Hey fellas, with the season over im wanting to put a floor in my duck boat. I have a 16 by 48 smokercraft jon it is a ribbed hull with bench seats.

I would like to take out the benches and put a floor in it.

what thickness of ALUM sheet/diamondplate would i need to be sturdy?
Im guessing .125 riveted to the ribs would work but i want it to be solid.

Did any of ya brace underneath the floor to keep em more sturdy?

What thing would a new guy not think of that might bite me in the long run?
thanks guys

I could build you a pirogue, but my aluminum work leaves a lot to be desired ... can't help you on the specs, but ... one thing to consider with aluminum hulls is that if you have the boat in the marsh at all ... salt will rust out the rivots over time.

May or may not ever be a problem for you, but rivots are typically something I'd try to avoid having (not at all costs) but if possible.

ummmm aluminum rivets just a thought

Yep, i have used aluminum rivets to mount my grab bar and chopped up the very rear bench and capped it with left over bench material. I live in south central oregon so a trip to the salt is not gonna happen till i retire or hit the lottery.

is it worth putting foam under the floor?
how well would a plywood floor hold up?

weight might be an issue as i haul a full load and run pretty shallow mud a fair bit, will the wood floor stay dry if sealed?

alli have ever had is 3/8 exterior plywood double bottoms in all my boats it last 3 to five years . last longer best if you dont paint it.. let it get wet a few times it will darken up.how long is your boat?

ok just read 16 ft. so that minus a deck 1.5 sheets of 3/8 not very much weight about 35 lbs.

3/8" or 1/2" painted plywood will last for years. A few self tapping screws will keep in in place. I put 1 1/2" blue foam in between the ribs to support the plywood and add a bit of floatation. Keep it simple so at the end of the year you can pull the floor and dump all the coon crap, mallard fuzz and beer caps out. I swear that every year I have 50 or more pounds of junk under my floor and slowing me down. Duckdon

i agree i clean mine out about 3 times a yr. and the wood is alot quieter when you drop a shell or beer on it to