Sailfish: Soft floor?

[whalerron]

I was told that the Sailfish has a common problem with the floor panel that covers the fuel tank. I have been told that this panel gets "soft" over time and needs to be reinforced. Has anyone had this problem and if so, how did you correct it?

I am looking at a used Sailfish and that panel is soft on this boat.

Thanks,
Ron

 

[RAINMAKER]

Here Ya' go same deal not hard at all plus it's a good time to learn about your boat
http://www.greatgrady.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12361

 

[Marty grady 272]

I have had 2 sailfishes. Neither one had soft foor panels, A 85 and a 95

 

[JUMPNJACK]

whaleron, I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood to fit over this panel (slightly larger than the panel) It redistributes the weight of my heavy footed and excited fishing buddies over the entire surface. Stained and spar varnished the plywood so it matches the rest of the wood on the boat. 8)

 

[Pez Vela]

Check this out. Lots of pics (including mine).

http://www.greatgrady.com/forum/viewtop ... highlight=

It's not likely that there is any problem with the deck panel itself, but rather the structural support for the deck. Easy to fix (so long as you don't end up replacing the fuel tanks once you see them).

 

[whalerron]

Thanks for the info. Murphy's Law implies that when I pull up a soft panel over a fuel tank, the tank is gonna be bad too!

 

[grady33]

Had the same thing happen to my 2000 sailfish which is located in Ocean City MD. Had Jim (Jim's Marine) remove the panel and reseal with a strong resin. Says he sees this a lot and it is due to the wood not being properly sealed or something. Anyhow, mine is now better then new and solid. Definitely fix because it will be a big pain if you put your foot through or crack the form.