# Putting in a floor on a Kennedy craft? Do or don’t?



## hunterbrown (Feb 17, 2014)

Post pictures. You could probably add walk around gunnels with glassed in under gunnel rod holders, adding stiffness for less weight. Wiring can easily be run under the gunnels and is concealed with easy access when needed. Also they may make the boat more fishable for you depending on your preferences.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

Here ya go @hunterbrown .


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

There is a floor in your boat.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

Not an actual floor basically it’s just the bare bottom. I meant as a decking.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

DuckNut means that the flat part of your floor is the "deck". It looks like you'll need to cut that out then re-install the floor/deck. From the looks of the picture we're not looking at the inside of the hull, but the sole/deck/floor whatever you want to call it. Likely polyester glass over plywood, and yes prone to flexing after years of use.

Edit to add: I could be wrong but the pic definitely makes it look that way.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

That flat surface on the inside of the boat is not the hull. That is the floor/sole. You can tell because there is a drop off around the perimeter indicating that it is raised and placed on to of the stringers, and the flat v shape up toward the bow is covering up the v shape of the hull.

As low hydrogen said, probably wood covered with resin and chopped strand mat which has rotted. Might even be some water soaked foam under it.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Take a drill and drill 1/4" through it. If it comes out the bottom of the hull, we are wrong.

Don't think we are.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

@DuckNut i may be a newbie but definitely not stupid lol.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Olsaltyhooker said:


> @DuckNut i may be a newbie but definitely not stupid lol.


Never implied you were.



Olsaltyhooker said:


> Not an actual floor basically it’s just the bare bottom. I meant as a decking.


I was giving you an explanation to this comment which was spurred by this one:


Olsaltyhooker said:


> my old Kennedy craft is a great boat,however the hull seems to have a lot of flex in chop. I see a lot of stress cracks around the boxes. My question is...should I floor in my boat or just somehow strengthen the sides to keep the flex down. I’d also like to hide my wiring as well and thought I could floor it and add piping under it to run wiring?? I’m a newbie to this but hey if ya don’t ask what will you learn?


The cracking around the boxes is the tab used to close the gap when the floor was installed.

There is no repairing this. This requires replacing.

That's all I was doing. Trying to explain that the floor in your boat is shot and needs replacing.

I apologize if you felt I was implying you might be stupid for drilling into the floor. I did not intend for that to happen. I will bet you a Big Mac value meal and a case of Magic Hat #9 to wash the meal down if you drill into it and get anything other than sawdust or water soaked foam.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

No i apologize I meant it jokingly. But my there isn’t any foam in my boat. The floor is the hull,if I drilled into it I’d be needing billy Mays to come back from the dead and sell me some flex seal lol.


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## hunterbrown (Feb 17, 2014)

Olsaltyhooker said:


> No i apologize I meant it jokingly. But my there isn’t any foam in my boat. The floor is the hull,if I drilled into it I’d be needing billy Mays to come back from the dead and sell me some flex seal lol.


Take some more pictures so we can see it better then because that picture makes it appear to have a raised floor.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Take a picture of the transom. Squat down so the camera is even with the center of the transom. Do the same for the bow.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Olsaltyhooker said:


> No i apologize I meant it jokingly. But my there isn’t any foam in my boat. The floor is the hull,if I drilled into it I’d be needing billy Mays to come back from the dead and sell me some flex seal lol.


LOL

But Phil Swift has flex seal tape


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

DuckNut said:


> LOL
> 
> But Phil Swift has flex seal tape


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

Olsaltyhooker said:


> my old Kennedy craft is a great boat,however the hull seems to have a lot of flex in chop. I see a lot of stress cracks around the boxes. My question is...should I floor in my boat or just somehow strengthen the sides to keep the flex down. I’d also like to hide my wiring as well and thought I could floor it and add piping under it to run wiring?? I’m a newbie to this but hey if ya don’t ask what will you learn?


I had the same hull with 2 different engines mercury 2 stroke 35 n 50 n never had floor flex. I believe it was supposed to have 3/4" plywood cored n no stringers. Bought in 1969 Pensacola n so it's possible I don't remember some details.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

Here’s the floor. Looked at it this morning and basically it’s just the hull shape. No wood or foam there.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

I don't want to kick the dead horse because my foot already hurts.

Look at the pic of your transom, see the poling strakes? Where are they on the inside? They are not filled with resin because that would have caused the hull to flex along the non flexible strakes and cause a rip in the glass the entire length of the strakes.

I stand by my original assumption there is some sort of floor in there. Most likely wood rather than foam based on age of skiff.


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

DuckNut said:


> I don't want to kick the dead horse because my foot already hurts.
> 
> Look at the pic of your transom, see the poling strakes? Where are they on the inside? They are not filled with resin because that would have caused the hull to flex along the non flexible strakes and cause a rip in the glass the entire length of the strakes.
> 
> I stand by my original assumption there is some sort of floor in there. Most likely wood rather than foam based on age of skiff.


