Removal & Instalation of Aluminium Floor Zodiac Futura MKII

[shaun2020]

Hi all,

Can someone please help / tell me how to fit / remove my flooring, I have had to make two new wood sections for the front of the boat, Now I am trying to refit the new sections but seem to be having trouble,

I see on various videos etc you end up standing on top of the flooring and push down to lock it in position, the thing is I have 2 x side rails which seem secured to the boat unless I take the rear floor panels out,

I have managed to slide the first aliminium floor section out as you can see by the attached photos, and I am sure I could slide the other two floor sections out with a bit of persuation and I believe the rails will come away from the boat when I slide them out, but how do I refit and lock the wood sections into place as it looks like I will have to put the side rails in first,

This would prevent me installing the other floor sections the way I have seen it on the videos online etc,

If I put the 2 x wooden sections in how do I manage to put the first aluminium section back in as the rails seem to get in the way,

any help would be appreciated,

Thanks to all in advance

[Peter_C]

The boat will need to be more deflated than it is now. Rails off, as in out of the boat, take the first two aluminum sections and after the rest are installed, put them into a tepee position. Push them down, and lock in the rails. Re-inflate boat and go boating.

I regret to inform you that your glue is failing and your entire floor and transom will need to be reglued. It is cost prohibitive to pay someone to do it, and is a giant project to tackle yourself, but it can be done as I succeeded in the project for the same issue.

[captnjack]

The rails pop off the sides of the aluminum floor sections - push really hard towards the tubes with your thumbs. Make sure your fingers are on the floor not the rails so you aren't pushing against your own hand.

The tubes need to be 99% deflated to get the floor out.

To reinstall you lay in the sections starting at the front and the back at the same time. The last section in the middle will be sticking up like a hinge. Push down on the hinge and the whole boat stretches as the floor snaps into place. Once the floor is flat the rails are hooked over the edges of the aluminum sections and pulled into place - pulling into the boat. The rails won't be as long as all three ali sections. Looks like you might have pushed them towards the stern? The rails are 2 ali sections long roughly, and bridge all three ali joints. There should be plastic knobs on the floorboards to help center the rails over the correct joints.

[The Gurnard]

They all follow the same kind of method..here is a link to a U Tube video showing how its done on a similar type of floor..hope that helps

How to assemble an inflatable boat with hard floor - YouTube

[shaun2020]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

The boat will need to be more deflated than it is now. Rails off, as in out of the boat, take the first two aluminum sections and after the rest are installed, put them into a tepee position. Push them down, and lock in the rails. Re-inflate boat and go boating.

I regret to inform you that your glue is failing and your entire floor and transom will need to be reglued. It is cost prohibitive to pay someone to do it, and is a giant project to tackle yourself, but it can be done as I succeeded in the project for the same issue.

Hi Peter,

Thank you for your comments, much appreciated, Inflatables are new to me where I have had Wilson flyers / Dory boats in the past where they seem a lot less hassle to maintain,

I Have to admit inflatables seem more fun and a lot easier to launch that is for sure,

Well my mate didn't think so when he was hanging on bouncing over the waves, I was laughing, he wasn't, lol

I am learning by my buying mistakes that's for sure, Good old Ebay,

The boat was already inflated when I purchased so was unable to see inside / under the Ali flooring at the time, and I only found my headaches when one of the front wooden sections was rotten / gave way at sea, so I had no choice to replace,

When you say my whole floor & Transom needs re -gluing, that's a bit worrying for me especially when I have a brand new 20hp Mariner to go on the back,

Could you please explain to me why you say that as I know the front section needs a bit of gluing as per my photo which I have already started to do after the photographs were taken and I have re glued the bits that go under the first Ali floor panel,

I still have a bit more to do as I could not get to glue the front section in one go as I am having to do a tiny bit at a time as I am trying to keep it inline where it was originally glued as I can still see now the original sealed lines before the glue came away, so trying to line up and glue and keep in place which is a bit of a mission,

Also I have been using the Zodiac glue in a white tube, is it better to buy the glue where you have to mix the hardner? I don,t mind a little bit of DIY on my boat but still worrying when you say my whole floor & transom needs re-gluing

Any more advice you can give would be highly apopreciated,

Thanks in advance

[shaun2020]

Originally Posted by captnjack

The rails pop off the sides of the aluminum floor sections - push really hard towards the tubes with your thumbs. Make sure your fingers are on the floor not the rails so you aren't pushing against your own hand.

