Mercury Quicksilver 340 Sport question

[Sinistre1]

Does anyone know what specific material the floor is made out of? Is it true Marine Plywood?

The reason I ask is I am thinking about drilling out evenly spaced lightening holes in the floor. Has anyone attempted this modification and if so successfully? I hope to be able to lighten the weight by a third without sacrificing strength. Or maybe a low cost, light weight alternative that is easy to shape and just as strong? Yep, if you are going to dream, dream big.

I'd like to be able to mount the boat to my car top, and lifting it solo (with boards in place) is a bear. The old convenience vs efficiency dilemma.

[Channel Ribs]

I would be reluctant to remove a third of the wood as the floor gives the sport models a great deal of rigidity and the upwards pressure from the keel section is considerable too.

Have you looked at the Airdeck?

http://shop.malthouse-marine.com/ind...id=60&parent=4

[Sinistre1]

Yes, I heard they have rigidity issues. I like the wood loor. I'd just like it better if it was lighter. I know in general you can use lightening holes to reduce weight without sacrificing much in strength and rigidity. Maybe this isn't one of those times it will work ?

[codprawn]

You could easily make up a new floor out of marine ply using the current floorboards as templates. That way if you mess it up you won't have done any damage!!!

[jyasaki]

If you do perforate the flooring, make sure you seal the exposed wood with ample amounts of epoxy. They are probably "marine grade plywood", but will still absorb water and delaminate/rot.

jky

[Andy JC]

Even if you did mangage to shave a bit of weight off it' still a very bulky item and lifting it on to the roof solo would be a big ask.

The 340 sport weighs around 55kg, even if you managed to reduce it by 5kgs (which I very much doubt) you would still struggle to get 50kgs on to your roofrack without any help, would quite likely end up scratching the car too

I would go for the airfloor and get yourself a Bravo high pressure pump(just bought one myself, they're fantastic!) or maybe go for the 310 sport

[codprawn]

I manage to lift the sport 310 onto the roof of my Disco and it's higher than most cars - it would be a doddle on a smaller car - I use an old blanket to stop it scratching!!!

[ian parkes]

You could make a new floor in thinner ply , and then you haven't de valued the boat by ruining the original floor .

i used to load heavy sea kayaks and canoes using a roller on the rear of the roof bar and a launching trolley on the stern or the boat , lift the front up first then lift the back and slide it on . There is also a side loading system where two bars slide on top of the roofbars . You slide the bars out rest them on the floor , then lean the boat on them lfit one side and slide it on the roof . Could easily be made using a couple of pieces of wood with a chanel constructed underneath to slide along the roofbar.

[Sinistre1]

Guess it was wishful thinking. Anyone start out with a sport and add the thrust board and airdeck? How much of a performance difference did you notice (i.e. speed, walking around flexibility, etc.)?

I will research the 310 sport weight.

Also thought about using the current floor a template. I was just so certain that some other would be tinkered has tried (maybe even successfully) to shed the weight without sacrificing strength. Maybe a different material. Researched starboard / seaboard but apparently it is even heavier.

[codprawn]

If you want the ultimate make it out of a carbonfibre/kevlar composite with a foam core!!!

[Limey Linda]

Originally Posted by codprawn

If you want the ultimate make it out of a carbonfibre/kevlar composite with a foam core!!!

Codders: he said low cost. We used to make bike frames out of that, wall thickness of tube was only 1mm. You could pick up the frame with your litle finger. Retail price was $5000.00

[pathalla]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I manage to lift the sport 310 onto the roof of my Disco and it's higher than most cars - it would be a doddle on a smaller car - I use an old blanket to stop it scratching!!!

Doddle?

[pathalla]

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

Codders: he said low cost. We used to make bike frames out of that, wall thickness of tube was only 1mm. You could pick up the frame with your litle finger. Retail price was $5000.00

Cod doesn't care about cost, when you can "Doddle" about in a Landie what does money/cost matter? Can you "doddle" in the rib? And if you do, is it dirty?

[Limey Linda]

Originally Posted by pathalla

Doddle?

Hi Pat
Doddle = easy, just like Codders

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

Hi Pat
Doddle = easy, just like Codders

Hey I am only easy if she's blonde with nice legs!!!

I tend to forget the Yanks don't speak proper English - God help them if they encountered Welsh - or even worse proper Yorkshire sayings.........

[Nick Hearne]

I think you would be made cutting holes in your floor as it will weaken it!
I stick my 3.8m Bombardier Airotec on the roof of my car on my own no problem! Let it on the car roof all week when not using it last year in Jersey!
Just wheel it up to the back of the car, lift the bow up & over on th the car roof with a blanket to protect it & lash it down!
Works a treat with the transom wheels.

[pathalla]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Hey I am only easy if she's blonde with nice legs!!!

I tend to forget the Yanks don't speak proper English - God help them if they encountered Welsh - or even worse proper Yorkshire sayings.........

Cod, we are just a poorly spoken bunch of rampaging imperialistic (who'd we learn that from?) colonialists out of control (see Iraq, Afghanistan) who managed to drag you Brits into three of our Wars (Iraq One, Iraq two, Afghanistan) (what the hell YOU got us into WW2), to top it off we don't have enough ribs over here and we think Zodiac builds the greatest ribs/sibs on the planet!
You expect proper English from this lot? Good luck... You're lucky we don't invade another country or two, YOU might get called up for military service...

[codprawn]

I wish!!!

My girlfriends brother has just got back from Afghanistan - he's in the Royal Marines - he was injured when the armoured truck he was in rolled down an embankment - luckily only a broken arm. He did mention he wished I had been out there with my Land Rover instead - the army drivers are more scary than the Taliban!!!

[Sinistre1]

The carbon fiber set up would probably cost me more than the boat. Well at least at the cost of carbon fiber at my local hobby shop.