Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Non-wood swim step for 98 Response??


sunvalleylaw

Recommended Posts

Wondering if one can replace the wood swim step on older Responses with a newer style deck, not made of wood.  I have a new fancy ski and don't want to risk getting teak oil or sealant on the surface of the bottom of my ski.  Does anyone make such a thing?

Link to comment
Just now, sunvalleylaw said:

Wondering if one can replace the wood swim step on older Responses with a newer style deck, not made of wood.  I have a new fancy ski and don't want to risk getting teak oil or sealant on the surface of the bottom of my ski.  Does anyone make such a thing?

Yep, you sure can.  You will have to measure it up to make sure your transom matches that of the donor boat, but odds are it will.

Here's a picture of my old teak deck (1994), and then again with a newer teak deck from a 2006 Vride.  I kept my brackets and redrilled the swim deck to fit them.  Could have done the same with a fiberglass deck, but I like the durability of the teak - bang it up as much as you want, sand and refinish and it's like new again.  Fiberglass could chip/scratch.

Swim platform old.jpgSwim platform new.jpg

 

Link to comment
Just now, Michigan boarder said:

Yep, you sure can.  You will have to measure it up to make sure your transom matches that of the donor boat, but odds are it will.

Here's a picture of my old teak deck (1994), and then again with a newer teak deck from a 2006 Vride.  I kept my brackets and redrilled the swim deck to fit them.  Could have done the same with a fiberglass deck, but I like the durability of the teak - bang it up as much as you want, sand and refinish and it's like new again.  Fiberglass could chip/scratch.

Swim platform old.jpgSwim platform new.jpg

 

Cool.  So where does one find a donor boat with a fiberglass deck?  Mine is a 98, and I am pretty sure the hull stayed more or less the same for quite a few years.  Anyone know when the boats started coming with a fiberglass deck?

Edited by sunvalleylaw
Link to comment

 

1 minute ago, Michigan boarder said:

"That, detective, is the right question"

Hmm.  I will have to apply my research skills in the evenings.  Too bad there aren't boat junkyards around here, like they have for autos.  I bet I could find one to refurb.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Honestly, you'd be better off disassembling your current deck, stripping it, sanding it, and coating it with Watco Teak Finish.  Then a light sand each year, re-coat, and you are good to go again.  None of it will ever come off on your ski.

Link to comment
2 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

Honestly, you'd be better off disassembling your current deck, stripping it, sanding it, and coating it with Watco Teak Finish.  Then a light sand each year, re-coat, and you are good to go again.  None of it will ever come off on your ski.

Well, that's an idea.  It certainly would be easier and cheaper.  Does it then become slippery as he**??  What would you suggest stripping with?  

Edited by sunvalleylaw
Link to comment

Keep your teak deck.  Are you seriously worried about marking your ski?  It's not going to be from the teak or the teak oil, you have a higher chance of scratching on a dock.  Like said above teak is completely renewable and will last forever, just sand and oil.  Seems like the only thing wrong with Teak is people get in there heads that it needs to be painted or stained.  When I first got my boat someone had obviously tried this, some sanding and oiling took care of that and it looks brand new.  BTW I have a brand new ski as well, the thought didn't even enter my head. :)

Edited by solorex
Link to comment

Not sure why more people don't suggest linseed oil as a finish, its like 6 dollars at home depot for a lifetime supply. Takes ~ 5 minutes twice a year to keep the deck looking new and it has a nice brown finish, not orange like some other products out there.

Link to comment

@sunvalleylaw:  If you are a DIY person, you can make a composite one yourself.  Either fiberglass or even carbon fiber (which is the material I used for my DIY platform) and you can combine with a foam core for added rigidity.  Use your current platform as a guide & reuse all the hardware.  On the top surface add Hydroturf, Seadek or similar for a nice surface that won't mar the ski.  My CF platform tips the scale at 11 # with all the hardware attached which also improves the slalom wake. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
14 minutes ago, Woodski said:

@sunvalleylaw:  If you are a DIY person, you can make a composite one yourself.  Either fiberglass or even carbon fiber (which is the material I used for my DIY platform) and you can combine with a foam core for added rigidity.  Use your current platform as a guide & reuse all the hardware.  On the top surface add Hydroturf, Seadek or similar for a nice surface that won't mar the ski.  My CF platform tips the scale at 11 # with all the hardware attached which also improves the slalom wake. 

Can you direct me to a link for the carbon fiber?  Being a Head ski guy, maybe I could strengthen it with graphene as well.  (just kidding on that last).  But the carbon, or carbon with foam is a good idea.  If you have a chance, I would love to see a pic of your platform.  

Link to comment
52 minutes ago, Woodski said:

@sunvalleylaw:  If you are a DIY person, you can make a composite one yourself.  Either fiberglass or even carbon fiber (which is the material I used for my DIY platform) and you can combine with a foam core for added rigidity.  Use your current platform as a guide & reuse all the hardware.  On the top surface add Hydroturf, Seadek or similar for a nice surface that won't mar the ski.  My CF platform tips the scale at 11 # with all the hardware attached which also improves the slalom wake. 

This project needs to be posted up with great pics or it didn't happen!! (that's the rule here, right?!) Sounds like a fantastic idea.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
7 hours ago, REHinH20 said:

Could always glue some 70's green -turf on top of it!  :Tease3:  JK keep the teak!

