# Fore/aft raft floor



## asleep.at.the.oars (May 6, 2006)

It's easy and saves your floor some wear if you're carrying solid gear in with the dunnage. I put a hole through both sides of a self-bailing floor when I hit a sleeper with a keg on the floor, and have become a big fan of suspending my entire load. 

Sling in some plywood the same way these floors are hung, and make sure your cargo net isn't an entrapment hazard. 

Cascade Outfitters Whitewater Rafting Equipment: Cargo Platform=

or

NRS Raft Cargo Platform


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

I'm looking for something for the passenger compartment, not gear. Do you think plywood might get in the way of the boat flexing? I'm also worried about feet/paws getting stuck between the wood and gunwale, not desirable. Ideas?


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## mountaincrash (Jun 21, 2006)

*Floor*

What is the reason for the floor? Are you simply trying to protect it from dog paws? Are you trying to keep people dry? Is it a bucket boat or a self bailer? 

Nicely trimmed dog claws on a self-bailer have not created issues for my boat, if that's your reason.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

Thanks Crash-

good questions, I have not been clear. I have a dog that is a bit skittish in the boat in whitewater. I made her these awesome platforms on the gunwals with this plastic grid material, which is made for dog kennels, poultry, etc. It has worked so well, she prefers to sit up on those instead of on the floor of the boat. It is a self bailer, and she doesn't like getting bumped to the edge and her paws going down to the bailers. So I want to make a floor for the front compartment. My husband hunkers down with them in whitewater, so I'd like to make that section of the boat seem more comfortable then, and just moving around the boat. I'm also going to make a floor for the rowing section, but that is a lot more straight forward.

Claws are not a problem and we aren't trying to stay dry.

My husband is worried about feet and paws, and I think for good reason. I am not actually thinking of making the floor out of the polymax grid stuff, and suspend it from the frame/boat with straps. I'm now thinking to take a section of the stuff, and go "up" the straps so there is an edge. Zip tie the floor section and those edge sections, so they can move/flex a bit, but since the straps will go through them, they will be held in place. the whole thing might move a bit, so I'm thinking of straping the floor to the cooler supports, that might help keep it in place. Or allow some of the weight to sit on the floor, shouldn't be any worse than a person and dog although one poorly placed rock could spell a hole. We don't do big water, so I'm not too worried about that. And if we did do bigwater with lots of rock hazards, we could always tighten the straps to keep it off the floor more.

Thoughts?

L


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