swim platform

[skiboatdriver]

Like the name implies, Ironwood is both hard and HEAVY...coming it at around 70 pounds per square foot.  It is used on the boardwalks in Atlantic City and Cooney Island. You have to have special tools to work with it do to the hardness of the material.

If you figure a "standard" swim platform is 15 square feet, you are looking at over 1000 pounds of swim platform! If your boat comes in with a dry weight of 3000 pounds, you have 1/3 the weight of your boat on the back end. This will really change how the boat skis/handles/etc.

I recommend sticking with Teak. It's easy to work with, easy to maintain, and still cost effective.

[jrpontiac]

New here but I have a 90 Legend where the teak swim step was to far gone to save.   I built a new swimstep out of Mahogany last year.   Going on the end of the second summer and it looks great.

I followed the info on this website and mine basically looks the same, but I didn't use 3m 5200, I used waterproof wood glue.  And I used 1x4 Mahogany, with woodproof wood glue and stainless screws, sealed with teak colored Cetol. Might have $120 into the entire project. 

http://www.glen-l.com/weblettr/webletters-6/wl48-mark.html

If I was to do it again I would stain it before I applied the Cetol.  I would have perferred a darker color to the wood.
I also would have scribed the new swimstep to the transom and not just traced the existing swimstep.  The curve of the original swim step does not match the transom.  And the step is fairly slippery, I would mix some silca in with the first coat of cetol.

[Marko56]

What about using a product called Baltek Airlite?  The name means nothing to me, but it's a PVC foam core product that the local marine supply shop sells.

[RonT]

Rigid PVC foams regardless of brand is what I cored the 96-01 composite platforms with a density of 8lbs min. but there are caveats, this will make a strong lightweight panel but will not support the "tear-out" strength for the bracket screws, in those areas a much higher density material is needed. I also used a material called Trevira in the laminates where screws would be installed, it provides tremendous screw holding ability.

[Marko56]

My neighbor at the lake just saved me a ton of labor!  I was about to rebuild my platform and was telling him of my plans.  He told me he had an extra teak platform from a Malibu that was totalled in a fire.  It has a very small gouge in it, but is in fantastic condition.  He gave it to me for a bottle of wine.  I just need to trim it a little for a better fit up against the hull, then clean and oil it.     

[phil]

My neighbor at the lake just saved me a ton of labor!  I was about to rebuild my platform and was telling him of my plans.  He told me he had an extra teak platform from a Malibu that was totalled in a fire.  It has a very small gouge in it, but is in fantastic condition.  He gave it to me for a bottle of wine.  I just need to trim it a little for a better fit up against the hull, then clean and oil it.     

Nice!

[Joel]

Hope that was a DAMN NICE bottle of wine!!!