Cabin Sole

We had kicked around the idea of making a nice floor out of strips of Jatoba with iridescent wire laid between the strips for a nice lighting effect. We have all the materials on hand for it but decided that while it would look really nice, it would not provide for good footing at sea. So we decided that a good utilitarian floor with non-skid would be better suited for the task and set about installing one.

We made templates of the floor and transferred it to 3/4 inch plywood and cut it out. Hatches were cut out of the floor to allow access to the holding tank fittings and bilge spaces and the pieces were sealed with a coat of epoxy. Once cured they were laid into place with a thin strip of foam around the edge to prevent a hard spot against the hull and a strip of glass tabbing was applied along the edges bonding it to the hull.

The floor was faired and then a coat of Kiwigrip non-skid deck paint was applied. The non-skid will provide a good grip underfoot while at sea and a small strip of carpet runner can be used in port to "gussy" her up a bit and provide for a softer footing. The only thing I've never liked about an aggressive nonskid in the cabin is that its a bugger to clean when the cook loses a pot of custard (an offshore favorite of mine) onto the floor......but better to have a tough cleaning job then an injured crew that slipped on a slick floor with a pot in hand.