Saturday, May 9, began with rain and cool breezes, with temps in the mid 40s – quite a drop from the mid 80s the prior day. When the rain stopped, I went to work again on the pontoon boat. The tear-down was behind me, and it was time to start rebuilding.
I cleaned the aluminum frame pieces that the support the plywood decking. Foam insulating tape was applied to the top of the aluminum frame. This prevents water from reaching the joint where two pieces of plywood decking butt together. One by one I set the new decking onto the frame. Once all 4 sheets were resting on the frame, I took countless measurements to ensure that the loose plywood decking was centered and properly positioned.
The decking was then secured with stainless steel bolts and self-locking nuts, an upgrade from the self-tapping galvanized screws that held the original decking in place. A total of 96 bolts were used to secure the decking.
Next weekend I’ll glue the carpet in place and work on the side fencing. Hopefully it will start coming together quickly.
