Ultimate Carpet Solution!

[txav8r]

When I had my SX230, I liked my carpet because I had been told by one of the techs at Phil Dill Boats, that the way they clean carpet and prep a boat is a little different than most. I adopted that philosophy and shared it on that forum that shall remain nameless...and have shared it here. I found I wasn't the only one that enjoyed carpet, and with a more appropriate care method, it is easier to deal with than any of the other options outside of carpet, IMO. Anyway, I sold my boat last August and with it, went almost everything I had related to the boat, including the nifty clothesline I made to hang my carpet to dry.

The way I learned to care for my carpet was to NEVER leave it in the boat wet. Always hang to dry. And shop vac any excess water before hanging it. That does two things, it reduces the weight of the carpet tremendously, but it sets it up to dry overnight if not faster. If the carpet is dirty, I add one more step...I remove the carpet to the driveway, rinse most dirt off, then brush with a boat brush and soapy mild laundry detergent. I rinse thoroughly and shop vac...then hang.

I spent the day today picking up some new tarp clips, laying out my clothesline, and making the extensions so it would hang straight. I will post the pics from the phone as soon as I put this up. Any questions on how I did this, ask away. It is my best carpet mod! Always dry, always clean, and always smells fresh!

 

[Julian]

Clever.....

 

[Kelso]

I boat 50% of the time in salt water. So I usually blast the carpet and any salt water/sand off while still in the boat, and hit any spots accordingly. I then pull up the carpet and toss it over the bow into the bed of the truck, along with any tubes that I have rinsed off. I then go about washing the boat. As soon as the boat is hot sauced and dried it is taken to the storage and I hang my carpet and tubes there, one 30' wall is strung with line for hang drying wet items. Then, next outing when I show up to get the boat I have nice dry carpet and just snap it back in.

Over a year on this carpet and I've never noticed any foul smells. The key is getting the rubber backing up into the air to dry, it would never dry if left in the boat, or even flat on a surface. The rubber is impermeable and will just hold the water if left horizontal. Get that wet carpet vertical!

 

[BigN8]

When I had my SX230, I liked my carpet because I had been told by one of the techs at Phil Dill Boats, that the way they clean carpet and prep a boat is a little different than most. I adopted that philosophy and shared it on that forum that shall remain nameless...and have shared it here. I found I wasn't the only one that enjoyed carpet, and with a more appropriate care method, it is easier to deal with than any of the other options outside of carpet, IMO. Anyway, I sold my boat last August and with it, went almost everything I had related to the boat, including the nifty clothesline I made to hang my carpet to dry.

The way I learned to care for my carpet was to NEVER leave it in the boat wet. Always hang to dry. And shop vac any excess water before hanging it. That does two things, it reduces the weight of the carpet tremendously, but it sets it up to dry overnight if not faster. If the carpet is dirty, I add one more step...I remove the carpet to the driveway, rinse most dirt off, then brush with a boat brush and soapy mild laundry detergent. I rinse thoroughly and shop vac...then hang.

I spent the day today picking up some new tarp clips, laying out my clothesline, and making the extensions so it would hang straight. I will post the pics from the phone as soon as I put this up. Any questions on how I did this, ask away. It is my best carpet mod! Always dry, always clean, and always smells fresh!
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Couldn't agree more. I love the Berber! I usually take out of the boat every 3 weeks, lay out in driveway, and pressure wash with a detergent. Then just hang on my fence. The sun is a natural deodorizer!

 

[txav8r]

Yeah, the sun is great if it is in small doses...and a fence is a good option if you don't have a 9' to 10' ceiling in the garage to rig up a line. I seem to remember many guys just put a nail in the fence in strategic locations and put the snap over the nail head! That may have even been you that posted that @BigN8 ! It is an excellent option. Carpet is great, if it is fresh and clean. But I am intrigued by that deckadence stuff for wet days. I just don't want to fool with it all the time. Can't remember who it is but someone is getting it in the off season. Guess we will have to wait a year for a report on it! Do you have any issues with the loops on the berber snagging? I bought some from @mgabsa , but realized I would have to move all the snaps and didn't want to do it. So I passed it on to someone else and I guess they loved it too. I would love about a 30 oz carpet in the boat, soft and cushioned, but still carpet. Now that stuff would weigh 50 pounds per sq ft when wet! I like the carpet, it is just a plush feel. I know the guys like the turf and dek too, and glad we have choices!

