Taking the floor up

[jlanng]

Looks like I'll need to take the floor up in order to route a few cables for my plotter. Is there a standard technique for this - are most RIBS floored in a similar way? Its a Ribcraft 585.

Thanks
- J

[robin]

I take it there is no under floor channel with rope 'mouse'?
(probably not or you wouldn't be taking up the floor!)

Mine's a 585 too (and the 4.8 before that)
both have under floor channels as per the piccy.
Cables in where the arrow is and out at 'tother end in the console.

Thought I'd mention it anyhoo just in case.

[Swifty]

I would have thought a pipe be fitted as standard from new. Pulling up the floor seems hell of a big job just to lay some wires in. I would check with Ribcraft first before applying jemmy and chainsaw...

[swginn]

Taking up the floor seems very extreme just to run a few cables. Here are two simpler solutions.

Remember that you will have to cut the floor to take it up, which means you'll have to waterproof it well unless you want your hull flooding. I know I would prefer to have a few cables running neatly above deck than to have 30 or 40 gallons sloshing around below deck. Seems like an awful lot of hassle, but I'm feeling quite lazy today.

[Richard B]

Why do you need to take up the floor?

Is it because you plan to fit the GPS ariel on the A-frame? If so, this is unnecessary...

[jlanng]

Cutting? Holy moly!

There is a tunnel but it's jammed full of fuel and hydraulic steering lines. I want to run a the VHF & GPS antennas and depth sounder cables through but I can't even run the antenna coax through let alone the chunkier cable.

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by jlanng

I want to run a the VHF & GPS antennas and depth sounder cables through but I can't even run the antenna coax through let alone the chunkier cable.

You can mount the GPS antenna at the front - it doesn't need to be high up. If you can't get any cables through the conduit I would have a moan to Ribcraft (assuming that you bought the RIB new) as that is a completely useless design.

[jlanng]

Originally Posted by Richard B

You can mount the GPS antenna at the front - it doesn't need to be high up.

True true, but I'd rather not if I don't have to.

Originally Posted by Richard B

If you can't get any cables through the conduit I would have a moan to Ribcraft (assuming that you bought the RIB new) as that is a completely useless design.

We didn't buy new. I suspect the previous owners fitted the steering in a slapdash manner?