The tubes need to be 99% deflated to get the floor out.

To reinstall you lay in the sections starting at the front and the back at the same time. The last section in the middle will be sticking up like a hinge. Push down on the hinge and the whole boat stretches as the floor snaps into place. Once the floor is flat the rails are hooked over the edges of the aluminum sections and pulled into place - pulling into the boat. The rails won't be as long as all three ali sections. Looks like you might have pushed them towards the stern? The rails are 2 ali sections long roughly, and bridge all three ali joints. There should be plastic knobs on the floorboards to help center the rails over the correct joints.

Hi Captain Jack,

Thanks for your message, is it possible to do this with the boat on the trailer?

[shaun2020]

Originally Posted by The Gurnard

They all follow the same kind of method..here is a link to a U Tube video showing how its done on a similar type of floor..hope that helps

Thanks for the video The Gurnard, much appreciated, gives me a better idea how to get the rails out as it was baffling me, as they say it easy when you know how, I am yet to put theory to practical, hopefully it will go to plan

[Peter_C]

shaun2020, what year is the boat hull? The problem is after around 10 years the glue will start to fail. The good thing is the tubes are thermo welded and are not prone to failure at all. The bad is the floor from bow to stern is glued and from the look of it is failing pretty badly. My boat was the same except my floor had completely gave way which is how I got my complete boat/motor/trailer so cheap...errr on trade.

Walk around your boat and check the transom thoroughly. Gently pull on the edges of the fabric. If anything is peeling up or coming loose in any way it will need to be taken apart. Have all the glue cleaned off. Then re-glue everything.

A two part glue is the only way to go. I went through two quarts of glue, and spent over 40 hours performing the much needed repair. The key is to get rid of the failed glue 100%. If you are going to tackle the repair, I am more than happy to offer all the advice I can.

[shaun2020]

Hi Peter,

Not sure of the year but well over 10 years old I would say, maybe 1987 ish, I may be totally wrong,

When I look on the plate it advises my serial Number is 2345, which seems a bit short, I have tried to put a Z in front and searches on Google have come to a blank,

So if anyone can tell me the year of my boat it would be appreciated,

I have purchased some 2 part glue which arrived quickly and I ordered a litre bottle of acetone as I was not sure how much I would need but that has went astray in the post,

So I am in the process of a claim on Flea Bay as i still require the acetone,

All this delay is causing me a nightmare as well as the winter is closing in and working 12 hour shifts doesn't help, Boys and their toys, lol, as I still want to use the boat in the winter for fishing, so I am desperate to get it sorted,

Do you just rub the acetone on the old glue and rub until it comes off? and how would I un stick a glued part already, so that I can re glue correctly if it is starting to come away?

I am hoping I do not have to do many repairs, but I need to be prepared ready, as well as trying to repair my boat the best I possibly can in the freezing cold or in my garage with no electrics,

Roll on winter time,

[Peter_C]

The year your boat made is very important, or rather, the material it is made with. Sure looks like PVC to me as the joint of the tubes are not lapped but butt jointed with a strip of PVC over the top. Are you 100% sure it is PVC not Hypalon?

Acetone should be available at most any paint or hardware store. I use acetone to clean, and MEK as a pre-wipe prep before gluing as the MEK softens the PVC more than the acetone. YOU NEED CHEMICAL GLOVES!!! Something that is resistant to acetone. They will look like dish washing gloves, but will keep the chemicals off your hands. Typically made from neoprene.

To remove any currently stuck down by glue fabric a heat gun works wonders. Watch your temperature on the fabric and keep the heat moving. Depending on your resistance to heat it may be okay to burn your fingers a little, but no smoke from the fabric.

I have found the best way to remove old glue is to pour the acetone into a small topless container, and using very coarse scuff pads (3M makes the grey ones with large pores), soak, then rub the old glue off. I cut the scuff pad into small sections and throw it away as it clogs with glue. A rag finishes the process. Do not sand the glue off as it removes what little fabric you have.

Right before gluing you will need to use a course tire patch scrubber or the like to rough up the PVC surface so the glue can take a better bond. You are not trying to remove material, but score it.

