CARPET...I HATE IT..OPTIONS?

[BG2085]

Ive come to the world of malibus from the offshore/coastal type boats.....self bailing, spray them down to clean them...soft scrub the floors etc..

I love my boat, but the carpet on the floor is driving me mad with kids. I know the newer boats have the snap out carpet which i highly covet but since i dont have an extra 70k sitting around do i have any options? Is it possible to take my carpet up and install sea deck just on the floor? any pics from anyone? Ive seen them on the platforms but nothing on the floor

?

[jkendallmsce]

Ive come to the world of malibus from the offshore/coastal type boats.....self bailing, spray them down to clean them...soft scrub the floors etc..

I love my boat, but the carpet on the floor is driving me mad with kids. I know the newer boats have the snap out carpet which i highly covet but since i dont have an extra 70k sitting around do i have any options? Is it possible to take my carpet up and install sea deck just on the floor? any pics from anyone? Ive seen them on the platforms but nothing on the floor

?

you can purchase a carpet liner/saver.

Have one in our 2010...it has rubber backing and had little ruuber knobs/stubs on the under side, so it does not mash the boat carpeting. I can take it out, clean it and put it back in the boat...all the while the boat carpeting stays nice and clean

[wakeboarder3780]

Never seen anyone hate carpeting before. It might be a little more work to keep it clean, but it's also nicer on the feet IMO. I would personally go the carpet saver route as it's as close to snap out carpet as you will get. If you ripped up the carpeting and put down seadek I have to believe you would regret that decision as the seadek got gouges / cuts in it from peoples toenails, wakeboards, etc.

Not sure if this is relevant to you either, but if you rip up the carpet kiss your chance of resale goodbye. I don't think there is going to be many people interested in a seadek floor instead of carpeting.

[BG2085]

Never seen anyone hate carpeting before. It might be a little more work to keep it clean, but it's also nicer on the feet IMO. I would personally go the carpet saver route as it's as close to snap out carpet as you will get. If you ripped up the carpeting and put down seadek I have to believe you would regret that decision as the seadek got gouges / cuts in it from peoples toenails, wakeboards, etc.

Not sure if this is relevant to you either, but if you rip up the carpet kiss your chance of resale goodbye. I don't think there is going to be many people interested in a seadek floor instead of carpeting.

well now you have met someone! your right, people hate seadeck. Im sure the new g23 nautique will flop! Ive had all types of boats and i love being able to spill a coke, beer, squash a pb&j in the floor and simply spray it out. My next boat will not have carpet period on the floor

[JTech]

well now you have met someone! your right, people hate seadeck. Im sure the new g23 nautique will flop! Ive had all types of boats and i love being able to spill a coke, beer, squash a pb&j in the floor and simply spray it out. My next boat will not have carpet period on the floor

Welcome to the world of inboards, where you don't spill drinks and kids don't eat on the boat. Think of your boat as a high end sports car, most don't drink or eat in those either if they can avoid it. No shoes, no glass, no chips, no worries.

Now post some pics of your LSV!

[edwin]

I see no reason whatsoever that you can't pull the carpet and have the floor covered with sea deck.

[btothemalm]

Welcome to the world of inboards, where you don't spill drinks and kids don't eat on the boat. Think of your boat as a high end sports car, most don't drink or eat in those either if they can avoid it. No shoes, no glass, no chips, no worries.

Now post some pics of your LSV!

I concur with JTech!

No shoes and you must do a foot rinse prior if I notice anything (why is it that some think you want their dirty shoes and or sandy feet on your carpet, since I was a kid with responsibility for a 12ft runabout I would make people rinse their feet!), only clear beverages for the kids (no grape Bug Juice or Tahitian Treat), adults may have beverages but they must always be stored in a cup holder, eating happens on shore, over the edge or on the swim platform where spills wash themselves away.

Some may call me an extremist though.

[blk93jeepzj]

"where you don't spill drinks and kids don't eat on the boat. Think of your boat as a high end sports car, most don't drink or eat in those either if they can avoid it. No shoes, no glass, no chips, no worries."

Really I thought the point of a boat was to enjoy it out on the water. Eat, drink, and be merry. Any boat is like a sports car, use it drive it and enjoy the hell out of it. Never could understand the people that buy nice things and let them rot in a garage, "stating that its going to be a collecters item someday", only if you can find someone to buy it. Life is too short to be so anal. Hell we spilt a beer or two during the engine swap on mine before it even made it to the water, I'm sure it wasn't the first and I know it won't be the last. To ease your mind no I did not neglect the engine, it was cracked when I bought the boat.