That would be good for some driving range activity between sets. ;)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
17 hours ago, sunvalleylaw said:

Well, that's an idea.  It certainly would be easier and cheaper.  Does it then become slippery as he**??  What would you suggest stripping with?  

Strip with whatever strip-eze stuff they have at the hardware store, or simply bypass that and sand right thru it.  Hard to say which option is better without looking at it.  You could actually just do it to the top and sides and not disassemble, would be good enough to get you by until you make a decision whether to keep it or not.  My guess is after getting the top and sides down to fresh wood, and putting some good teak sealer or teak oil on it, you'll be convinced to keep it.  Midway thru the season scrapes/scratches all disappear with a fresh coat, usually without even sanding.  They can take a ton of abuse, which is nice if you are teaching people watersports.  Newbies tend to get very clumsy with something on their feet and tend to bang and drag it around, especially kids.

I used 80 grit on mine, and it's not too slippery at all.  I have an 11 year old and she's been jumping off the teak with her friends since she was able to swim, never a slippery issue.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
8 hours ago, Rednucleus said:

This project needs to be posted up with great pics or it didn't happen!! (that's the rule here, right?!) Sounds like a fantastic idea.

It took me 5 years to get a view of his engine.  It was worth the wait.  I'm still expecting the men in black to show up asking me to look at the stick...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
52 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

Strip with whatever strip-eze stuff they have at the hardware store, or simply bypass that and sand right thru it.  Hard to say which option is better without looking at it.  You could actually just do it to the top and sides and not disassemble, would be good enough to get you by until you make a decision whether to keep it or not.  My guess is after getting the top and sides down to fresh wood, and putting some good teak sealer or teak oil on it, you'll be convinced to keep it.  Midway thru the season scrapes/scratches all disappear with a fresh coat, usually without even sanding.  They can take a ton of abuse, which is nice if you are teaching people watersports.  Newbies tend to get very clumsy with something on their feet and tend to bang and drag it around, especially kids.

I used 80 grit on mine, and it's not too slippery at all.  I have an 11 year old and she's been jumping off the teak with her friends since she was able to swim, never a slippery issue.

It looks pretty nice as is.  The guy took good care of it.  I just am not in love with his method.  He had put quite a lot of Thompson's on it before he sold it to me (he was meticulous with his boat), and when we used it, it would emit a little rainbow of sealant into the water.  This is one of the reasons I was concerned about getting schmutz on my new ski.  I am not really motivated to fully disassemble, so was thinking that some citrus degreaser/stripper, along with some light sanding, and then do the Starbrite cleaner, brightener, and classic teak sealer as in another thread would work for now.  I know from that thread and here you are a Watco fan.  

 

Here is that other thread.  I think you posted in it a long time ago.  @Ndawg12 has a thread when he did a couple DYI FG decks also, but it looks like he was searching for a used dealer one in the last post he put there.  So, for now, I will just re-furb my teak and keep my options to build one like @Woodski open.  I love the glass on on my buddy's '15 TXI.  

Link to comment

Before

moored-1.jpg

And after

20130609_124003_zps900a9dc9.jpg

Been down this road. Sick of sanding & oiling teak, having it be slippery as snot for a week, then fading & looking like hell by the end of the summer. I tried finding someone here to trade me or even buy the teak swimstep from me. Fat chance. No takers in over a year. So I sanded it down one last time, had it sprayed with Linex bedliner with no grit, then stuck a Gator Grip deck pad down on it. That was like 7 years ago. Maintenance free. Looks great. Gets people's attention at every event I go to.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
Link to comment

Condition of swim platform when I picked it up.  

6C9AED0C-A9F7-4938-98BE-36D8E52A2224_zps

In action upon first launch last year.  (magic res., between Hailey and Fairfield, Idaho)

826EF3B9-DB6A-418D-992E-B00BE12DE2F9_zps

 

At rest late in the season at Alturas, up near Smiley Creek, and toward Stanley, Idaho.    And yes, this is my gratuitous posting of pics of my boat, in addition to information related to the thread. ;)

3A801F58-8E6C-49EC-8D91-A2D95363D7F9_zps

Link to comment
5 minutes ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

Before

moored-1.jpg

And after

20130609_124003_zps900a9dc9.jpg

Been down this road. Sick of sanding & oiling teak, having it be slippery as snot for a week, then fading & looking like hell by the end of the summer. I tried finding someone here to trade me or even buy the teak swimstep from me. Fat chance. No takers in over a year. So I sanded it down one last time, had it sprayed with Linex bedliner with no grit, then stuck a Gator Grip deck pad down on it. That was like 7 years ago. Maintenance free. Looks great. Gets people's attention at every event I go to.

Hmm.  Interesting option.  Does the Linex (I resume rhino liner would be the same) have any problems with the teak swelling/contracting with moisture?  I had thought about doing the tops and sides only.  

Edited by sunvalleylaw
Link to comment
Just now, sunvalleylaw said:

Hmm.  Interesting option.  Does the Linex (I resume rhino liner would be the same) have any problems with the teak swelling/contracting with moisture?  I had thought about doing the tops and sides only.  

Rhino liner is super gritty. You can have Linex sprayed with NO GRIT, so it turns out looking like thick paint, maybe with an orange peel texture to it, but mostly smooth.

It may very well be a problem. But it hasn't shown any issues in over 7 yrs now.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...