BTW temperature and humidity are critical for the glue to stick. Think summer in California...today would have been perfect

[shaun2020]

Hi Peter,
I am almost sure the tubes are PVC as I thought Hypalon was used in the newer boats, I may be wrong, I have bought and used stuff for PVC with no hassles so far, so fingers crossed, I might try and email Zodiac in France as I believe that is where the boat is manufactured originally to see what other info I can find out,

My Acetone eventually turned up and I have ordered some MEK, I am just waiting for that to arrive, I will defiantly wear gloves and eye protection just to be on the safe side,

I take it the boat has to be deflated if using a heat gun? I dont plan on tackling those bits yet, but concentrating on the must do now repairs, just thinking ahead for now,

I managed to remove my Ali flooring on Sunday, Easy, when you know how so they say, I let a bit more air out of the tubes, and off the bars popped with a little slight persuation, couldn't be happier until I seen under the flooring for the first time ever,

To be honest I think I have my work cut out a little as you can see by some of the photos I took on Sunday, its mainly the Bow but looking at the rear just below where the outboard sits it looks like it might of give way,

I did not notice it when I was with the boat but noticed it when I was looking at the photos on the pc, what is your expert opinion?, Looking at the photo I am sure the rear of the floor is not meant to be like that ;-( is it fixable?

If you have a spare minute could you have a look at some of my photos of the boat I took on Sunday, I think most will be easy repairs but I am worried about the rear of the boat,

Thanks in advance, and thanks for the information on how to remove the glue etc, most informative, and it will be a great help when I come to do the practical repairs, That is if we get a break in the cold weather, does it have to be warm to carry out these repairs? as I have no means of a heated garage etc, as it is quite cold in the UK now :-(

[shaun2020]

More Photos

[shaun2020]

more photos

[shaun2020]

More photos

[shaun2020]

more photos

[captnjack]

Looks like PVC construction to me. There only seem to be a few spots where the floor seam is pulling away. I'd just remove as much glue as you can with the acetone and scubbing with a coarse pad. I would not go reglueing the entire floor at this point. Just the loose parts and any sections which pull loose. Using the heat gun to completely remove and then reglue the floor section by section seems like a lot of unnecessary work.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

PS You need to vacuum out all the debris before reassembly!

[shaun2020]

more photos

[shaun2020]

Think the next job is giving it a hoover inside and a wash with warm soapy water

[Peter_C]

That is a PVC boat. Temperature and humidity are critical for gluing. Temp is not important for cleaning though, but warmer temps are more enjoyable as the evaporating Acetone is cold. Plus the warmer it is the easier it is to remove the glue.

The bow definitely needs to be repaired. Without pulling grabbing and seeing it in person I can not speak for the rest of the boat. I would recommend flipping the boat over and pulling on the edges of the floor and more importantly the transom. If things are becoming unglued, then the entire floor will need to be reglued. If it is only a couple of spots you might be able to put off the major rebuild for awhile, by just fixing the bad spots. Eventually the glue will all need replacement. Slowly I have been fixing all of my glued spots. That includes things like the bow ring, and the other parts outside the floor. Even my speed tube came loose and had to be reglued. Gorilla (Duct) tape got me through one more adventure though.

You will want to work with the boat full of air, including while reglueing everything.

Feel free to ask the questions you want. Myself and others will do our best to answer them

[kelson]

Peter is absolutely correct that when you get seam separation you should open up any seam sections that will pull apart without damaging the underlying layer of PVC. While my Futura came almost totally apart there were sections that would not. After 6 years neither those original bonds nor my reglued seams have failed. Don't hesitate with the transom if the bonds are weak!

Here is a link to how professionals use the two part glue. Don't ignore the environmental limits. Buy a cheap hygrometer and watch the humidity. Two part glues are hydrophylic and humid conditions will weaken the bond significantly. Getting the right conditions in winter time can be difficult, but who would want to do this twice? Information From ShipStore.com | Zodiac Inflatable Boat Fabric Glue and Repair Instructions | GLUE from the ShipStore.com ™ on-line catalog.

My Futura was in bad shape. I reglued almost everything including the transom. It was prohibitive to have the work done elsewhere. Maybe a new Futura would have been a good call. It wasn't easy, but my Futura goes out through head high surf and has taken me to remote locations without issue. I hydrofoil and wakeboard behind it when the ski boat is down and nothing has failed yet. A smart choice? Maybe not, but I'm not sorry I took on the project. Have fun!