Recarpeting and Refurbishing your Bass Boat – Tips for a Professional Look

The boat has been around for quite some time and is getting seaworn. You need to replace or recover the seats and carpet, as well as the fiberglass gel coat. There are also a few other things that need attention. While you want a boat that is more modern, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a new one. You could try sprucing up your old tub. This might sound like a lot of fun. But where do you begin?

My husband and I found ourselves in this exact situation. Although we wanted to be able to afford a decent boat every now and again, we didn’t use it enough to justify buying a new boat. We decided to restore the boat. We first outboard boat motors for sale

assessed the cost to restore it to its former glory. The seats were a major eyesore. Do we need to replace them or do we have to recover them? After weighing all options, we made a clear decision: to have them recovered would be about $400. It would have cost about $160 to replace them with newer ones, so it was an easy decision. The seats were on sale at a well-known sporting outlet and we ordered them. They arrived within days.

Next was fiberglass. The fiberglass had been dulled and faded over the years from exposure to sun and weather. We looked at products for DIYers and found that the results were not good or lasting. Therefore, we decided to hire professionals to restore the fiberglass. To get a better price, we stripped the boat and took it to an estimate. We carefully removed all accessories, including carpet, carpet glue and railings. We then took the boat to a local boat builder. The boat was now ready for refurbishment because it had been stripped. The cost was approximately $700. By getting rid of all the “stuff”, we saved $200. We have invested $860 so far. This is the perfect time to repaint your boat trailer.

We began the process of ordering carpet and getting it ready to be installed while the fiberglass was being repaired. Boat carpet is available at local carpet shops, home improvement stores or marine supplies. However, there are usually limited options, especially when it comes to color options. Our boat was in brown and bronze tones so we searched the internet for a color that would match our boat. A carpet outlet store in Dalton, Georgia was the best place to find the best selection and the best prices. Although we ordered 20 feet of carpet, it proved to be too large. However, at least we didn’t run out. Carpet cost $6.00 per foot. We had approximately $160 worth of carpet after shipping. We now have $1020.

Once the fiberglass had been repainted and the boat returned home, we started the process of re-carpeting. This was something we decided to do ourselves. This is not difficult but labor-intensive. This is the step we did personally. I will detail all the tools and materials we used, as well as some of the “secrets”, we discovered through trial and error.

You will need tools

* Utility knife for carpet, and many other blades
* Utility grade scissors
* Use small clamps to secure edges
* Use a stripping wheel to drill
* Scraper
* Putty knife
* Black marker
* Disposable paintbrushes
* Shop vacuum
* Rags, Rags, Rags
* Large area of work
* Mineral spirits and acetone
* Roll of brown wrapping papers
* Yardstick
* Measurement by tape

Materials

* Outdoor latex glue – 1 gallon
* Carpet

Steps for Re-carpeting

You can remove old carpet by loosening it with a putty knife, and then pulling off all surfaces. To dissolve glue, you can use acetone or mineral spirits if carpet resists being removed.
* Remove all glue residue from carpets after they are removed. To remove any remaining glue, use a drill and a stripping wheel. Make sure you remove as much glue as possible.
* Vacuum the boat’s interior and wipe it down.
* Create patterns for all parts that need to be re-carpeted. Place lids, etc. on brown paper and trace around them. For compartment lids, make sure to add enough material to cover the edges and enough to turn under to give it a neat appearance.
* If there are immovable areas on the boat that need carpeting, you can use a yardstick and tape measure to determine its size and shape. On paper, draw a pattern.
Take measurements of the boat’s floor and create a pattern. This pattern can be made by gluing two pieces of paper together.
Once all patterns have been created, place each one in the right position in the boat. Mark the location with an “up” arrow to indicate which direction the carpet grain must face. If you do not lay the carpet pieces in the right direction, the carpet will appear different shades.
* Place patterns on carpeting. Make sure that each piece aligns with the carpet grain. Use heavy-duty scissors to cut each piece.