Does anyone have experience with the alternative products to teak i e Seacork, Marine Deck 2000 or the Flexi product?

I cut mine out of 5/8" external grade plywood (not CDX). I took the pieces to a Rhinoliner business and had them coated with a bluish grey non-slip bed liner. They overlaped the underside a couple of inches and I coated the whole underside with white porch paint. If I had to do it over I would use a more stable wood like MDO. I got some warping with the plywood. The Rhinoliner guy only charged me $150. Since then I found a place that sells aluminum diamond plate sheets at a good price. Thats the way I would go today. I think I could still have the aluminum plate etched and coated with Rhinoliner.

I had aluminum decking in the cockpit of my old 28, apparently put there by a former and smaller owner. Under my considerable body weight the stuff oilcanned alarmingly. It wasn't going to break, but it didn't feel sturdy.

I replaced it with 5/8" marine grade plywood with a topcoat of 6oz fiberglass set in WEST epoxy, leaving the texture of the glass cloth as sort of a nonskid pattern. It was OK and felt very sturdy. I have lost touch with the present owner but with sealed edges and all I suspect the plywood will last.

Wood is lighter and stiffer than most competing materials, which is its great advantage. At the time I had some star-board that I was going to use, but I realized that it would add a lot of weight aft where I didn't need it.

Jeff,

You say U R going with 1/8" AL. for decking I don’t believe that will suffice the need of support for the use the cockpit gets unless every one that comes aboard is in the75/80 lb weight class. No U won't fall through but it'll buckle in on U. I would venture to say U would need supports at the very least every 9" may I suggest that U first order a piece the size that will cover the excess hatch make frame out of some 1x2 lumber as a test for the support it will take. Next comes the support piece for under the “Saloon” sliding door from 3/4" with the nautalux covering on the 5/8" existing decking ? In my opinion I don’t think U can get away with less than 3/8" AL. decking. At the price the grade of the AL. is probably in the 1000 grade AL.(basic grade) now u need a isolator between that grade & 5086 grade (marine grade) that is used on the BM s U claim to have problems with the the raised scupper lip not allowing water to drain from the deck wait till the 1/8" AL. buckles & there are small pools of water all over it. May I suggest U go on line to McMaster - Carr & check out the differences in the grades & prices OUCH !!! I know that from past experience of last year when extending the S/P. I knows U Nose all the stat’s above but put them in for the newbies that may not realize that dissimilar metals factor & effects AnyWho that’s my ½ penny’s worth.

Norm,

Bigs Live On

I put in a 3/16" diamond plate cockpit deck...my is a 26' Overnighter and more of a work boat than most of these guys. Nooo problem with the oil can thing. Drilled, tapped and screwed it like Jeff did. Look at www.smallparts.com for a good price on SS screws, you will use more than you think.

On the weather deck I'm using some T&G "Timbertek" composite lumber. I liked it's non-skid character and it's rated to span 24", my weather deck has some 22" spans. Only problem are the weep holes they have in the tounge. I'm planning on running some white silcone down each joint to cure this problem. Will look real sharp.