I was told upon purchase, it is a 3/4" plywood cored floor area 1969 model,


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## BassFlats (Nov 26, 2018)

I'm not familiar with this boat. Does it have a flat bottom similar to a stump knocker? Looking at the transom drain, unless the boat has a small bilge pocket, the floor could be the top side of the hull. But Ive been wrong before.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

The hull glass is less than 1/4" thick, the drain would be close to the bottom.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

BassFlats said:


> I'm not familiar with this boat. Does it have a flat bottom similar to a stump knocker? Looking at the transom drain, unless the boat has a small bilge pocket, the floor could be the top side of the hull. But Ive been wrong before.



It’s a slight V bottom


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## CPurvis (Apr 6, 2016)

Grew up fishing out of a Kennedy Kraft. I t definitely has a floor I think it os foam. I just recently dragged it out of the woods by my fish camp last year and i dont think it is wood.


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

CPurvis said:


> View attachment 60420
> Grew up fishing out of a Kennedy Kraft. I t definitely has a floor I think it os foam. I just recently dragged it out of the woods by my fish camp last year and i dont think it is wood.


More photos


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## CPurvis (Apr 6, 2016)

No Bait / Lures Only said:


> More photos


Sorry wish i had more but thats the only one i snapped before i yanked it out of the woods. A friend of mine is restoring it. At least i hope he is i havnt heard from him in awhile.


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## jacques lemaire (Apr 17, 2018)

As to if you should add a false floor to help with the hull flex and hiding wires.

I added a floor to an all fiberglass 14ft skiff a few months ago so I have some experience in this. Before my skiff build the boat would flex so much it was a little scary as I could see the floor moving when underway. This is common in small boats like yours and the flexing is good in most cases. 

I added 2 bulk heads and a floor which completely stopped all noticeable flexing.

I used XPS insulation foam as stingers and fiberglassed over them with a biaxle glass.

Things to consider before doing this would be The added weight to a small skiff.
In my opinion just adding a false floor with no bulk heads will not help much. It will hide wires but there cant be that many wires to hide in a small boat like that. I would suggest making a small channel that can run along the inside floor of gunnel where all your wires can be hidden. Good luck with your build.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

jacques lemaire said:


> As to if you should add a false floor to help with the hull flex and hiding wires.
> 
> I added a floor to an all fiberglass 14ft skiff a few months ago so I have some experience in this. Before my skiff build the boat would flex so much it was a little scary as I could see the floor moving when underway. This is common in small boats like yours and the flexing is good in most cases.
> 
> ...



With the XPS foam stringers what type of epoxy resin do you need for this?


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Can you take a picture of your drain plug from inside the boat and post it?


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## jacques lemaire (Apr 17, 2018)

Olsaltyhooker said:


> With the XPS foam stringers what type of epoxy resin do you need for this?



I like the basic epoxy resin from fiberglassflorida.com. Epoxy will not eat the foam like other resins will so any kind of epoxy will generally be fine. I found fiberglass florida to be the best priced resin, and it works great.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

Olsaltyhooker said:


> With the XPS foam stringers what type of epoxy resin do you need for this?


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

LowHydrogen said:


> Can you take a picture of your drain plug from inside the boat and post it?


 I can get a good picture once I get home all I have is from the outside right now


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Just wanted to see if there is a recessed bilge area around the plug, that should determine for sure if there's a false floor in there or not.

I see you're from PC, hope you came through the storm ok.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

LowHydrogen said:


> Just wanted to see if there is a recessed bilge area around the plug, that should determine for sure if there's a false floor in there or not.
> 
> I see you're from PC, hope you came through the storm ok.



There is no recessed area around the drain plug


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

I owned a new kennedy kraft hull in 1969, it had 2 bench seats front n back. 2 storage boxes one either side. Bench seats had large braces in center seat to floor. A short front deck n bulkhead with cutout for storage. Dealer told me floor was reinforced with 3/4" plywood core, no flex with 2 different overpowered engines 35 and 50.. N so the hull had 1 front bulkhead, 2 seat brace, 3 n 4 storage box edges, 5 rear seat brace. N so 5 frames glassed to floor, seems stout to me...


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

Olsaltyhooker said:


> There is no recessed area around the drain plug


That's correct no recessed area at drain plug.


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## Olsaltyhooker (Jan 2, 2019)

LowHydrogen said:


> Just wanted to see if there is a recessed bilge area around the plug, that should determine for sure if there's a false floor in there or not.
> 
> I see you're from PC, hope you came through the storm ok.


Came through the storm ok.. house was beaten but but broken lol


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

LowHydrogen said:


> Just wanted to see if there is a recessed bilge area around the plug, that should determine for sure if there's a false floor in there or not.
> 
> I see you're from PC, hope you came through the storm ok.


LH, not necessarily. The recess would be there if they created a sump and if they used a sump the plug would be closer to the bottom. His drain is over an inch above the bottom of the hull, on the inside I am will to bet it is about a 1/4 - 1/2 of an inch.


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