I recently acquired my dad’s jet boat that he built himself back in the mid 80’s. I spent time as a kid kokanee fishing Baker and Shannon lakes and a few days on the Cowlitz and Clearwater rivers and as such, have fond memories of it and want to make some improvements. He built quite a few boats over the years starting back in the late 60s; some of the first 16 foot Skagit wood boats were designed and made by him and family/friends and later he moved on to building aluminum boats for himself and friends. I have started doing some restoration on the boat by updating the trailer lights to LED lights, adding a second battery, modifying the power winch and a few other small items.

For my next two projects I am looking for some advice from the forum. I plan on replacing the two 6.5 gallon plastic fuel tanks that sit mid boat under a seat with two customized 12 gallon aluminum tanks plus adding a third tank in the bow. This will dramatically increase fuel capacity and make refueling a lot easier and more convenient and add some extra weight in the bow. Does anybody have any tips or ideas that may help?

The other project is replacing the carpeted ½ inch plywood floor with 1/8 inch aluminum diamond plate with Rhino or Line X coating. I think there are enough support ribs underneath to prevent the aluminum from buckling but not substantially increase the overall weight of the boat. The coating will provide a nice, non-skid finish and make cleaning up a lot easier. Does anybody see any problems with this scenario or have any suggestions for me to consider?

I may try to post some pictures tomorrow but figured I would post my questions now. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Aluminum Diamond Plate weighs in at about 1.9 to 2.0 lbs per square foot, 1/2 inch ply weighs about 3 lbs per square foot

I have some serious questions about the ability of the .125 dia plate to support 300 lbs per square foot like plywood is rated.

Better check your underfloor supports very closely and be sure to take a armored truck with you for diamond plate as it is extremely expensive last time i priced it. The prep for non skid on aluminum is fairly lengthy and involved to remove all oils from manuf. No oils on plate equals great adhesion on aluminum or else it will peel.

Personally I would use 1/2 inch ply and seal it real well and nonskid if i remember right i can do about 10 sheets with non skid for the cost of diamond plate for my boat and i can get mine to last for about 6 to 8 years with some reasonable care

A few of the boat manfs. etch the diamond plate decking to knock the brightness down.....no coatings.
I think Koffler does this.
Maybe muriatic ?.....you'd have to ask around on what to use.
It looks good and might be better than a coating in terms of maintenance.
Which would be nil.

1/8" is pretty stout.
I'd bet that deflection would be acceptable.

Go with Diamond plate.......awesome 360 days a year......can be a real bitch if weather turns cold, and soles on your rubber boots, got water on them and freeze.....slip and slide!!!!!!

Green, Your right, if the support structure underneath is not sufficient, the aluminum plate will probably be too flimsy. After looking a little closer this afternoon, I didn't see any areas greater than 2 feet square without underneath support. While I don't need to gold plate anything, I certainly don't mind spending some coin to get what I want but more importantly, making it functional and reliable. In other words, I'm not worried about a little extra cost in some aspects.

We have been using Line X on our pontoon boat floors for a little while now and I have liked the results. Adding it to aluminum plate pretty much makes it a lifetime product with minimal maintenance, reduces the glare, makes it non skid, looks professional, and reduces noise. Other than the initial cost, I don't see a disadvantage of it?

Stock Number Item Description Size Status Price
Each Totals
Commentdelete
P418-6061 1/8 (.125) thickness -
High Strength 6061 Aluminum Diamond Plate -
Dull Mill Finish

In Stock

$359.36
$359.36
Sub-Total: $359.36
Cheapest I found just searching plus shipping- This is in Kentucky!

I will check with Alaska Copper and Brass tomorrow; I bet they have it for less. Regardless, I am willing to buy two sheets of material, even at $400 each and getting it Line X'ed to get the floor that I think will serve me best. The one disadvantage there may to this approach is I may run the risk of causing some premature wear and tear to some of my flylines but that is about it.

"customized 12 gallon aluminum tanks" - I asume these will be separate. Or will they be welded in?

To be safe and legal the fuel tanks cannot be integral to the hull. And fuel tanks need to be tested and certified.

Sal, yeah my fabricators have built many fuel tanks over the years and are certified and inspected.

I added a few pictures. After removing the floors, I don't have any worries about there being enough support for my aluminum floors.