 

[SCSTWG]

I am also a carpet fan, but I must admit that some of the alternatives that have been posted are looking really nice.

 

[BigN8]

Haven't had any loop snags yet. It's pretty tight.

 

[RiverRat]

I'm excited to have removable carpet finally, as my Bayliner does not. I also love the feel of the nice plush berber on my bare feet and will be employing this technique to keep em that way.

 

[MikeyL]

VERY NICE post, Mel. Thanks for sharing unthought about ideas !

 

[4x15mph]

I like the carpet and especially like the garage/storage shed that comes with your solution.

 

[gthh]

Hey Mel, I'm the guy you passed the carpet on to last year! I posted a picture somewhere here and it still is in great condition. It makes the boat look great and comfortable. I doubt I would have spent full price on carpet but thanks to Mel's layaway plan it made good sense to purchase. The sad thing is that I still have my old OEM carpet in great condition sitting in my garage. Thanks again!

 

[txav8r]

Howdy @gthh ! Glad to hear it. How much effort was required for you to move around the snaps? Did you move the carpet snaps or the drilled heads? If I hadn't had so many to move I might have kept it! So many report liking the Berber. Glad it is still working well in the boat!

 

[itsdgm]

We love the carpet too. It's easy to remove and clean. But I don't boat every day. We're on the water a few times a year for up to a week at a time. So I only have to dry it out a few time a year at the end of each trip. I can see how it would be a PITA for guys who boated every weekend.

 

[gthh]

Hi Mel

Lucky for me about four. It was easy with the old carpet. I just laid the OEM over the berber and drilled out the snaps and replaced the snap in the new position. I just used some sneaker repair goop to seal the hole and you can't tell I moved the snap.
I am glad you got your "boat" back! I know suchawittygal is happy with her boat and she got a great deal.

 

[jdonalds]

I like carpet over other solutions. Lucky for me the humidity is so low here the carpets are usually dry as a bone after the 9 mile drive home.

Right now it's 90 degrees out with 7% humidity.

We rarely touch the shore so don't bring sand into the boat. My eight year old carpets stay in the boat year round. I might wash them twice a year.

 

[Sacamano]

No snags.

 

[motorboater]

You guys in TX and CA are in a dry climate. In the humidity up here it never dries fast enough to avoid becoming a foul smelling mess, unless maybe you bring it into an air conditioned environment such as the house, and that aint happening. I like to enjoy boating, not schlepping my carpet around. A better quality marine carpet would eliminate the problem. The carpet in both Glastrons I had was never removed, and never smelled or developed mold or mildew. The stuff in these Yamahas, at least mine, is terrible. I really like the bare floor. Its not slippery and piece of cake to clean. The only thing I'd add is a piece of Seadek or similar at the helm for comfort.

 

[txav8r]

California may be drier in some locales, but here in Texas, HUMID. I get that you don't want to fool with carpet @motorboater and isn't it great to have so many options! But my carpet, fully soaking wet, will be dry overnight using the above described procedure. Shop Vac'ing the residual water out, and hanging to dry is key here. But if fooling with the carpet or if you just don't have the room to fool with it without having to "schlep" it, then it is a pain. We absolutely want carpet in the boat, but we are not doing water sports everyday either. Even when we have gone each weekend and been doing watersports or just in and out wet while swimming, it gets wet and will be dry when I hang it. Admittedly I don't shop vac it every time, unless it is really soaked. If I don't at least get some of the water out when it is fully soaked, it may take 18 hours to dry.

 

[waterboy]

I like the idea of the rubber mats in the boats but my carpet is holding up very well. Like you Mel, I hang and dry mine after EVERY outing. My carpet looks good and smells good. Wish I had the room for your setup... awesome!!

It will not be going to Bimini with me though, as I do not want to fill it up with sand and stinky salt water creatures..

 

[maboat]

The way I learned to care for my carpet was to NEVER leave it in the boat wet. Always hang to dry. ]

I agree completely and its a fairly easy, low maintenance task EXCEPT for that one BIG piece. The smaller pieces are so easy to take out, rinse, and hang to dry. But that big piece gets very awkward. I've often thought about taking that one big piece in to a shop and have them section it into a couple smaller pieces. Haven't done it yet, but I threaten to do it every year.