. Yet, I had no idea they were putting aluminum floors in them even in the 70's. Granted when I search the catacombs of the www, I generally look for the wooden floor for comparison. Speaking of which, I'm starting to think I might own a unicorn, because I can never find even a whisper of a 76' mark IV GR aside. I did see an article in a popular science magazine though that had the available models and and general specs of each and low and behold there was my mk IV except it was a 77'. Did you acquire that manual after you purchased the boat or were you lucky enough to have it come with it? If you did buy it after, where were you able to find it?

headdamage · 23 March 2012, 00:17

It is a sales brochure that I found in my Dad's squire pile that goes with the old family 1969 MkI that he bought used around 1975. There are both wooden and alum floors depending on if the boats are regular, GT, or Grand Raid. There is no year on the brochure anywhere.

Projectile · 05 December 2012, 02:36

I'm pretty sure that Zodiac made a MKIV GR in 1980. Sometime later, I think they dropped it in favor of the MKIV HD.

I'd love to see some pics ...