Back to the carpet issue, why not remove the carpet and take it to a local truck bed lining copany and have them spray in a floor color of your choice, or roll one in yourself, add a couple of drains to the floor if you like. Another option would be to line it like i stated and then get a carpet saver and and snaps to the carpet and the floor, best of both worlds then.

[l98ycar]

I am not a big carpet fan either - I will be interested to see what you come up with. I do not hate it enough to go through the work of pulling it out but if it needs replacing, the bed liner might be a good option.

[BG2085]

man i go on the boat to relax and getaway...not be anal and worry about every little thing! The whole point in boating with kids is BEING WITH KIDS...and kids are messy but its well worth the investment to me. If i didnt let my kids be kids.....i wouldnt have a boat. With that said, i clean the mess out of it and keep it as tidy as possible when i put it up but the carpet always looks dirty. Could be the age of the carpet though but i still would prefer a nice non skid deck to simply spray out. Thanks for the ideas guys....looking at carpet savor

[Woodski]

The Centurion Carbon Pro comes with a seadek type of floor covering material so it is done by a different manufacturer. That said, the floor is simply flat fiberglass so changing it over would not be hard. The glue remnants would be the most aggravating part of the process. I would look at some of the rebuild threads particularly on the Skiers done on this site for some insight on the difficulty of that type of project. I would think the spray in liner concept would be a bit rough on the feet and if anything other than a very light color pretty darn warm to the feet. Good luck on the project and post the results!

[Bozboat]

Welcome to the world of inboards, where you don't spill drinks and kids don't eat on the boat. Think of your boat as a high end sports car, most don't drink or eat in those either if they can avoid it. No shoes, no glass, no chips, no worries.

This is not my reality. I live in the land of spray and wash. My boat is nice, its clean, safe, and serviceable but it is used, its being used, and it will be sold used, well cared for but used. I buy used stuff so that I can enjoy it with my kids. If I were to purchase anything new, I would pour a soft drink on the floor, bend or dent something, break a knob off, and scratch it, with the goal of getting all of that out of the way so that we can all have a great day on the water. The linex or rhino liner on the floor covered by carpet savers (fancy floor mats) sounds like a great idea.

[Ndawg12]

I concur with JTech!

No shoes and you must do a foot rinse prior if I notice anything (why is it that some think you want their dirty shoes and or sandy feet on your carpet, since I was a kid with responsibility for a 12ft runabout I would make people rinse their feet!), only clear beverages for the kids (no grape Bug Juice or Tahitian Treat), adults may have beverages but they must always be stored in a cup holder, eating happens on shore, over the edge or on the swim platform where spills wash themselves away.

Some may call me an extremist though.

I was like this right when I got my boat. But then I sensed my wife and kids were getting uncomfortable. With all the information on this and similar sites, anything can be cleaned up and/or fixed within reason. The last thing I want is for people (family or friends) to feel like they should be sitting on their hands. Cleaning up is quality bu time.

[Bill_AirJunky]

A carpet saver is just another piece of carpet over the first piece of carpet. Doesn't sound like the kind of thing your going to like if having kids eating in your boat is the norm. Frankly, I don't see that buying a boat with that sort of interior was a good idea if you use it in that way. Like others have said, it's not the average Malibu owner's issue as many of us just don't use them in that way.

You could rip all the carpet out of the boat, which will reveal all the unfinished fiberglass underneath. I'd imagine that you would want to gelcoat it and then put something down on top of it. That seems like a LOT of work to me.

Wish you luck working it out.

[srintx]

Brings up a good point, not to hijack the post but, what are people doing to clean the floors if you have the snap out carpet?

[btothemalm]

I was like this right when I got my boat. But then I sensed my wife and kids were getting uncomfortable. With all the information on this and similar sites, anything can be cleaned up and/or fixed within reason. The last thing I want is for people (family or friends) to feel like they should be sitting on their hands. Cleaning up is quality bu time.

I didn't mean to come off the wrong way. I just meant that by establishing the "Rules" early, everyone can still have fun. I am not saying that my interior is perfect, I just like to minimize the risk.

I do however, no matter what, do not allow shoes. All other items I have been loosening up on over the years.

For example, here was our previous 1987 Supra Comp ts6m right before we sold it. 25 years old!

However, to each their own, that's the beauty of being the "Boat Captain"!

[tvano]

i think i would like to find the 'right' carpet substitute, too.

something a bit pliable so the skis don't rattle around too much.

soft enough to protect the gear and feet.

i think rhino liner would be too solid. not sure how sea deck would hold up.

carpet can look nice but i'm using the boat every day and spend much too much time fretting about mold/mildew because the carpet is always wet.

