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Permalink Reply by Dennis Liden on June 24, 2010 at 12:45pm

Hi Peter,
I'm sure you'll get plenty of oppinions on you question so here is mine.
I origanally had the UHMW sole on my boat. I removed it last summer and replaced it with fiberglass and gel-coat.
Although the UHMW was nice to have and it protected the bottom nicely; their are some drawbacks.

First: The sole has to be secured with screws secured into the bottom of the boat at each frame and along the chine strip. This is all well ang good but moisture gets into the wood around the screw. The result, a soft attachment that allows the screws to loosen in the wood and eventually back or pull out.

Second: UHMW being a plastic, expands and contracts with temprature changes. This expansion and contraction works on the screws and screw holes. Eventually the screw will fall out and leave the screw hole exposed to moisture. The end result is a water soaked bottom and eventual deteriation of the bottom itself.

I had my UHMW sole rip loose from the bottom during a trip down a nasty stretch of river. I nearly lost the boat in a log jam. Not a fun expierience.

I had to remove the UHMW, plug all the holes, refinish the bottom, and then re-install the UHMW. Eventually the sole became loose again so I decided to go with a fiberglass and gel-coat system. It seems to be holding up well and is easy to repair if needed. I don't know of any method of securing UHMW to the bottom that would keep it secure.

There used to be a resign impregnated 7ply plywood called "Finnply" that Eastside Boats used for their wood boat soles many years ago, but I don't know if it is still available.

Good Luck

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