Fishing Boat Carpet Replacement

So, it is time to replace your worn out fishing boat carpet. Well, before you begin, it is best to get all your tools and materials together. Here is what we recommend you have on hand to properly carpet a fishing boat:

Tools

1. Utility Knife [carpet cutting style
2. Plenty of utility blades
3. Small clamps [8] If needed for the lid edges.
4. Screw drivers - flat and Phillips
5. Channel locks or pliers
6. A straight edge
7. Drill, with a stripping wheel
8. Scraper
9. Magic marker
10. Tape measure
11. A few disposable paintbrushes
12. Vacuum
13. Plenty of rags
14. A large flat working area.

Materials:

1. A good outdoor marine carpet glue
2. Marine carpet
3. Tubes of liquid nail (optional for wrapping edges of lids, may damage carpet)

Now, let's get started. First, inspect your fishing boat carpet. If you look at the rubber backing, you will notice the grain. It is very important to get the grain going in the same direction on the entire fishing boat. Always keep the grain in your mind.

Remove all your storage compartment lids and hardware. After the fishing boat is stripped, it is time to scrape, scrape, scrape. Make sure you get all the old marine glue off. After scraping the old glue off everywhere the fishing boat was carpeted, take your drill with the stripping wheel and go over the areas that had glue on them. The cleaner the surface, the better. Vacuum and wipe the areas down.

Now, set all of your compartments back on the fishing boat, the way they were before you removed the carpet. Take your black magic marker and draw an arrow on the lids, and boat, the way the grain will go. This will help you to face the grain in the right direction.

Time to measure and cut the boat carpet, starting with the fishing boat deck first. Take a rough measurement; make sure you allow more than enough carpet, so you can trim it. Make sure your grain is going in the right direction. Work on one section at a time. Once you get the marine carpet cut to the rough sizes for each section of the fishing boat deck, you can glue it. Trowel the glue onto the cleaned surface (do not be stingy with the marine glue). Then lay the carpet on the fishing boat [it helps to have another person for this]. Situate the boat carpet where you want it, and then start pressing and rubbing the carpet down, from the center to the edges. Let the excess carpet over hang the edges for now. Then follow the same procedure and work your way back to the back of the fishing boat. Now, it is time to trim to fit. Press the boat carpet to the edges where you want to trim it. Take a Phillips screwdriver and run it along the edge, with pressure, where the trim cut will be. You will notice the screwdriver will make a line on the edge. This is where you will cut it. Always do the cut on a 45-degree angle. Take your time and do the cut, then press the marine carpet around the edges. You can come back later and do more trimming after the glue dries. That takes care of the fishing boat's deck.

Now, on to the lids. Before you do any cutting, check the grain. Take a rough measurement of the lid, remember you are going to wrap the marine carpet around the lid, and back up the inner wall. It is best to add an extra inch to each side of the lid, this way you have more than enough carpet. Make sure you keep changing the blades after every few cuts. Also make sure the lids have been wiped down, and then apply the glue on the top of the lid. Lay your boat carpet on a flat surface with the backing up [remember the grain], then take the lid, top down, and place the lid on the cut carpet. You have to center the lid on the carpet. The best way we've found to carpet the lids is to carpet all of them as a group. This way you can cut all the corners and wrap all the lid sides at one time. Now turn the carpeted lid over and press and rub the marine carpet from the center out to the edges.

After the lids are pretty much dried, cut the corners out. Place the lid, carpet side face down on a flat surface and cut the corners with a blade. Cut all the corners this way, and wrap the boat carpet over the sides to check fit. Take your time - if you cut it wrong, you may have to carpet the lid all over again.

Time to wrap the carpet over the edges. Apply the marine adhesive inside and out (some people prefer to use liquid nails for this step, as it sets up quicker and you only need it for a small area. You need to be careful though, as Liquid Nails can damage the rubber backing on marine carpet). Now wrap the boat carpet around the lid edges, pressing and rubbing at the same time. Once the boat carpet is holding to the edges, take your Phillips screw driver and run it down the lid top where it meets the edges. Press hard so it is tight to the corner. Take your utility knife (with a new, sharp blade) and do your cut on a 45 degree angle. Then press and rub the areas to make the carpet stick better.

Cut out the areas where your handles go on the lids, and install them, along with the hinges. Re-install your fishing boat lids, and all other hardware on the fishing boat. Now, stand back and look at what you have accomplished. A lot of work, but not only does your fishing boat look great, you have saved yourself about $1,200.