Carpeting woes - need advice!!!!

[Kevin Barbieri]

Well, after going back and forth with Tracker, Mellen Marine (former Tracker dealer in CT) and Syntec (carpet maker) I have been told that Syntec will provide me with carpet for the entire boat for free but I have to pay the shipping cost to get it here and the labor to install the carpet. Mellen is saying they will do the 7 hrs labor for the bow section or 32 hours for the entire boat at a firm $80 per hour. My question to all of you... Do I attempt it myself, have Mellen do it (can't afford this option) or look for someone else? It is a 2001 Pro Deep V 17 WT that I am almost done paying off. Another factor... Im an accountant with no manual labor skills! haha Is it that difficult a job??? Let the opinions fly!!! thanks, Kevin.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

$80 an hour???? Are they on crack? Marine outboard techs don't even charge that much! Try someone else! $2,500 for labor to put in carpet.....they must be trying to put a kid through college on those kind of rates! The deep V's are not hard to recarpet VS a glass boat. The decks come out relatively easy and can be recarpeted pretty simply. Do it yourself and save the cash for tackle and gas! You have all winter. You DO have winter right?

 

[Kevin Barbieri]

Shocking thing is they are a large dealership selling alot more expensive boats. Probably dont want to mess with my piddly $13K boat. What is the procedure? Just unscrew the deck??? How bout all the cuts in the bow around all the compartments and livewell? Oh boy in CT we sure do. Although it was 70 a few days ago down to 40 and rainy now!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Set aside a bay in the garage! To do it right, will take a little time, especially if you only have nights and weekends. But yes, start by removing the seat mounts, (just remove the screw and they should pop right out.

Then you remove the compartment lids, via the hinges. Recarpet those while they're out. Then you just go around feeling for the mounting screws under the carpet. Remove them and pull up the deck. The process is a little more in depth for the floor as you will have to remove the console as well, but it can be done. Just take your time and remember....measure twice, cut once. This will also give an intimate knowledge of your boat and how it's built. It will also give you the chance to beef anything up you want or run new wires, hoses, etc. Good luck. If you don't want to tackle it, a decent marina should only charge $45-$50 p/hr max. My boat cost $2500 to repair, but they pulled everything, carpeted everything, AND repaired all the popped rivets, warped stringers, and welded the keel seam, and reinforced it. The carpet was also included in that price. Tracker paid for it all.

 

[Tony Payne]

I would step away from the dealer and look for a secondary shop that specializes in Carpet replacement...



There are several here in KY, and it seems that I remember total cost (including Carpet) should be in the 7-800$ range.



I think you are correct, that the dealer you have talked to just does not want to deal with re-carpeting a boat (proablay of any kind) and therefore priced the service to discourage you.

 

[Mikel Stephens]

you should be able to find someone that knows what they are doing for alot less.

 

[Kevin Barbieri]

would it have to be a marine type place or any carpet installer?

 

[Tony Payne]

It would be a specialty shop that deals with boats/marine carpeting and upholstry.

 

[Michael Snow]

Check the prices...



If you have to pay for labor, find who you want to install it (500-800 is the going rate for decks around here, including carpet). Have them look at the carpet you have. That's what the manufacturer is going to replace it with. Would you rather pay another 100-200 for GOOD carpet or be in this same situation in a few years? I don't know what's wrong with the carpet.



Most of the time, they just replace the deck carpet, unless you're changing colors. Putting new carpet in all of the lockers and storage areas will cost you.

 

[Steve Rizza]

I re-carpeted my boat last winter.As Rob said go slow and careful.It is very time consuming with the details.

An example is the hatch lids,being made of tin you can't just glue them up and staple them.I would glue the main part,flip it over,put some weight on it,and let it dry.The next day I would roll the edges over the lips,trim and glue them,and clamp them in place with some 2x2 pieces of wood and some c-clamps till dry.

It doesn't have to be perfect.The carpet will come together and hide a lot of imperfections.

Make sure of the grain of the carpet.I have one livewell lid that has the grain going across,and it sticks out like a sore thumb.



Steve



P.s.I think the dangerous,flammable,outdoor only glue holds alot tighter than the safe-for-indoor stuff.

 

[Bruce Yeaton]

Did you call Bob Bourget at Marine USA? Give him a call, he may be able to help.

508-791-7116



Bruce