[Bill_AirJunky]

I just meant that by establishing the "Rules" early, everyone can still have fun. I am not saying that my interior is perfect, I just like to minimize the risk.

I do however, no matter what, do not allow shoes. All other items I have been loosening up on over the years.

I have to agree 100%. But coming off as being anal or going overboard is something I try NOT to do.... especially if we're dealing with new people on the boat who just don't know better.

I keep all the shoes under one seat, back rear corner on the passenger side. I make a point to jump on board ahead of everyone & lift that seat up & ask everyone to toss their shoes in. I don't single anyone out but try to make sure that everyone gets the picture.

Also, recently I started approaching the dock differently when picking people up or dropping them off at the dock. I swing the boat around so everyone can get on & off the boat from the swimstep. So when I approach the dock, rather than doing it from the side of the boat, I swing the boat around & back up to it & they can step right on or off easily, then I pull away slowly. Everyone seems to be able to get on & off very easily.... the exception to that might be anyone who is older, has vision problems or is injured in some way. But for the everyday folks, even my dog, I can swing in & pull away without ever touching the docks, no one has to get off & worry about the boat hitting the dock as I'm in control with the throttle. Seems to work really well. And gives everyone a chance to shed the shoes or dip their feet in the water safely off the swimstep.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Bill_AirJunky

[85 Barefoot]

I'd contact malibu and see if they can put you in contact with the vendor who does the tatami mat for axis. I have that on the A22 and love it. It's not so unrefined as seadek, yet is stainproof, comfortable on the feet, not hot, and looks pretty good.

[JTech]

I was just making a counter point that probably 70% of owners here concur with. Personally, if I ordered a new BU or other brand I would not get the snap out carpet as I don't care for the look of the interior when it's not "wall to wall". I know that I am in the minority on this as my boat was a dealer demo and the #1 think people did not like was the no snap out carpet. The boat looks more "finished" or refined IMO when the seat base is wrapped in vinyl and not fiberglass like an I/O.

I work in the Real Estate industry and see 400+ homes a year. Most are in average condition at best and sellers still to this day have no concept that a $100 month for a house cleaner will parlay in to much more value on the market. Most don't want to spend the time to maintain things they work their a.s.s off to buy, they would rather throw it away and buy another than keep what they have in good condition. When the offers take months to come in, and are lower than expected I usually see that in the final sales prices. Look up what new skins for your BU would cost, I bet most would choke on their dinner if they knew what it cost to redo the seats on a boat.

[Bobby Light]

I was just making a counter point that probably 70% of owners here concur with. Personally, if I ordered a new BU or other brand I would not get the snap out carpet as I don't care for the look of the interior when it's not "wall to wall". I know that I am in the minority on this as my boat was a dealer demo and the #1 think people did not like was the no snap out carpet. The boat looks more "finished" or refined IMO when the seat base is wrapped in vinyl and not fiberglass like an I/O.

I work in the Real Estate industry and see 400+ homes a year. Most are in average condition at best and sellers still to this day have no concept that a $100 month for a house cleaner will parlay in to much more value on the market. Most don't want to spend the time to maintain things they work their a.s.s off to buy, they would rather throw it away and buy another than keep what they have in good condition. When the offers take months to come in, and are lower than expected I usually see that in the final sales prices. Look up what new skins for your BU would cost, I bet most would choke on their dinner if they knew what it cost to redo the seats on a boat.

and some peoples idea of "excellent condition" makes me wanna .

[ktrent]

i have a 05 vlx wakesetter and i have swore to myself if our next boat has carpet it will be snap out. i love the look of the new g23 floor but not sure about it. i have spent the day and a mc x45 with the carpet snapped out and its not as nice as with carpet. but its doable. snap out is the way to go. i am thinking if you currently have carpet as i do the best option would be to deal with it. it would be way way pricey to change to something other than carpet.

[JTech]

and some peoples idea of "excellent condition" makes me wanna .

I have drove across town several times for a Craigslist and left puking... Had good luck so far with used guns, other stuff not so much.

OP: Post some pics of your setup! I love the older BU's!

[Bobby Light]

I have drove across town several times for a Craigslist and left puking... Had good luck so far with used guns, other stuff not so much.

OP: Post some pics of your setup! I love the older BU's!

If I ever took a look at a used gun that was beat up I'd want to run the serial number at the local PD if ya know what I mean...

[Levi900RR]

I didn't read this whole topic, but I hate carpet and this is what I did... I couldn't be happier

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?/topic/20057-what-to-do-for-a-floor/page__hl__floor__fromsearch__1